Acidity

Abdomen | Gastroenterology | Acidity (Symptom)


Description

Acidity is characterized by a burning sensation or pain in the stomach after one to four hours of a meal; feeling hungry frequently; constant pain in upper abdomen; belching, nausea, bitter taste in mouth, vomiting and loss of appetite. Another sensation of acidity is heartburn, characterized by a deeply placed, burning pain in the chest behind the sternum. It occurs after meals and is precipitated by increase in intra-abdominal pressure like straining or lifting weights. Dyspepsia is a burning or an aching pain in the upper abdomen, sometimes described as a stabbing sensation penetrating through the gut.

Causes

Acidity is a state that occurs due to an imbalance between mechanisms of the secretion of acid in the stomach and proximal intestine, and protective mechanisms that secures the stomach’s safety. The acidic fluid that the stomach secretes is essential in the digestive process, helping in digestion process. This acid helps in breaking down the food during digestion. But when the stomach glands produce excessive acid, the result is acidity. Acidity is referred to hyperacidity.

In acidity, there is a movement of gastric juices carrying acid, from the stomach into the lower esophagus, the food pipe. This condition mainly arises when acidic contents in stomach called hydrochloric acid move upward into the esophagus and making it dysfunctional.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Some treatments against acidity could be: identifying foods that contribute to excess stomach acid (spicy, salty and acidic should be avoided); smoking and alcohol consumption should be stopped to maintain the levels of stomach acid in the stomach and esophagus in harmony; avoiding stress and moderate lifestyle to prevent excess stomach acid and ulcers; avoiding nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; having an organic glass of skim milk or low-fat to help normalize the pH in the stomach; drinking plenty of water; eating fruits like apple, watermelon and banana.

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