Your day runs on routine until your stomach stops playing along. Lunch feels fine, then cramping starts on the way home and every minute feels longer than the last. You stand in front of the bathroom cabinet, scanning bottles and boxes, and wonder which one actually fits what your gut does right now. Diarrhoea, constipation, heartburn, or a mix of symptoms all need a different plan. A clear route from “first twinge” to recovery keeps panic down and comfort closer. This guide walks through simple steps and support options, so you move from digestive upset back to daily life with confidence.

Start with a fast symptom check

• Name what you feel in direct terms: loose stools, watery diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, upper chest burn, sour taste, sharp stomach pain, bloating, trapped wind, or hard stool that will not move.

• Note when symptoms start and what happens around them, such as a new food, travel, recent antibiotics, or a period of high stress, because patterns often repeat.

• Watch for hydration from the first loose stool or vomit; dry mouth, dark urine, dizziness, and tiredness tell you your body is losing more fluid than it takes in.

• Treat any blood in vomit or stool, black or tar-like stool, severe pain, high fever, or weight loss as a stop sign for self-care and a reason to seek urgent medical help.

• Keep a simple record for a day or two that lists food, drinks, medicines, bowel movements, and symptoms, so you can judge if support actually brings change.

Rehydration comes first during diarrhoea or vomiting

• Take small sips of water or clear fluid often rather than large drinks at once, especially when nausea sits high, so your stomach handles each sip better.

• Use an oral rehydration solution when diarrhoea or vomiting continues, because these solutions replace lost salts and sugars as well as water and help protect circulation.

• Follow the mixing and dosing instructions on the sachet or bottle with care and keep an eye on total volume across the day, particularly in children and older adults.

• Store a few oral rehydration sachets at home and in your travel kit, so you do not need a late-night dash to a shop when a stomach bug spreads through the household.

• Avoid very sugary drinks or large amounts of undiluted fruit juice during severe diarrhoea, because they may pull more water into the bowel and worsen stool output.

Match support to diarrhoea patterns

• Use short-term diarrhoea support only when you also focus on fluids; the aim is comfort and control while your gut clears an infection or irritation, not to block every bowel movement.

• Take diarrhoea relief exactly as the pack explains and stay within the maximum daily dose and short time window, because taking more does not speed recovery and may slow the bowel too much.

• Leave a clear gap between diarrhoea binders and other medicines if the instructions suggest spacing, since binders can reduce how much of another medicine your body absorbs.

• Consider gel or liquid formats rather than tablets when you find swallowing hard during an upset, or when you prefer a product that coats and binds inside the gut.

• Stop self-care and seek medical advice when diarrhoea lasts more than a few days, you return from travel with ongoing symptoms, you see blood or mucus, or you feel more unwell as time passes.

Choose heartburn and indigestion support with purpose

• Reach for an antacid or alginate when burning pain rises behind the breastbone after meals, or when acid comes up into your throat and leaves a sour taste.

• Take heartburn support at the time the label suggests, often after food or before bed, since timing around meals shapes how well the product controls acid.

• Store heartburn products away from other medicines when the instructions list timing rules, so you do not reduce the effect of regular tablets or capsules.

• Review your pattern if you need heartburn relief most days of the week, since frequent symptoms may call for a longer-term medical plan rather than repeated short courses.

• Pair heartburn support with small, practical tweaks such as smaller evening meals, less late-night lying flat, and a note of trigger foods like large fatty meals, spicy dishes, or caffeine.

Handle constipation with a step-by-step approach

• Start with daily basics: increase water intake, add fibre through fruits, vegetables, and whole grains slowly, and give yourself unhurried time for the toilet, ideally after meals.

• Use a footstool to raise your knees above your hips while you sit, so your body lines up better for a bowel movement and you strain less.

• Try a bulk-forming fibre supplement when your diet falls short, and give it a day or two to work, because these products need time and extra fluid to soften and bulk the stool.

• Move to an osmotic laxative if stools stay hard and painful despite more fibre and water; these products draw water into the bowel and can soften stool over a few days.

• Avoid turning any laxative into a daily habit without advice; long-term use needs a conversation with a pharmacist or doctor, especially if constipation lasts for weeks or keeps coming back.

Build a “next time” stomach and bowel kit

• Choose one oral rehydration product, one heartburn support, one constipation support, and one diarrhoea relief option that match your age, health conditions, and any regular medicines.

• Pick formats that fit real life: tablets or chewable tablets for work or travel, liquids or gels for home, and sachets that slip into a bag without taking space.

• Store products together in a clear box or pouch labelled “stomach and bowel,” along with a short note of doses and timing rules, so anyone in the household finds what they need fast.

• Check expiry dates every few months and replace any product that runs out or expires, because stomach upsets often arrive without warning.

• Add a simple symptom and dosing card in the kit that reminds you when to use each product, when to focus only on fluids and rest, and when to stop self-care and seek help.

When self-care stops, and further help starts

• Seek urgent medical help when you suspect dehydration, such as very little or no urine, confusion, fast heartbeat, dizziness when you stand, or extreme tiredness.

• Contact a pharmacist or doctor when heartburn or indigestion persists for weeks, wakes you at night, or comes with weight loss, difficulty swallowing, or vomiting.

• Treat ongoing diarrhoea, severe stomach pain, or constipation that lasts longer than a few days as a reason to speak to a professional, especially if you also take regular medicines or have long-term conditions.

Stomach and bowel support

Digestive upset feels disruptive, yet a simple, planned approach helps you move from distress to recovery with less guesswork. Use these steps to match symptoms to support, protect hydration, and build a home kit that covers diarrhoea, constipation, heartburn, and general stomach upset. Then explore the Stomach & Bowel section to review oral rehydration solutions, heartburn and indigestion products, constipation options, and targeted gastrointestinal support in one place. Compare formats, read dosing information, and decide what belongs in your household kit, so you feel more prepared before the next upset arrives.