Acidity – How homeopathy helps in dealing with it?

INTRODUCTION

The term acidity is used when the acid produced by our stomach reflux back into our food-pipe and/or mouth, producing a sensation of burning, discomfort and other symptoms depending upon the etiology.

But why does it happen?

Our food passes from mouth to food pipe and from there to stomach which produces acid and other secretions when it reaches there. These acidic secretions are required to digest the food. Normally, the food contents and the acidic secretions from the stomach doesn?t come back into the food pipe due to a specialized ring at the lower part of food pipe which possess contractility and is termed as lower esophageal sphincter.

When these acidic contents from the stomach reflux back into our food pipe and mouth, it leads to burning sensation in food pipe. This outcome is termed as acidity as well as heartburn. This reflux of acid can be either due to laxity of esophageal sphincter or due to excessive acid production or simply can be due to some lifestyle related habits, depending upon its cause.

SYMPTOMS

Acidity or heartburn is characterized by a burning pain or a sensation of discomfort which starts from stomach and moves up towards the throat. This pain present itself over middle of the chest and can be confused with pain of heart attack. Burning sensation is usually accompanied by a sour or bitter water coming into the mouth from the stomach, i.e., regurgitation of acid.
Depending upon the different causes of acidity, it can be accompanied by following symptoms:

• Pain and difficulty in swallowing
• Burning and pain in throat
• Pain in chest with burning
• Heaviness and bloating sensation abdomen
• Constipation
• Stools can be become black or can be accompanied
• with bloody vomiting
• Nausea
• Frequent sore throat, dry cough and hoarseness

CAUSES

There can be different factors which can cause acidity or heartburn which are listed below:

• It can be a result of excessive acid production
• Can be due to laxity of lower esophageal sphincter which normally prevents regurgitation of acid from stomach into the esophagus which possess contractile power.
• Due to hiatal hernia in which the upper part of stomach goes above the diaphragm which normally remains under it. This is usually accompanied with laxity of lower esophageal sphincter and heartburn.
• Apart from the above pathological causes, acidity can result from some common life-style errors as well which are listed below:
  • • • Excessive intake of alcohol, coffee, tea or carbonated drinks
      • Going to sleep just after a meal
      • Pregnancy
      • Smoking
      • Binge eating patterns
      • Being overweight
      • Intake of anti-hypertensive medications, aspirin, anti-biotics etc.
      • Excessive intake of spicy and fatty food.

TREATMENT

When there is no pathological cause for your acidity and its because of the errors in lifestyle, it can be treated just by correcting them. For example, by reducing the amount and frequency of alcohol and smoking, avoidance and reduction in consumption of oily and spicy food, etc.

Under conventional medicinal system, acidity is generally controlled with antacids which are acting just upon the end product of the process, i.e., it only neutralizes the excessive acid produced by the stomach. As per the clinical results seen under day-to-day practices, Homeopathy helps in dealing with acidity by helping the body to bring back its equilibrium state, i.e., by lowering down the excessive production rate of acid in the stomach and by helping in improving the contractility of the sphincter of lower esophagus. There are many homeopathic medicines which can control and cure acidity and indigestion and its causes. Some of the best homeopathic medicines for acidity and for digestive disorders which are used frequently under clinical practice are listed below:

ARSENICUM ALBUM: For acidity which is accompanied by bitter and sour eructation which seems to excoriate the throat. Slightest food and drink can lead to pain abdomen. Dyspepsia from vinegar, ice cream, ice water and tobacco. Acidity cam be accompanied with a sensation that everything swallowed seems to lodge in the throat as if it has been closed and nothing would pass down. This medicine is particularly suited to people who are restless and are too much anxious for their disease.

CALCAREA CARBONICA: For acidity accompanied with loud belching. Suited to people who craves for indigestible things like chalk, coal, pencils etc. and also milk disagrees. There is sour eructation and sour vomiting as well. Symptoms become worse while eating.

CARBO VEGETABALIS: Indicated when acidity is accompanied with a sensation of heaviness and fullness of stomach. Sour and rancid eructation after eating. Burning in the stomach extends to back, along the spine.

LYCOPODIUM CLAVATUM: For dyspepsia caused by farinaceous and fermentable food, cabbage, beans etc. Along with great weakness of digestion, sour eructation and fullness of abdomen are present.

NATRUM CARBONICUM: Indicated for people who have very weak digestion and are affected from slightest error in the diet. Especially for chronic heartburn, stomachache and flatulence where there is always belching, sour eructation and can be accompanied with rheumatism. Dyspepsia ameliorated from soda intake.

NUX VOMICA: For acidity with sour and bitter eructation. Weight and pain sensation in stomach after eating. Region of stomach is very sensitive to pressure. Dyspepsia after drinking strong coffee. Difficult belching of gas, wants to vomit but cannot.

Kindly ensure to have them from some registered homeopathic medical practitioner only to gain positive results.