If a person’s Lower Esophageal Sphincter (muscle ring at the stomach entrance) does not close even after the passing of food, the stomach acids reach the esophagus. It further causes chest pain, stomach discomfort, and heartburn. If the symptoms persist for almost two weeks, it leads to Acid Reflux Disease or Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD).
Causes for Acid Reflux Disease:
People develop acid reflux due to several everyday lifestyle habits, physical conditions, and other unhealthy habits. It includes the following –
- Going to sleep shortly after having a huge meal
- Being obese
- Pregnancy
- Consumption of excess citrus fruits, chocolates, and mint. Along with that excess of onions, garlic, and spices.
- Excess alcohol consumption and similar other beverages
- Consumption of medicines like aspirin, ibuprofen, and blood pressure medicines
Symptoms for Acid Reflux:
The most common symptoms for acid reflux include the following.
- Heartburn – Intense pain in the chest, stomach, and upper abdomen
- Bloating – Filling of gas in the stomach or gastrointestinal tract
- Nausea and Vomiting – Constant nauseous feeling, frequent vomiting, and dark-colored stool
- Burping – Constant burping with the smell of the food
- Regurgitation – A bitter or sour-tasting acidic sensation behind the throat
- Dysphagia – The feeling of food being stuck behind the throat
- Suppressed hiccups
Ayurvedic Remedies for Acid Reflux:
Acid reflux is curable with some simple Ayurvedic remedies and changes in lifestyle. Adaptation towards a healthy lifestyle with a sense of disciplinary food habits can help to prevent these types of discomforts and diseases.
- The first and foremost Ayurvedic remedy for acid reflux is fasting (Upvasa). It helps rest the digestive system. In addition, it also helps maintain the acidic balance in the stomach.
- Limited consumption of tea, alcohol, and sugary carbonated drinks (cold drinks) can also reduce the possibility of acid reflux.
- Ayurvedic practitioners also recommend avoiding the consumption of junk and processed food.
- You should also use herbs and spices like turmeric, cumin, and fennel seeds in your diet.
- Coriander, basil leaves, and asafoetida (hing) can also help relieve acid reflux. These herbs can help to increase digestion procedures and suppress indigestion symptoms.
- Consumption of ginger and cumin tea – Ginger acts as an anti-inflammatory agent in digestion. For variation, one can also consume peeled, grated, or sliced ginger in cooked food. Cumin can induce digestive juice generation. It helps in digestion processes. Cumin also helps to suppress symptoms of acidity and indigestion.
- Consumption of herbal ingredients in a regular diet like mishri, vaidang, and haritaki can be of great help. Along with them, bibhitaki, laung, pippali, and sarjika kshor also helps. Amla, mulethi, and nagar mustaka help to suppress acid reflux symptoms.
Ingredients like mishri and vaidung help reduce burning, inflammation, and stomach cramps symptoms. Haritaki, bibhitaki, clove, pippali, and sarjika kshor have the qualities to suppress the symptoms of indigestion. Amla and mulethi help to cool down the digestive tract. In addition, nagar mustaka helps increase the amount of urination to keep a balanced body.
Lifestyle adaptations to avoid Acid Reflux:
Making the following lifestyle changes can help a great deal to reduce the risk of acid reflux.
- One should always keep a minimum gap of 2 hours between food consumption and sleep. This gap will help digest food and reduce indigestion.
- People with obesity should consult a physician to learn about lifestyle changes and food habits to relieve acid reflux.
- During pregnancy, a woman’s body undergoes several changes. One of them concerns their digestion. They experience too many discomforts in their bodily systems. In such cases, they must consult their health care providers to ensure safe pregnancy and regular digestion.
- People who have a drinking habit must cut down on these habits, and if necessary, they must seek proper medical advice.
These daily healthy habits, along with ayurvedic medications, help to reduce acid reflux. Proper rest, light food, and a bit of exercise can help to improve these conditions. Also, one should always seek appropriate medical advice and medicines to maintain a healthy digestive system.
