Digestive Health
Help your gut feel good with food and lifestyle tips

Articles

WindSetlers: Relief for Trapped Wind and Discomfort
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WindSetlers: Relief for Trapped Wind and Discomfort

WindSetlers are gel capsules used to relieve symptoms of trapped wind, such as pain, discomfort and bloating. Trapped wind occurs when tiny gas bubbles become trapped in the stomach and lower intestine, usually because there is too much gas in your digestive tract. There are many potential causes of excess gas, including your diet. Foods such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, beans and potatoes can all cause excessive amounts of gas to build up. Medical conditions, such as lactose or fructose intolerance, Coeliac disease and inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and certain medications like metformin used in diabetes and lactulose, an osmotic laxative, can also be responsible. Swallowing too much air is another potential cause of having too much gas. This can happen when you are stressed and when you chew gum, smoke, eat or drink too quickly or drink carbonated beverages. WindSetlers are available over the counter, and they are suitable for adults and children. The active ingredient in the medication is simeticone (also known as activated dimeticone)

Wind-eze: Uses, Dosage, and Safety Tips
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Wind-eze: Uses, Dosage, and Safety Tips

Wind-eze (the active ingredient of which is simethicone) is used to treat trapped wind and relieve bloating. Tiny bubbles of gas can get trapped in the stomach and lower intestine causing discomfort and pain. Wind-eze relieves the surface tension of these tiny bubbles to ease the passing of wind and relieve pain and bloating.

Treating Threadworm: Medication & Prevention
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Treating Threadworm: Medication & Prevention

Threadworm are a type of parasitic infection that look like a thin thread, hence their name. They are found to grow in human and animal guts. Threadworms are the most common parasitic worm in the UK and the most commonly affected groups are children and household contacts of infected children. Threadworms lay eggs around your bottom (anus), which make it itchy. As well as some suspicious symptoms, it is possible to see threadworms occasionally in your child's poo. They are pale white moving worms, and can be quite clear if you notice them. The reason they are so infectious, is that the worms eggs take around 2 weeks to hatch. The eggs can then get stuck on your Childs fingers when the area is scratched. They can then pass on to anything they touch, including clothes, pets, tables, toys etc. The eggs are ingested by hand-to-mouth transfer after touching a surface with the eggs or scratching your bottom. Because of this, and the time-lag with the eggs hatching – repeated treatments are commonly needed.

Symprove: Probiotics for Gut Health and Wellness
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Symprove: Probiotics for Gut Health and Wellness

Symprove is a water-based food supplement that contains live bacteria formulated to aid gut health and promote healthy gut flora. The aim of Symprove is to get good bacteria past the stomach without being digested and broken down, and land in the intestines where the body’s microbiome of good bacteria exists. In the ever-evolving health and wellness landscape, the spotlight on gut health has grown significantly. Probiotics, live microorganisms that confer health benefits when consumed in adequate amounts, have emerged as key players in supporting the delicate balance of the gut microbiome. Among the myriad probiotic options, Symprove stands out as a liquid probiotic formulation with a unique approach to fostering a healthy gut environment. This article aims to delve into the science behind Symprove, exploring its composition, mechanisms of action, and the potential benefits it may offer in promoting digestive wellness.

Stomach Pain Relief: Methods That Actually Work
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Stomach Pain Relief: Methods That Actually Work

Stomach pain can be uncomfortable and may even be frightening. Luckily, stomach pain has some common causes, is usually self-limiting, and in many cases can be self-treated at home. Firstly, it is important to rule out causes for concern. If you are suffering from severe debilitating pain, or experiencing any other serious symptoms such as large volumes of blood in your vomit, fever, or unable to stay hydrated, you should seek advice from your doctor.

Stomach Bug Relief for Children: How to Help?
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Stomach Bug Relief for Children: How to Help?

