Light food, exercise can cure acidity

LAHORE
Health experts have suggested a healthy lifestyle including light and fresh food and regular physical exercise to avoid medical complications in the shape of acidity and indigestion.
They linked stomach acidity and indigestion to unhygienic food, combination of fried oily and spicy food and taking painkillers and smoking etc. They were speaking at a public awareness seminar “Stomach acidity and its impacts on daily life’ organized by the Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman Memorial Society (Jang Group of Newspapers) in collaboration with Shaigan Pharmaceuticals (Pvt) Ltd at a local hotel here the other day.
Noted gastroenterologist Prof Dr Saeed Khokhar said stomach had a very important role in the human body and if it did not work properly the entire body was disturbed. He said the level of acid in the stomach increased because of negligence in food which led to pain in the chest and stomach.
Dr Saeed Khokhar said oily and spicy food should be avoided to the maximum extent as well as smoking and beverages containing caffeine as all these increased the level of acid in the stomach.
Principal of Fatima Jinnah Medical College (FJMC) Lahore, Prof Dr Fakhar Imam, said prevention was better than cure and suggested regular exercise and healthy food to avoid medical complications. He said there was a dire need to discourage self-medication in order to avoid medical complications.
Another noted gastroenterologist, Prof Zahid Yaseen Hashmi from Faisalabad, said the stomach was the first line of defence in the body as it had the capacity to create acidity with primary function to digest proteins and destroy the germs and bacteria. He also said fried food, overuse of coffee and tea and overeating caused stomach activity. He added precaution should be observed in taking painkillers and they should not be taken without consulting a doctor.
Renowned gastroenterologist Prof Dr Aftab Mohsin said acidity and indigestion were common diseases, adding regular use of blood-thinning drugs and painkillers led to the same. He also said depression could too lead to stomach complications.
Prof Dr Akmal Sharif, another noted gastroenterologist from Faisalabad, said ulcer in stomach leads to many complications and therefore it should be treated immediately. He also suggested intake of healthy and fresh food and to avoid overeating.
Prof Dr Arif Mehmood Siddique said if stomach acidity became a regular phenomenon the patient should immediately stop intake of tea, coffee, cola drinks, spicy food, tomato juice, samosas, smoking, paan and other such items. He also said there should be a gap of at least three hours between dinner and the sleep time.
Prof Dr Qazi Muhammad Saeed, Dr Mazhar Iqbal Ch and Dr Asad Ullah Ijaz also spoke and termed stomach acidity as direct offshoot of use of unhygienic and excessive food and suggested a balanced and healthy diet together with regular exercise to avoid medical complications.
General Manager of Shaigan Pharmaceuticals Zar Sharf and Group Marketing Manager Mansoor Kiani said over the years Shaigan Pharmaceuticals had been serving the masses by organising health awareness seminars and other events.
Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman Memorial Society (MKRMS) Chairman Wasif Nagi said modern lifestyle and fast food were the main reasons behind rising cases of stomach acidity and indigestion. He particular mentioned the prevailing trend of consuming fast food by youths and said it was behind medical complications.