Acidity and Heartburn
Dhootapapeshwar Sootashekhar Rasa Gold 10/30 Tablet | for Acidity, Burning in the Chest and Vomiting
Dhootapapeshwar Pittashekhar Rasa 30 Tablets - for Acidity, Heartburn and Stomach Pain
Baidyanath Prawal Pishti - Coral Calcium for Bones, Pitta & Digestive Health
Baidyanath Prawal Bhasma | for Acidity, Cough, Weak Bones and Pregnancy Support
Baidyanath Sootshekhar Ras No. 1 | Ayurvedic Relief for Hyperacidity & Heartburn
Baidyanath Mukta Panchamrit Ras - Ayurvedic Relief for Acidity, Bone Weakness & Old Fever
Baidyanath Moti Pishti No 1 - Ayurvedic Pearl Formula for Pitta Balance & Bone Health
Baidyanath Moti Bhasma No. 1 | Incinerated Pearl-Ash for Pitta, Memory & Bones
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Buy Ayurvedic Medicine for Acidity and Heartburn
Hyperacidity means your stomach makes more acid than it needs to digest food. Heartburn is the burning you feel in the middle of your chest when some of this acid comes up into your food pipe.
Pick the acidity and heartburn medicine that suits you from the products above. If gas or constipation troubles you more than the burning, see our Digestive Health page.
What Causes Acidity and Heartburn?
In Ayurveda, acidity is a pitta problem. When pitta goes up, the stomach gets hot and sour. The most common causes of acidity and heartburn are daily habits that push pitta up:
- Long gaps between meals
- Late dinner, then going straight to bed
- Tea or a painkiller on an empty stomach
- Too little sleep
- Stress
Even one of these habits can cause acidity. If you have two or three of them, the acidity will keep coming back. If you also get mouth ulcers or burning feet, look at our Pitta Dosha Balance page too.
Diet and Eating Habits for Acidity
What you eat decides how often the burning comes back. These are the food questions we get asked most.
What should I eat if I have acidity?
Keep your meals light and plain. Brown rice, whole wheat roti, moong dal and lightly cooked sabzi like lauki, tinda and carrots are easy to digest. For protein, pick egg whites or grilled chicken and fish over fried meat. Use saunf and fresh herbs for flavour, not red chilli. Amla is the one sour fruit Ayurveda allows, because it cools pitta.
When acidity flares up, what to eat?
Switch to soft, simple food for a day or two. Khichdi, or plain rice with moong dal, will settle the stomach. Stay away from fried snacks, spicy food, onion, garlic, chocolate, fizzy drinks and alcohol until the burning stops. Not everyone reacts to the same foods, so notice what sets yours off.
Tap a food to see if it fits your acidity diet. The colour tells you at a glance: green is safe, amber needs care, red is best avoided.
Fruits
BananaYes, ripe
It's low in acid and easy on the stomach. Pick a fully ripe one, since a raw, green banana is harder to digest.
OrangeBest avoided
Orange, mosambi, lemon and pineapple are high in acid and often bring on the burning. That includes lemon water, though many people drink it thinking it helps.
WatermelonYes
It's mostly water and not sour, so it won't stir up acid. Muskmelon, pear and apple are good picks too.
Food
CurdFresh, by day
A small bowl of fresh curd at lunch suits many people. Sour curd makes the burning worse, and Ayurveda says to avoid curd at night. Thin chaas is a lighter choice.
OatsYes
Oats are full of fibre and soak up some of the stomach acid. Have them plain, cooked in water or milk. Skip flavoured packs with added sugar.
GheeA spoonful
Ayurveda counts cow ghee as cooling for pitta. But too much fat slows the stomach down and brings the burning on, so keep it to a spoon a meal.
Drinks
MilkYes, low-fat
Cold milk cools the burning fast, but only for a short while. Full-fat milk can bring the acid back later, so pick toned or low-fat milk.
Tea and coffeeBest avoided
They are among the biggest everyday causes of acidity in India. Milk chai, boiled strong and sipped many times a day, is enough on its own to keep it coming back. Cut down to one light cup a day.
