Worrying about accidental bladder leakage while traveling locally or to fun, faraway places can affect your good mood when you’re packing up suitcases and passports. Whether you’re a caregiver or someone who regularly wears bladder protection products, you deserve to be self-assured when you head out to new destinations and encounter a variety of unknowns. It’s all about the pre-work, preparation, and packing. Don’t let unnecessary worry happen to you by preparing ahead - try to factor these four tips into your travel plans.
Watch your Liquid Intake
First, managing your fluid intake is very important, especially as you start out on your trip. Staying hydrated during the hot summer months is pivotal to maintain health, so don’t stop drinking plenty of H2O because you’re afraid to inconvenience travel partners with too many rest stop requests. Communicating upfront that you’ll need to visit the bathroom every few hours is reasonable and will alert travel partners ahead of time. A WebMD article provides tips on managing your fluid intake: Foods and Drinks to Tame an Overactive Bladder
The Less Caffeine, the Better
Second, there are certain liquids, foods, and pharmaceuticals that contain caffeine which is a diuretic, and will increase your need to go to the bathroom. By cutting or limiting caffeine, you may be able to curb or lessen leaks while traveling, unless of course, a health condition or side effect from surgery, states otherwise. Being knowledgeable about the effects of caffeine on bladder control may nudge you to tweak habits while traveling. Obvious (and surprise) sources of caffeine include:
- Black and green tea
- Cocoa
- Chocolate
- Cola and non-cola soft drinks
- Caffeinated and regular energy drinks
- Coffee or chocolate ice cream
- Slimming tablets
- Pain relievers
- Medications
Rest Stop Reassurance
Third, it may be difficult not to start off your driving journey with your favorite 24-ounce coffee drink, soda, or filled water bottle in hand. Be sure to budget time for rest stop breaks to ensure you still reach your destination on time. If you do drink liquids, plan your stops along the way using these helpful GPS and online tools for smartphones and tablets:
- Interstate Rest Areas is an up-to-date rest area map along the Interstate Highways that is color-coded to identify your direction of travel (Eastbound, Westbound, Northbound, Southbound, or both directions of travel).
- USA Rest Stops is a free app on the App Store for iPhones and iPads. This useful app helps you locate the nearest rest stop plus welcome centers and service plazas when you’re traveling within the US, including interstates, US highways, and state highways.
- If you don’t prefer to use apps or your phone memory is limited, try the ‘Maps’ icon on your smartphone; enter ‘Rest Areas’ and your GPS will pinpoint the closest ones based on your location.
Pack it Up!
Fourth, the average adult goes to the bathroom 8 - 10 times a day. The amount of urine your body produces a day can be directly related to your health, so best to factor in how many leakage products you’ll normally use in one day (then multiply by the number the days you’ll be traveling). Adding a few extra in the count couldn’t hurt in the event of unexpected travel issues or flight delays. To postpone product shopping while you’re feeling jet-lagged, pack smartly before you leave!
- How will you discreetly fit products into your suitcase? A tried-and-true packing trick is to roll up the individual product tightly then secure with a rubber band. Search for the open spaces around the outer boundaries of your suitcase, and tuck-n-stuff (around the edges, inside shoes, socks, or hats, or into packing cubes, if you prefer).
- Consider purchasing a larger quantity of incontinence products that you’ll be needing for your future trip. Once packed, you can take a ‘sigh’ of relief and happily cross that item off your travel checklist. Be sure these items are not buried in the bottom of your suitcase or trunk of your car, but easily accessible in your carry-on or the glove compartment. Need a travel checklist? Generate, edit, save and print a custom travel checklist for your specific requirements using Travels Checklist, and don’t forget to include plenty of:
- Briefs
- Underwear and Discreet Underwear
- Pads and Discreet Pads
- Underpads
- Wet Wipes
Looking for our incontinence products? You’ll find Attends and Attends Discreet products at local independent pharmacies and grocery stores. To find a retailer near you - Where to Buy Attends Products.
