Manage Esophagitis (Amlapitta)

Answer: Esophagitis is a diffuse non-specific inflammatory disease of unknown origin that continuously affects the colonic mucosa starts from the rectum and often forms erosion and or/ ulcers.

Answer: Common causes of Esophagitis include acid reflux, side effects of certain medications, and bacterial or viral infections.

Answer: Aim of treatment is to minimize symptoms and remissions, to avoid complications and complete cure without recurrence. So Ayurvedic management in the form of diet (Ahara) which improves digestive fire, drugs (Chikitsa – Shamana and Shodhana], exercise (Vihara) and change in lifestyle can be adopted.

Answer: The fastest way to treat esophagitis is through an integrative approach by following ayurvedic principle of eating early, not missing the meal and panchkarma therapies like Vamana (Emetic therapy), Virechana (Purgation therapy) and Pitta balancing herbal remedies.

Answer: Esophagitis can be managed by single herbs like Pitpapra (Fumaria indica) and Shirish (Albizia Lebbeck) as it contains high catechins in the form of flavonoids which might help in reducing the inflammatory response by inhibiting the degradation of Ach (anticholinergic).

Answer: Foods to eat in Esophagitis are more likely to be meshed foods like quinoa, kichadi, banana, as they are not difficult to swallow and mashed potato can be a good alternative to fries. While eating, the ayurvedic principle to stop eating when you are full will also help with the symptoms of esophagitis.

Answer: Esophagitis symptoms are managed by certain dietary changes. Diet generally includes food that are easy to swallow and is not irritating the food pipe. Drinks that are the best choice for esophagitis include not too hot or cold water, herbal tea like Aahar Amrutham Chai.

Answer: Esophagitis is not a chronic disease. It can be treated completely with the help of dietary changes, pranayam like Bhastrika, Bhramari and lifestyle changes like slow eating and soft food intake.

Answer: Yes, bananas are good for helping with the symptoms. They contain soluble fiber which improves esophageal and gut motility leading to less stasis and less acid production in the stomach. It also protects the mucosal lining of the esophagus as it is Picchila (Sticky) and Guru (Heavy) in nature.

Answer: Fruits that are good for esophagus include frozen fruits, soft, cooked, that can be meshed easily. Alkaline fruits like banana and melon are the best choice as fruits eaten in patient’s of esophagitis.

Answer: Milk of cow in proportion of 25% with 75% water is a good choice to relieve heartburn or acid reflux the fastest. If you face heartburn or acid reflux after having milk it is not just the esophageal disorders, the reason can be food intolerances as well.

Answer: Lemons are highly acidic in nature but recent studies have suggested that lemon water can benefit those with acid reflux. Lemon with sugar and water added turns into an alkalinising agent which is a sufficing ingredient to neutralize the acid reflux symptoms.

Answer: Fastest way to heal your esophagus is to give up on your bad dietary habits. Foods including soft or carbonated drinks and missing the meals should be completely stopped to alleviate the symptoms of heartburn.

Answer: Pitpapara Swaras help most people with heartburn. Along with Yashtimadhu in cases of moderate to severe acid reflux. Herbal remedies like these are easily available and easy to use in treating symptoms of GERD.

Answer: The best home remedy for acid reflux is to eat saunf (Fennel seeds) with jaggery or mishri after every meal with a short slow walk of about 15 minutes to help with peristalsis of the gut. These home remedies are temporary relief and complete treatment of esophagitis can be achieved by single herbs.

Answer: No, rice is not a good recommendation for heartburn or acid reflux. Rice contains sticky starch which binds with mucus in the stomach, weakening the defense against acid and pepsin which may in turn cause heartburn and ulcer.

Answer: Foods that repair the esophagus include alkalizing, low acid, low fat, fresh foods that are easy on the stomach like Broccoli, Cauliflower, Carrots are eaten by chewing food slowly, having small bites and swallowing slowly.

Answer: Curd is a good form of probiotics that helps balancing the gut flora and can be helpful in managing the symptoms of acid reflux but yogurt as a packed food contains sugar which is not the best choice for esophagitis.