Coconut waterYes
It's light and not sour, so it soothes a hot stomach. Have it fresh rather than packaged.
When to See a Doctor
Most acidity is not serious. But see a doctor soon if you notice any of these:
- Blood in your vomit, or black stools.
- Food gets stuck when you swallow.
- You're losing weight without trying.
- The burning doesn't go away even after a few weeks of medicine.
Already taking an English medicine for acidity from your doctor? Don't stop it on your own, even if you feel better. If you are pregnant, or need to give the medicine to a child, ask a doctor first.
FAQs on Acidity and Heartburn
Acidity vs Heartburn
Why does acid reflux cause heartburn?
Your stomach has a thick lining that protects it from its own acid. Your food pipe doesn't have this lining. So when acid comes up into it, the food pipe gets hurt and you feel the burn.
Is acidity and heartburn the same?
Not exactly. Acidity is the problem. Heartburn is one of its signs, the one you feel in the chest. Many people have acidity but never get heartburn.
Is heartburn due to acidity?
Mostly, yes. But you don't always need extra acid for it. There's a small ring of muscle between the food pipe and the stomach. When it gets loose, even normal acid can come up. Belly fat and pregnancy both press on this ring.
Can stomach acid cause heartburn?
It can, and how much it burns depends on the person. In some people, the food pipe becomes very sensitive after months of acid trouble. Then even a little acid burns a lot.
Do you have to have heartburn with acid reflux?
Not always. Acid can come up without any burning in the chest. It may show up as a dry cough that won't go away, or a rough voice in the mornings. Some people feel like something is sitting in their throat. Doctors call this silent reflux.
Symptoms
What does acidity feel like?
A burning feeling in the upper stomach, mostly after meals. Sour or bitter water in the mouth. Sour burps. Some people feel full after eating very little. Others feel like vomiting or get a dull headache.
Does acidity cause bad breath?
It can. When acid and half-digested food come back up, they leave a sour smell in the mouth. The smell is often worse in the morning. If your teeth and gums are healthy but the smell keeps coming back, acidity could be the reason.
Can acidity cause hiccups?
Yes. When acid comes up, it can upset the nerves near the food pipe and set off hiccups. They usually stop once the acid settles. Hiccups that go on for more than two days need a doctor.
Can acidity cause heart attack?
No, acidity does not cause a heart attack. But the two can feel the same. If chest pain spreads to the left arm or jaw, or comes with sweating and short breath, go to a hospital right away. Don't wait for an acidity tablet to work.
Triggers
Why do acidic foods cause heartburn?
Sour foods like pickles, imli, vinegar and tomato sauce add more acid to a stomach that already has too much. In Ayurveda, sour taste also raises pitta. So these foods make the burning worse in two ways.
Is acidity worse in summer?
Heat does make it worse for many people. But in Ayurveda, pitta flares up most in the hot, sunny weeks right after the monsoon. That's why many people find their acidity gets worse around September and October. Stay out of harsh afternoon sun during these weeks.
Relief & Cure
What helps acid reflux and heartburn?
The right medicine for acidity and heartburn depends on what else comes with the burning. For strong burning and sour burps, most people start with Sutshekhar Ras, like Baidyanath Sootshekhar Ras No. 1. If gas and a heavy stomach come with it, Praval Panchamrit Ras is often used instead.
How to reduce acidity and heartburn?
Eat smaller meals more often. Take a slow 10-minute walk after dinner. Raise the head side of your bed by a few inches. If the burning comes with a lot of body heat, a cooling pearl medicine like Dhootapapeshwar Mouktik (Mukta) Pishti can help too.
Does drinking water help acidity?
It can, a little. A glass of plain or lukewarm water washes acid back down from the food pipe and eases mild burning for a while. Sip it through the day rather than gulping a lot at once.
How to cure acidity and heartburn?
There is no single tablet that fixes it forever. Change the habits that cause it. And take a full course of medicine, not just a tablet when it burns. Many medicines here have metals and minerals in them, so take them only for the advised time, not for years.
