Acidity & Heart Burn

What is Acidity or APD?
The stomach normally secretes acid that is essential in the digestive process. This acid helps in breaking down the food during digestion. When there is excess production of acid in the stomach, it results in the condition known as acidity or APD.

Causes of Acidity and Heartburn
The following circumstances can create excessive acid in stomach causing acidity and heartburn.
Consumption of  rich and spicy foods
Eating speedily, very fast devoid of proper chewing
Eating hurriedly while beneath stress
Inappropriate sleep
Alcohol utilization
Pregnant women may undergo because when the baby grows, the uterus exerts force on the digestive area
Overweight people may bear because of unnecessary pressure on their digestive tract.
A weakness of the valve between the stomach and oesophagus (food pipe) can cause a reflux of the acid from the stomach to the lower part of the oesophagus. This gastro-oesophageal reflux can cause heart-burn.

Sometimes, a heavy meal or increase in intra-abdominal pressure such as while straining or lifting weights, can bring about this reflux.

Excess acid secretion can also cause acidity and ulcers, when the normal protective lining of the stomach and duodenum (the part of the intestine that joins the stomach), is damaged. The resulting ulcer is called gastric ulcer if it is in the stomach and duodenal ulcer if it is in the duodenum.

In a condition known as Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome, a large amount of acid is secreted because of stimulation by tumours located in the pancreas or duodenum.

Any kind of break down in the defense mechanisms that protect the stomach and intestine from damage by acid can cause acidity.

The body secretes bicarbonate into the mucous layer, which neutralises the acid. Hormone-like substances known as prostaglandins, help to keep the blood vessels in the stomach dilated, ensuring adequate blood flow.

Lack of adequate blood flow to the stomach may contribute to ulcers.

Prostaglandins are also believed to stimulate bicarbonate and mucous production, which help protect the stomach.


There is a higher incidence of acidity in highly emotional and nervous individuals. It is also more common in the developed and industrialized nations, though a recent increase in incidence has also occurred in the developing countries

What are the symptoms of Acidity?

The main symptoms of acidity are Heartburn and Dyspepsia.

Heartburn is characterized by a deeply placed, burning pain in the chest behind the sternum (breast-bone). It occurs after meals and is precipitated by increase in intra-abdominal pressure like straining or lifting weights. It is more common at night when a person is lying down. Heartburn is usually relieved when the person sits up. Regurgitation of the gastric contents may also occur. The symptoms of ulcers are mainly pain that can be either localized or diffuse. Sometimes it radiates to the back or to the chest.

Dyspepsia is a burning or an aching pain in the upper abdomen, sometimes

described as a stabbing sensation penetrating through the gut. In rare cases there may be no pain, but only a feeling of indigestion, fullness, bloating, flatulence or nausea. When the cause is a duodenal ulcer, having a meal usually relieves the pain. But in the case of a gastric ulcer there may be no change, or the pain may become worse after eating. Peptic ulcer disease can sometimes occur without symptoms. Symptoms may also arise when there is no ulcer present, which is known as non-ulcer dyspepsia.

Treatment of Acidity & Heartburn 1  2