Acidity linked to unhygienic food

LAHORE
Chest specialists/pulmonologists and gastroenterologists have observed that stomach acidity is direct offshoot of use of unhygienic and excessive food. The excessive use of food and medicines, particularly self-medication and lack of exercise or walk are main causes of acidity and other diseases.
“It is paramount to follow in Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) footsteps to discipline one’s lifestyle and adopt moderation in use of food to prevent diseases,” the experts said while speaking at a seminar on ‘Stomach acidity and its impact on daily life’ organised by Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman Memorial Society (MKRMS) (Jang Group of Newspapers) in collaboration with Shaigan Pharmaceuticals held in Peshawar the other day.
Prof Dr Sadiq Shah blamed doctors for not examining the patients and prescribing medicines on patients’ description of diseases, adding wrong prescription of medicines without proper examination led to stomach acidity. He lamented lack of playgrounds in schools and residential localities, which led to many diseases especially acidity among children. He advised people to adopt moderation in eating, stop using excessive medicines or desist from self-medication and start daily exercise to avoid acidity and other diseases. He called upon doctors to do research in this field and share the outcomes to control this disease. Dr Javed Iqbal Farooqi, Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist, said the stomach acidity had no limitations as it might affect people of all ages. He said the stomach acidity had many other causes rather than just stomach itself, saying acidity was cause of sleeplessness and other diseases among 70 per cent patients.
Prof Dr Mukhtar Zaman Afridi, pulmonologist, said stomach was directly attached with heart and chest, therefore, the medicines used for chest and heart diseases affected the stomach, adding both doctors and patients needed to take care in this situation.
Prof Dr Intikhab Alam, Professor of Medicine at Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, advised the people to keep themselves happy to stay fit and healthy, which would also help control the mortality ratio. “If one feels stomach acidity and pain during night, then he or she will be unable to work on the next morning,” he said.
He informed that stomach was the first line of defence in the body as it had the capacity to create acidity, whose primary function was to digest proteins and destroy the germs and bacteria. He called for legislation on sale of medicines on doctor’s prescription only and banning counter sale of medicines on drugstores. He informed that self-medication caused ulcer among the patients, saying regular hand-washing and general cleanliness helped reduce chances of ulcer. He asked physicians not to prescribe wrong prevention as many of the patients had been suffering due to wrong prevention in daily life. Prof Rafiullah said acidity was also caused by vomiting and coughing. He said acidity also affected children but they couldn’t explain their problem, adding symptoms of acidity among children were entirely different from adult patients.
Shaigan Pharma’s General Manager Zar-e-Sharf and Israr also spoke. MKRMS Chairman Wasif Nagi hosted the seminar.