Gastritis is one of the most frequent complaints that people experience, it comes with no warning after a meal and has many symptoms. While some are as mild as a burning feeling in the chest, issues such as a sour taste in the mouth can be quite uncomfortable. The problem is not in foods that cause acidity; it is stress, irregular meal timings, and even lifestyle. For many people, understanding how to prevent the occurrence of acid is crucial for a healthy lifestyle devoid of the regular pains of an unplanned bout with acid reflux.
Anyone, who wants to avoid experiencing the problem of acidity, has to know what causes it. When you discover what these are and make simple lifestyle changes, you will be able to prevent the occurrence of severe cases of acidity frequently. This guide will explain why acidity occurs and then provide advice on how to reduce acidity in a more natural way. Adopting these approaches will help maintain low levels of acidity and give you peace of heart while going about your day’s activities or eating food.
Here are the Common Causes of Acidity and How to Manage It
1. Poor Eating Habits
Eating at improper times, like not taking meals, eating hurriedly or consuming a lot of food late at night disrupts the digestive system. If the stomach is not full enough, which usually happens when we eat infrequently, it tries to produce extra acids which are not needed hence the feeling of discomfort. Moreover, eating too quickly and not taking time to chew also create room for the stomach to work much and cause acidity. Avoid snacking in between meals and when eating, make sure you take your time doing so since this helps reduce the rate at which foods are digested and the build up of acids.
2. Spicy and Fatty Foods
Although spicy foods and foods rich in fats and oils make meals tasty, they are some of the causes of acidity. The use of such products as chili peppers will cause inflammation of the stomach lining leading to the feeling of burning. The fats slow down digestion and hence the stomach remains busy for a longer time and acid levels remain high. One can avoid or cut down on spicy and fatty foods and if one eats such foods, then they should eat them with less spicy foods, this ensures that there is no overproduction of the stomach acid and hence no acidity.
3. Caffeine and Carbonated Drinks
Caffeine contained in coffee, tea and selected energy drinks has a stimulating effect on the production of gastric acid. Similarly, carbonated beverages can cause build up of pressure in the stomach causing the heart burn. These beverages also contribute to the stomach’s acidity, and at other times, they lead to swelling that aggravates the symptoms. Eliminating coffee and soda and replacing them with such mild products as herbal teas may also help prevent acidity.
4. High-Stress Levels
Stress has an impact on almost all areas of health and one of them is digestion. Under stress, the body releases hormones that make the stomach to produce more of the acid than it would under normal conditions. Stress can also affect other aspects of the digestive system and increase chances of contracting acid reflux and heartburn.
5. Excessive Alcohol Consumption
Coffee and alcohol are two of the leading causes of acidity because alcohol can cause irritation to the stomach lining and the muscles of the lower esophagus to relax which allows acid to flow upwards. If taken to the extreme, such results can worsen these effects, causing heartburn or acid reflux more often.
6. Lack of Physical Activity
The recommendations proposed by the programme indicate that a sedentary life style hampers the functioning of the digestive system and consequently raises the probability of suffering from acidity or bloating. Exercise aids digestion as it promotes the flow of food through the stomach to avoid the build-up of acid. A walk taken after meals can also assist in digestion as well as reducing the discomfort that results from acid consuming and production.
Conclusion
The management of acidity is a major issue that hampers comfort in so many aspects of life. Nevertheless, knowledge of how to deal with acidity based on these causes such as, bad diet, high stress levels and wrong choices in foods and drinks can go a long way. Although there may be some changes which are not very significant but which if followed, can greatly help in controlling the levels of acidity, and therefore minimizing nasty flare-ups such as those mentioned above.
All in all, the key question of how to manage it successfully is all about building a healthy lifestyle and avoiding tendencies that cause the increased production of acids. In a nutshell, by being attentive to your body and keen to apply these tips, you will avoid making acidity the main theme of your life. It is possible to eat and be active, and feel great while eating meals without stressing about the pains that come with acidity.
