Traveling and Incontinence - DC

Traveling with incontinence (urinary or fecal) can be stressful for those afflicted. HPFY has some useful tips to overcome this potential problem. Traveling in and of itself can be stressful, but adding the additional stress of incontinence can become extremely worrisome. It could even come to the point where you avoid traveling altogether. This can minimize your quality of life and keep you from seeing the world or missing out on family events and milestones. Overcoming incontinence may require just a little foresight and planning, but can be achieved.

Travel is Equal to Stress During Incontince

For those without incontinence, travel can be overwhelming and stressful. Traveling with incontinence only makes the problem potentially worse. Being somewhere in a strange land and not knowing where the nearest restroom is, can be stressful. The first step in traveling with your incontinence is identifying what type of incontinence you suffer from. These can include:

• Stress Incontinence: Weakened pelvic floor muscles/tissues can lead to bladder leakage when the bladder is stressed by activities such as exercise, laughing, or even coughing. Stress incontinence can also be influenced by obesity and even childbirth.
• Urge Incontinence: This is also known as an overactive bladder (OAB). This is characterized by a sudden urge to need to go to the bathroom and you may not reach it in time. This can be caused by a number of medical reasons including MS, diabetes, strokes, or damage to nerves/muscles.
• Overflow Incontinence: This type of incontinence is when the bladder is not fully emptied and there may be a trickle of urine. This can lead to infection and can be caused by weak bladder muscles, nerve damage, or blockage issues such as tumors or an enlarged prostate.
• Fecal Incontinence: The loss of control of the bowels can lead to fecal incontinence and the passing of fecal matter uncontrollably. The causes can vary from chronic constipation to fecal impaction.

No matter what type of incontinence you may suffer from, the number one concern is avoiding a potentially embarrassing situation that may ruin your travel and heading off any potential health issues down the road.

Beat Your Incontinence

While the prospect of traveling with the unknown of incontinence may seem daunting, there are ways to overcome it. Through the use of incontinence products, training, and some exercises you can put yourself at ease little and get out and travel. Some of these tips and tricks include:

• Adult Briefs: These are probably the most common items when dealing with adult incontinence. Brands such as Tena and Covidien offer those with incontinence a wide variety of options that include briefs for overnight use, light daily use, and even briefs for absorbing a moderate to considerable amount of liquid.

Tena Classic Briefs - Moderate To Heavy Absorbency

• Incontinence Liners: Being able to incorporate these liners into any type of underwear can minimize the stigma of incontinence in those that are self-conscious. CareActive and Medline are two options available to incontinence sufferers. Some of these are reusable and are worn with any type of underwear. They utilize a number of different methods for staying in place to diminish the chance of leakage due to movement or shifting.
• Bladder Training: This is a technique of preparing your bladder in advance of any travel. You can try practicing timed voiding. To achieve this, use the bathroom when it’s readily available and not when your bladder is full. Also, you can strengthen the pelvic floor muscles by doing Kegel exercises. Tightly squeeze the muscles that start and stop the flow of urine for roughly 3 seconds and then relax for three seconds. Try to target three sets of 10 exercises per day.
• Disposable Bed Pads: For those that travel and may need to stay in hotels, motels, or a friend/family house the embarrassment of soiling the bed may be traumatic. These bed pads can absorb a variety of liquid levels from light to heavy and can be discarded after each use. Look to Attends or Cardinal Health for a variety of bed pads to match your needs. This can allow you to sleep soundly with peace of mind.
• Fecal Pad Liners: As the name states, these pads are specifically designed to absorb fecal incontinence. Most cases of incontinence involve urine, but the inability to control your bowels can be embarrassing and inconvenient. These pad liners can help minimize leakage, odor, and anxiety associated with not knowing where the nearest bathroom is. These can even be worn inside your everyday underwear.