All About Acidity

NIKHIL CHAUDHARY, HOLISTIC NUTRITIONIST, ENTREPRENEUR AND AUTHOR EXPLAINS WHY ACIDITY CANNOT BE CONTROLLED ONLY BY MEDICATION.

Acidity and heartburn are issues that plague not just adults but also children. Just think of how often you experience heartburn, frequent burps and indigestion and you can easily understand that this issue cannot be overlooked. In his book The Burning Solution, Nikhil Chaudhary throws light on why acidity is by far the most misunderstood problem that non-sufferers fail to empathise with.

KNOW THE SYMPTOMS

Some common symptoms of acidity include burping, belching, heartburn, and reflux.

But some symptoms are unknown and lead to misdiagnosis and mistreatment. An article in National Library of Medicine has explained that acidity could cause temporary fluctuation in blood pressure which could be diagnosed as Hypertension. Morning recurring headaches could be diagnosed as migraine. Chronic dry cough could be diagnosed as throat infection. People are given medicines for conditions which they do not have, and it leads to side effects which cause other health problems. In some severe cases the symptoms could also be severe stomach pain due

to stomach ulcers, black stools in case of internal bleeding, low hemoglobin, anxiety, loss of appetite and weight loss.

Acidity is a multifaceted problem and symptoms are likely to vary. Acidity and heart attack have similar symptoms and proper diagnosis by a medical expert is the only way to surely differentiate between the two by using ECG and ECHO. Severe cases of acidity may require an endoscopy in which a camera is inserted into our digestive system to see if there is any visible problem,” adds Chaudhary.

MEDICINE WOES

Antacids and allopathic drugs are the usual suspects when it comes to controlling acidity, but the problem is that these only address the symptoms and give immediate relief irrespective of the health problem without addressing the root cause. Likewise, with Ayurveda, homeopathy, or any other natural treatments it may not work unless it is accompanied by proper diet and lifestyle changes. Untreated acidity can cause GERD, Barret’s Oesophagus and eventually Oesophageal cancers in many cases. “People with acidity start having anxiety due to the helplessness they feel. They are put on anxiety medicines as they are told that acidity is being caused due to anxiety. Anxiety medicines make them slow and sleepy as it affects the nervous system,” says Chaudhary.

FOOD FIX

ANTACIDS AND ALLOPATHIC DRUGS ARE THE USUAL SUSPECTS WHEN IT COMES TO CONTROLLING ACIDITY, BUT THE PROBLEM IS THAT THESE ONLY ADDRESS THE SYMPTOMS AND GIVE IMMEDIATE RELIEF WITHOUT ADDRESSING THE ROOT CAUSE.

Once you identify the underlying cause of acidity in your case, it is easier to treat it. In most cases the causes of acidity include skipping meals, not eating enough food, trigger foods, indigestion, medication, stress, and the like. The healing process must focus on the immediate relief plan which helps to relieve acidity whenever it strikes. Once that is achieved a lot of anxiety is reduced and the person should focus on long term relief. “It is a myth that by eating a particular food in a particular way your acidity can be cured. Things like fennel, asafetida, and soda may give a temporary relief, but long-term solution can be achieved by eliminating the root cause. In the short term, food quality is not as important as food quantity and frequency. In the long-term healing, food quality becomes more important than quantity,” says Chaudhary.

Hormonal balance is the key to healing in the long run. To balance the hormones, it is important to avoid junk foods, high sugar foods, liquid foods and focus on eating a lot of raw salads, consuming high fiber vegetables and grains, nuts, and seeds. A lot of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy suffer from extreme acidity related nausea, low appetite, weight loss, headache and this can be regulated with proper food as it helps them tolerate chemotherapy better with lesser side effects.

TAKE CARE

Reaching out to the correct source of help, especially a qualified nutritionist is always a good idea. Like, young musician Swati Mahipal from Delhi who suffered from extreme acidity and indigestion. “She had recurrent dry cough and loose motions. She was even treated for IBS (Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome) which is a much more complicated problem. This unmarried young lady could not pursue a lot of her dreams like travelling, partying, eating favourite foods or even could not be aggressive with her career due to such issues. When we started with the diet, her acidity was sorted in just a week. We also realized she didn’t have any IBS at all. It was all perfect. She has just come back from a trip with her friends. She eats all her favourite foods and has no stress or anxiety whatsoever,” says Chaudhary.

ACIDITY IS A MULTIFACETED PROBLEM AND SYMPTOMS ARE LIKELY TO VARY. ACIDITY AND HEART ATTACK HAVE SIMILAR SYMPTOMS AND PROPER DIAGNOSIS BY A MEDICAL EXPERT IS THE ONLY WAY TO SURELY DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THE TWO BY USING ECG AND ECHO.