BENGALURU: For 27-year-old Chaya, eating on time and resting were not a priority. She often skipped breakfast and ate at odd hours. Her work left her with no time to care for herself.
Six months ago, what she ate started to flow back into her food pipe (oesophagus). She initially ignored the problem, but it soon started to interfere with her daily life.
A doctor she approached attributed it to acidity, which gets worse in summer. He warned her that her health could get worse is she did not do something drastic about her unhealthy lifestyle.
“Conditions like chronic ulcers, irregular bowel movement, piles and constipation can interfere in daily life,” said Dr B S Ravindra, Chief Medical Gastroenterologist, BGS Global Hospitals.
A burning sensation in the chest (heartburn), sometimes spreading to the throat with a sour taste in the mouth, chest pain, difficulty in swallowing, dry cough, hoarseness or sore throat, regurgitation of food and a lump-like senation in the throat are symptoms that should not be taken lightly, observed Dr MS Sandeep, Consultant Gastroenterologist, Apollo Hospital, Seshadripuram. By and large, these are caused by acidity, he said.
“Those who skip meals had elevated fasting glucose levels and a delayed insulin response. If these symptoms persist, they could lead to diabetes. People who are obese suffer further complications if they skip meals and eat junk food at odd hours,” he said.
Abnormal Fulness
Doctors say many like Chaya feel early fulness during a meal even when they haven’t eaten much. They also feel an uncomfortable fulness after a meal. Fulness lasts longer than it should.
Burning and bloating in the upper abdomen and nausea are symptoms you have to watch out for.
Like Chaya, Safiya (30) was too busy with her household work to care about her symptoms. She was diagnosed with ulcers, with the pain flaring at night. “My condition worsened as I started vomiting blood and losing weight,” Safiya said.
Dr Ravindra advises a ‘king-sized’ breakfast before 9 am.
Later, a light lunch with buttermilk and vegetables can be relaxing. For dinner, he recommends chapatis and curd rice. “In a day, drink at least three litres of water,” he said, adding that people with acidity could recover with these steps.
Yoga is also known to be beneficial. Dr Manjunath Sharma, Joint Director, S-Vyasa Yoga University, said the ‘digestive fire’ can improve with wholesome food, physical activity, and reduced stress. Internal cleansing calls for drinking of lukewarm saline water (1-2 litres). “This generally results in an urge to clear the bowels. This method should be done under expert supervision,” he said.
The remedy can cleanse the gastrointestinal canal and help overcome the irritable bowel syndrome which causes indigestion, he explained.
Dr Sharma recommends Vajrasana (thunderbolt pose), Shashankasana (pose of the moon or hare), Marjariasana (cat-stretch pose), Bhujangasana (cobra pose), Paschimottanasana (back-stretching pose), Vakrasana (spinal twist), Ardha chakrasana (backward bending), Padahasthasana (forward bending), Ardhakati chakrasana (lateral arc position), Pavana muktasana kriya (wind-relieving pose with single leg rotation and rocking movements) and Nadishodhana pranayama (alternate nostril breathing).
“Eat on time, and leave a fourth of the stomach empty. Don’t eat heavy proteins every day, or drink soda with your food. Drink sufficient water between two meals and avoid water during meals. Add more boiled vegetables. Fruits with yellow skin (banana and papaya) facilitate elimination,” he said.
Yoga experts say sleeping during the day and keeping awake late at night are not good. Smoking and drinking should be regulated or avoided, he said.
Home Remedy for Indigestion
Mix 1 litre of water with 1 teaspoon of cumin seed (jeera) and sip off and on. Drink buttermilk at the end of lunch with a bit of asafoetida (hing) and a garnish of curry leaves. Use ginger (¼ inch) and salt just before a meal. Mix them and chew before you start.