Children catch stomach bugs really easily, and they feel pretty rotten while it lasts. It can be tough to see them unwell, but parents also feel exasperated that it will be a good few days before their child or toddler can return to school or nursery. Signs and symptoms of gastroenteritis in children Stomach bugs, also known as gastroenteritis or "stomach flu", mostly cause diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach ache, pain or cramps, and sometimes fever. Most tummy bugs are infections caused by a virus and essentially their body needs time to do the hard work. Unfortunately there's nothing we doctors can prescribe to chase it away any sooner, it resolves by itself. But there are ways to help them feel more comfortable while they battle on, and there are things you can give them to avoid further illness. What causes stomach bugs? Tummy bugs are most often viral, but bacteria and parasites can also cause them. Rotavirus is the most common gastric virus, with nearly every child in the UK coming across it by the age of 5, and they are given a vaccine in the UK childhood immunisation programme, to protect them. Adenovirus and norovirus can also cause diarrhoea and vomiting. Bacterial infection can cause fever and bloody diarrhoea, and they may appear more unwell. The most likely bacteria are Campylobacter, E. Coli and Salmonella.

Stimulant Laxatives: How They Work and When to Use
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Stimulant Laxatives: How They Work and When to Use

Stimulant laxatives are a type of medication commonly used to relieve constipation. They work by stimulating the intestines, promoting bowel movements and alleviating the discomfort associated with constipation. This article provides a detailed overview of stimulant laxatives, including their uses, mechanism of action, and potential side effects.

Senna: A Natural Laxative for Constipation Relief
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Senna: A Natural Laxative for Constipation Relief

Senna is a type of over-the-counter medicine known as a stimulant laxative. It is a natural medicine made from the senna plant and is used over the counter to treat short term constipation (difficulty passing stools) in adults and children. Lifestyle measures such as increasing dietary fibre, increasing exercise levels and increasing water intake are usually a good place to start. When wanting to start a laxative, it is important to know there are different types of laxatives based on how they work. Bulk-forming laxatives make the stool bigger by helping them to keep hold of water, osmotic laxatives draw in water to soften the stool, and stimulant laxatives like senna increase the movement of the bowels by acting on the nerves that control the muscles of the bowel.

Rennie: Uses, Side Effects & Precautions
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Rennie: Uses, Side Effects & Precautions

Rennie is a common antacid used to treat indigestion. It usually comes as tablets to be chewed or sucked but is also available as an oral suspension (a form of liquid). It comes in lots of different flavours such as peppermint, spearmint, and orange, and is available without a prescription. All Rennie products are suitable for adults and children aged twelve and above. The oral suspension is also suitable for children aged six and above. All Rennie products are safe to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI)
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Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI)

If you have not heard of the term PPIs, then you may have heard of some common examples, such as omeprazole, esomeprazole, lansoprazole, pantoprazole or rabeprazole. They are a class of medication used to treat heartburn and as protection if you are at an increased risk of stomach ulcers. They work by reducing the amount of stomach acid that your body produces. PPIs are usually taken by mouth as a tablet, capsule or liquid; however, in a hospital, you may receive one as an injection. Most PPIs require a prescription, but you can purchase esomeprazole from your pharmacy without a prescription after talking to a pharmacist. The most commonly seen of these is Nexium.

Pepto-Bismol Liquid: How It Works and Dosage
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Pepto-Bismol Liquid: How It Works and Dosage

Pepto-Bismol is an over-the-counter liquid formulation that began being sold in 1900. Its formula hasn’t changed too much to this day and is widely used to help treat a wide range of common, self-help stomach related conditions.

Peptac: Uses, Side Effects & Precautions
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Peptac: Uses, Side Effects & Precautions

Peptac is a medication used for indigestion. The active ingredients in Peptac are sodium bicarbonate and calcium carbonate, which are antacids. It also contains sodium alginate, which is known as a raft-forming agent. The active ingredients in Peptac are the same as those in Gaviscon Original and Gaviscon Double Action products. Peptac comes as an oral liquid and is available without a prescription. Like Gaviscon products, Peptac is safe to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

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