It is very difficult to find a person who has not experienced Acidity in his or her life. By the word “Acidity”, I mean “Acid Reflux” which is a condition very common to almost everyone nowadays, including children and infants (!).

It happens when acids produced by our stomach and also from the food we eat, finds its way up into the esophagus, throat and up to the back of our mouth. Esophagus is the medical term for the portion of food pipe in our chest area, between our throat and belly. Acid Reflux or Acidity also has other names like “Heartburn”, GastroEsophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) etc.

Symptoms

For infants and children, it is quite difficult for them to say if they are experiencing Acidity as they cannot describe their feelings or body conditions properly. Some common symptoms an adult can describe are:

1. Burning sensation in throat and chest area (near the heart)
2. Burning sensation in the stomach with or without pain
3. Frequent Burping or Belching
4. Difficulty in swallowing and in some cases breathing
5. Nausea
6. Prolonged sour taste in the mouth
7. Bad breath
8. Sore throat

There can be more than one symptom at a time. Children should be asked to describe if their conditions match with any of the above. Some other symptoms quite common among children and infants are:

1. Repeated Vomiting
2. Inconsolable crying
3. Refusing food
4. Crying for food and then refusing to eat and then again crying for it
5. Coughing or other respiratory problems
6. Hiccups

Common Causes

The most common causes of Acidity are unhealthy life-style, unhealthy food and eating habits. Effects and side-effects of ongoing disease or body condition, ongoing medication etc. are also quite common.

Unhealthy Life-Style includes

1. Lack of proper sleep or rest
2. Lack of physical exercise or movement
3. Excessive physical work or exercise
4. Physical and mental stress at workplace or elsewhere
5. Eating a meal just before going to sleep
6. Eating a meal just before going to take a bath or before a swim
7. Smoking
8. Consumption of Alcohol

Unhealthy Food and Eating habits include

1. Skipping Breakfast or Meals
2. Not eating at regular times or intervals
3. Over-eating
4. Drinking hot beverages like tea or coffee too frequently
5. Drinking cold beverages like soda or soft drinks
6. Not drinking enough water
7. Continuing to eat citrus fruits like lemons, oranges, mangoes etc. when already experiencing Acid Reflux
8. Continuing to eat spicy or oily/fatty or carb-rich foods like fried items, fast/junk food during primary stages of Acid Reflux

You should avoid the above food and eating habits, and change your life-style to keep Acidity at bay. Consult with a doctor if your condition continues or worsens.

If you have a disease like Diabetes, Peptic Ulcer, Asthma etc. you are likely to experience Acidity. Also if you are under regular medication, some of the medicines like pain-killers (both NSAIDs and SAIDs), BP controlling medicines, Antibiotics, medicines for bone conditions etc. may give you Acid Reflux. You are strongly advised to tell your doctor about these conditions or side-effects so that he or she can prescribe you the correct dosage and probably alternative medicines.

Quick Remedies

If your Acid Reflux is sudden or its regularity is still in early stage that is tolerable to you, you can use some of the quick remedies, most of which are natural and home-made. Given below are some of those remedies. Please use any one remedy at a time and never apply multiple of them at the same time.

1. Over-the-counter medicines like Antacid tablets or suspension as per the indicated dosage. But consult with your doctor if you have other medical condition or if your Acidity does not improve or if it repeats regularly. Prolonged use of Antacids may have adverse effects on your body.
2. Ripe Banana
3. Pineapple juice
4. Mint leaves (Pudina) with a glass of drinking water
5. Raw Almonds (Kath Badam)
6. A cup or a glass of cold pasteurized dairy milk
7. Clove (Lobongo or Long in Bangla) powder or/and Cardamom (Elachi) powder sprinkled on meals
8. Chew a few Fennel seeds (Mishti Jeera in Bangla) raw or soaked in a cup/glass of drinking water
9. Chew a gum to generate a lot of saliva that contributes to reduction of acid levels in the stomach

Also, you can tweak your life-style and eating habits as follows:

1. Sleep on your left side
2. Chew food very well before swallowing
3. Drink a lot of water
4. Never miss your Breakfast and Meals
5. Have your meals on time
6. Eat in small quantities at regular intervals
7. Avoid the unhealthy life-style and unhealthy food and eating habits mentioned above
8. Keep your garment loose at the waist for proper passing of food inside your stomach
9. Add some physical activity or exercise of about 30 mins. to your daily routine