Acidity is something almost everyone face once in a while. It happens when too much acid forms in stomach, and causes burning feeling in chest or throat. Some people call it heartburn, or acid reflux. It can feel really uncomfortable, and if you eat wrong food or skip meals or get too stressed, it gets worse.
Good thing is, you don’t always need to run to doctor or take tablets right away. There are many home remedies for acidity that actually work well and can make you feel better fast. You probably already have some of these things in your kitchen.
So let’s talk about acidity, why it happen, and some natural and easy remedies to control it.
What Is Acidity?
Acidity is when stomach produce extra acid, and that acid goes back to food pipe (esophagus). This cause burning sensation or sour taste in mouth. Sometimes people burp a lot or feel bloated and heavy in stomach.
It’s not always serious, but it can be disturbing and ruin your day.
Symptoms of Acidity
Acidity can show up in different ways, like:
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Burning sensation in chest (heartburn)
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Feeling of food coming back in throat
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Sour taste in mouth
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Bloating or gas
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Burping often
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Nausea or uneasy feeling
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Stomach pain sometimes
If you get these symptoms often, then maybe you having acidity problem regularly.
Common Causes of Acidity
There are many reasons acidity can happen. Some of the most common are:
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Eating spicy or oily food
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Skipping meals or eating late at night
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Eating too fast or overeating
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Too much coffee, tea or soft drinks
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Stress and tension
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Smoking and alcohol
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Lying down right after food
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Certain medicines like pain killers
Changing some of these habits can help reduce acidity also.
Best Home Remedies For Acidity
Let’s now look at some simple and easy home remedies that can give relief from acidity naturally.
1. Cold Milk
Cold milk is one of the fastest and best remedy for acidity. Milk has calcium that helps neutralize stomach acid.
How to use:
Drink one glass of cold, plain milk (no sugar) when you feel burning. It gives instant relief to many people.
But if you are lactose intollerant then avoid milk.
2. Tulsi (Basil) Leaves
Tulsi is very helpful in acidity. It helps produce mucus in stomach and reduce acid level.
How to use:
Chew 4-5 tulsi leaves or boil them in water and drink like tea.
You can have this 2-3 times a day.
3. Fennel Seeds (Saunf)
Fennel helps in digestion and reduce gas and bloating too.
How to use:
Chew 1 tsp fennel seeds after meals. Or boil in water and drink the water after cooling down.
It also freshens breath
4. Jeera Water (Cumin)
Cumin is great to improve digestion and reduce acidity symptoms.
How to use:
Boil 1 tsp jeera in water, strain and drink after meals. You can also crush it and mix in buttermilk.
5. Banana
Banana is alkaline and helps to balance acid level in stomach.
How to use:
Eat 1 ripe banana when you feel acidity symptoms. It can help settle your stomach.
6. Ginger
Ginger is anti-inflammatory and helps in proper digestion.
How to use:
Grate small piece of ginger and boil in water to make tea. Drink slowly when it’s warm.
You can also chew small ginger piece with little honey.
7. Buttermilk
Buttermilk (chaas) has lactic acid which normalize the acidity in stomach.
How to use:
Drink 1 glass of plain buttermilk with pinch of black salt and jeera powder.
Very cooling and helpful after heavy meals.
8. Coconut Water
Coconut water cools the system and helps maintain proper pH level in stomach.
Drink 1-2 times in day, specially when you feel burning or bloating.
9. Cloves
Cloves help to reduce gas and improve digestion. Old remedy from grandma time.
How to use:
Chew 1-2 cloves when you feel acid coming up. You can also keep it in mouth slowly suck it.
10. Amla (Indian Gooseberry)
Amla is rich in vitamin C and good for stomach health.
How to use:
Eat fresh amla or drink amla juice in morning. Helps in long-term digestion problems too.
What To Avoid When You Have Acidity
Some food and habits make acidity worse. Try to avoid these things:
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Spicy and fried food
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Tea, coffee, soft drinks
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Chocolate and citrus fruits
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Lying down after food
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Overeating
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Smoking and alcohol
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Eating in hurry
Eat small meals, chew properly and sit straight after eating.
Lifestyle Tips To Prevent Acidity
Besides home remedies, some daily lifestyle habits can also help reduce acidity problems.
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Eat smaller meals instead of large ones
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Don’t skip breakfast or any meal
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Drink plenty water during day
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Walk a little after meals
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Don’t lie down immediately after food
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Sleep with pillow little elevated
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Manage stress with yoga, meditation
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Exercise regularly – it helps digestion too
Sometimes just changing eating habits can make big difference.
When To See A Doctor?
Home remedies are good but if acidity is happening every day or disturbing sleep or causing pain, then better to consult doctor. Some times it can be sign of other issues like ulcers or acid reflux disease (GERD).
Also, if you feel:
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Chest pain
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Trouble swallowing
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Vomiting
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Blood in stool
Don’t wait, go to doctor.
Final Words
Acidity is common but it can really mess your day when it happens. Luckily, you can manage it with simple and natural home remedies like cold milk, jeera water, banana, tulsi and buttermilk. These things are safe and easy to do at home.
But also try to eat clean, avoid junk, stay calm and eat on time. Your stomach will thank you.