Are you planning a trip this summer or fall? Remember to carry these digestive remedies.
With the lifting of the COVID travel restrictions, Americans are eager to resume their travels. Some estimates say that 75% of us will travel within the United States this summer, and new data shows that international travel from the United States was more than twice as high in May 2022 as it was in May 2021.
However, keep your digestive health in mind while you pack your bags. Travel companions with stomach issues, including diarrhea, constipation, and indigestion, are all too prevalent.
Travel messes with a lot of the body's natural cycles, including digestion, according to Dr. Kyle Staller, a gastroenterologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, which is affiliated with Harvard. Time shifts, changed eating habits, and a lack of sleep are all likely to blame, particularly in people with sensitive gastrointestinal systems.
Here is a closer look at three typical digestive problems, along with advice on how to avoid and treat them.
Travel tummy: diarrhea
The most common travel-related ailment is diarrhea. People typically experience cramps, urgency, and loose, watery feces. Intermittent diarrhea may be from an infection caused by consuming contaminated food or water, intestinal parasites, or it may be induced by a change in the environment or stress.
The easiest approach to preventing diarrhea when traveling is to avoid contaminated food and drink and to practice excellent hygiene by often washing your hands.
Keep yourself hydrated. Factory-sealed bottled water is the most secure choice in underdeveloped nations. Additionally, consistently use bottled water for brushing your teeth. Avoid ice, as it can be made from contaminated water.
Pick your foods and beverages wisely. Avoid eating food that has been sitting on a buffet and only consume cooked items that are served hot.
Consume only fruits and vegetables that have undergone peeling or washing in clean water. Sanitize your hands.
Frequently wash your hands in warm water and soap, especially after using the restroom and right before eating. As a backup, use a hand sanitizer with alcohol.
Dealing with diarrhea: The majority of diarrheal bouts end on their own two to five days after beginning. However, if your diarrhea is bloody, you have significant abdominal pain, a fever, or it lasts longer than a week or two, you should consult a doctor.
If not, follow these instructions to speed up your recovery:
Reply any lost fluids.
By consuming bottled water and electrolyte-containing low-sugar sports drinks, you can prevent dehydration. Apply over-the-counter remedies. Many digestive aids contain the chemicals loperamide (Imodium) and bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol, Kaopectate), which help ease cramps and lower the number of times you have loose, watery stools.
Constipation while traveling
Constipation occurs when you break your typical routine while traveling. Two possible causes are sitting for long periods of time, such as on lengthy flights, trains, or buses, and having your regular diet interrupted. Constipation may persist for many days or longer.
How to avoid constipation
Pre-travel precautions may help you avoid it if you experience it.
Add more fiber and fluids
Make sure your diet is high in fiber before a trip because it helps to soften and makes stools easier to pass. Several fruits, such as apples (with the peel), raspberries, and pears, as well as beans and whole-grain products like bran cereal, are high in fiber. Additional fiber options include methylcellulose (Citrucel) and psyllium (Metamucil).
Avoid consuming an excessive amount of fiber at once because this can cause bloating and gas. In addition to increasing your fiber consumption, you also need to drink adequate water.
Oral laxatives sold over the counter can help things move along if you're experiencing constipation.
Bulk-forming agents
They consist of psyllium, methylcellulose, and calcium polycarbophil (FiberCon) (Metamucil). They take a day or so to start working, but their effectiveness is long-lasting. As instructed on the label, take these with lots of drinks. Stool softeners These drugs soften the consistency of the stool and mix with it to make it easier to pass. Look for items that include sodium docusate (Colace, Surfak). indigestion while traveling. Certain foods simply don't agree with your body. Your stomach might become upset while traveling, just like it would at home, and cause indigestion, which causes stomach pain, bloating, and heartburn. This could happen if you try the local cuisine or eat more than normal.
How to prevent indigestion
Try to limit your eating and drinking when traveling because it can throw off your regular eating and drinking schedule.
Watch how you drink. Don't overdo it because, for some people, even a single drink might start an episode.
Avoid the trigger foods. Many IBS sufferers struggle to tolerate foods high in carbohydrates, or FODMAPs (short for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols). Milk products, broccoli, beans, and lentils; wheat; garlic; onions; apples; and fruit juices are examples of common FODMAP foods. portion control Indigestion risk can increase with overeating.
Focus on eating more often and in smaller amounts, like four small meals a day instead of three big ones. Speed up. Additionally, if you eat too quickly or converse while eating, you could swallow too much air and get excess gas. Dealing with indigestion: Even though indigestion typically goes away on its own in a short period of time, there are techniques to make it easier.
Utilize over-the-counter medications
Depending on your symptoms, you may benefit from taking antacid tablets or liquids, upset-tummy medications such as bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol, Kaopectate), acid blockers for heartburn relief like omeprazole (Prilosec), lansoprazole (Prevacid), or H2 blockers like famotidine. You may also benefit from a combination of these medications such as Pepcid, Pepcid AC, or a gas-relieving medication like Gas-X. Contact your doctor if you need to use these treatments frequently for longer than a few weeks.
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