Does an unhealthy lifestyle cause acidity problems?

Our lifestyle and eating habits not only leave an impact on our overall physical and mental health. It is no surprise that your frequent episodes of acidity could be due to the unhealthy lifestyle.

Acidity is defined as a digestive ailment in which stomach acid or bile irritates the food pipe lining. This can cause heartburn - a burning sensation in the chest, stomach and throat. However, frequent episodes of heartburn (two or more times a week) may be associated with other severe problems like Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), which calls for medical intervention.

 Let’s look into the habits that could be inviting acidity to your stomach. 

 Skipping breakfasts 

A common scenario observed in most households. Getting late in the morning? Let’s skip breakfast, shall we? Breakfast is supposed to be the most important meal of the day as it quite literally kickstarts the day. Skipping breakfast is a common cause of acidity. In case you rush out in the morning without having breakfast, it can result in acid build-up in the second half of the day.

 Make it a point to never skip breakfast before leaving home. Remember, a healthy breakfast means a healthy you!

 Exercising right after meals

 Physical workout for the body is the best thing you can do to take care of it. But doing it at the wrong time can have its repercussions. If you have a full stomach, the pressure on your sphincter (the ring of muscle between the esophagus and stomach) can lead to acidity. You can go on a stroll post dinner but make sure to avoid doing heavy exercises that may include twisting and bending.

 Consuming overly spicy and greasy food 

 While gorging on that extra spicy plate of biryani or fried chicken may seem tempting, it can actually cause acidity if taken in regularly. It also puts you at risk of obesity and can meddle with your healthy functioning digestive tract.

Eating a balanced diet containing fiber and less spicy food is the key to enjoying food for a long term.

Not taking enough sleep 

While binge watching your favorite series or movie can seem like a fun activity to do, cutting down on your quality sleep is not going to go well down the line with your body. Besides, nobody wants to be grumpy at the workplace and compensate for the lost sleep in between work.

Make sure you get 7-8 hours of sleep to maintain healthy work-life balance and also to keep acidity at bay!

Besides the aforementioned, obesity, stress, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and prolonged use of certain medications such as pain killers or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, can lead to other digestive ailments.