Longing to get away from it all? Embrace the wanderlust and don’t let incontinence stop you from doing the activities you love with the help of our top tips. Incontinence is something that no one really wants to talk about or even acknowledge, usually through a feeling of embarrassment. But incontinence can affect anyone of any age and shouldn’t be a reason to pause any of your usual activities.
Travelling can feel extra daunting when you’re living with incontinence but there are things you can try to help you travel with confidence.
This one is a little obvious, but if you’re living with incontinence make sure you have plenty of supplies with you when you go on holiday – especially if you’re travelling abroad. If you’d like a more discreet option (and you have a way of washing your clothes) you may find washable incontinence pants useful. They look like ordinary underwear and can offer more discreet protection when you need it. If you’re flying, make sure to pack extra in your carry-on, so you have backup should you need it.
It can be tempting to cut your fluids before you travel, but this can make incontinence symptoms worse. Continue to make sure you’re drinking enough as dehydrating yourself will only serve to make you feel unwell in the long run. This is especially true in hotter countries where you should be upping the amount you drink to compensate. But try to avoid caffeinated drinks and fruit juices as this can cause issues with incontinence.
If you’re worried about leaks on a long road trip, getting a seat pad for the car can help give you that extra feeling of security that should there be an accident on the way, your seat will be protected.
Taking extra seat pads with you or bed pads can also be a useful way to help protect the furniture where you’re staying, if you’re particularly anxious about having an accident where you’re staying.
Travel urinals are a great back-up to have in an emergency when there are no toilets available and you need to use the bathroom. For example, for those times when you’re on a road trip and the nearest Service Station is over 30 miles away, being able to use a urinal could help prevent a distressing accident on the journey.
Keys for disabled toilets (previously known as RADAR keys) are incredibly useful for anyone who needs consistent access to a toilet. These keys are part of the National Key Scheme and can be used to unlock locked public toilets. It’s small enough to be kept in a pocket or handbag and there would be no way for people to know what it was for unless they – or someone they cared for – used one themselves, making it nice and discreet.
If you’re travelling by plane or train, always try and get the aisle seat if you can. This way, when the urge to go strikes, you can simply stand up and head for the toilet without having to try and quickly climb over the people sat next to you or wait for them to move out of your way. Even better, if you can, get a seat located nearer to the toilet.
With a little planning and a bit of research you can still enjoy that well-deserved break, knowing that incontinence doesn’t need to stop you in your tracks.
If you need any help or support with managing incontinence, speak with your GP or local Continence Care service for advice.
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