Sour burps and a burning chest after meals should not be your daily normal

Many people who walk into Dr Shashank's clinic have had acidity for years. They do not come for the acidity. They come for something else, and mention it on the way out, because they have stopped thinking of it as a problem. It has become part of life.

What it feels like

• Sour or bitter water rising into the throat, often after meals or when you lie down
• A burning feeling behind the chest bone
• Burps that taste sour
• A heavy, full feeling long after a small meal
• A bad taste in the mouth in the morning

If two or three of these happen most weeks, it is worth paying attention.

Why it keeps coming back

Acidity is rarely about one food. It is usually about a pattern. These are the ones that come up again and again in the clinic.

Dinner late, then straight to bed

When you lie down soon after eating, the stomach has to work against gravity. Many people eat their biggest meal at 10pm and are in bed by 10:30.

Tea or coffee on an empty stomach

The first cup of the day, before any food, is one of the most common habits among people with acidity.

Long gaps, then a big meal

Skipping breakfast, a late lunch, then eating fast because you are very hungry.

Too much of the hot, the fried and the sour

Very spicy food, fried snacks, pickles and sour foods every day, not once in a while.

Stress and short sleep

People often notice their acidity is worse in a stressful week. That is not in their head.

How Ayurveda sees it

In Ayurveda, digestion depends on agni, the digestive fire. When agni is steady, food is digested well. When it is weak or irregular, food is not fully digested and leaves waste behind.

Acidity is usually linked to pitta, the dosha of heat. Hot, sour and fried food, anger, stress and late nights all raise pitta. But the same burning can start differently in two people. That is why Dr Shashank reads the pulse first, to see which dosha is raised in you, and treats from there.

He also says that one product alone is rarely enough. What you eat, when you eat and how you live your day matter as much as any medicine.

Three things to try this week

1. Finish dinner two to three hours before you lie down. If that is hard, make dinner the lighter meal.
2. Eat something before your first tea. Even a little. Do not start the day with tea alone.
3. Eat at the same times each day. Regular meals help keep agni steady. Long gaps followed by a big meal do the opposite.

Give it a week and notice what changes. Write it down if you can. It will help any doctor you see.

When to see a doctor

If your acidity is there most days for more than two or three weeks, talk to a doctor. Do not keep treating it yourself.

Questions people ask

This article is for general information. It is not a diagnosis and does not replace a visit to a doctor. Please consult your doctor before changing any medicine. Dr Shashank Agrawal, registered Ayurvedic practitioner, UP 61097.