Symptoms of Acidity Are:

• Pain and burning sensation in the chest, stomach or throat
• Flatulence or Gas
• Indigestion
• Bad Breath
• Constipation
• Nausea or feeling of vomiting
• Heaviness in the stomach after eating
• Frequent burps
• Regurgitation of undigested food coming back in our mouth

Common causes of Acidity:

• Over-eating
• Eating at odd times or skipping meals
• Unhealthy eating habits like having too much tea, coffee, cold- drinks, junk, spicy, oily food etc.
• Stomach ailments like Ulcers, Gastro-oesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) etc.
• A bad lifestyle like taking too much stress, sleeping less, smoking, drinking alcohol etc.

Home Remedies for Acidity:

• Fennel or Saunf :

Having around 1 teaspoon fennel powder with a glass of warm water relieves acidity and its symptoms like heartburn, bloating and improves digestion.

• Black Cumin Seeds:

Chew cumin seeds directly or boil 1 teaspoon of them in a glass of water and drink it to relieve acidity.

Black cumin seeds are gastro-protective. They are effective in reducing and preventing acidity and its symptoms like heartburn, pain, nausea, bloating, constipation etc.

• Cloves:

Suck a piece of clove to get rid of acidity and its symptoms like flatulence, indigestion, nausea, gastric irritability etc. [3]

• Lukewarm Water :

Drinking a glass of lukewarm water empty stomach and before going to sleep at night, provides relief from acidity.

• Watermelon Juice:

A glass of watermelon juice is effective in relieving acidity and is good for digestion as well.

• Cardamom:

Chewing 1 cardamom pod every day helps to prevent acidity, flatulence and improves digestion

• Buttermilk:

Lactic acid in buttermilk normalizes the acidity in the stomach and gives a soothing effect. A glass of buttermilk topped with black pepper and coriander helps in instantly easing our symptoms of acidity.

• Ginger:

Chewing raw ginger or drinking ginger tea helps prevent acidity and its symptoms. It also aids digestion.

• Banana:

Consuming banana neutralizes acidity and gives relief from heartburn.

A mixture of milk and banana helps to suppress excess acid secretion.

• Papaya:

Papaya reduces gastric acid secretion and gives relief from acidity.

This effect is due to enzyme papain,  present in papaya.

• Ajwain:

Consumption of ajwain gives relief from acidity and flatulence. It is very good for digestion and is an effective anti-acidic agent.

• Cold Milk:

Drinking a glass of cold milk instantly relieves acidity.

• Baking Soda:

Consuming 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda mixed in 1/2 cup of water gives quick relief from acidity and heartburn.

• Turmeric:

Adding turmeric to our diet relieves acidity and heartburn caused by it.

In addition to the above, certain lifestyle changes can also help to prevent acidity. They are  :

• Stay active and engage in any kind exercise, be it swimming, cycling, dancing or any of your favourite sport
• Eat smaller meals, 4 to 5 times a day
• Have your dinner early, at least  2 hours before you hit the bed
• Don’t overeat and chew your food well while eating
• Don’t lie down immediately after a meal
• Lose weight if you are overweight or obese
• Raise the head end of your bed while lying down
• Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol

Avoid Foods That Trigger Acidity like:

Very spicy and oily food

• Tea, coffee, cold drinks
• Raw onions, garlic
• Citrus fruits like lemons, oranges, kiwis
• Tomatoes
• Junk food etc