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According to statistics, there are roughly 1.6 million Americans who have been diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), with approximately 70,000 new cases each and every year. IBD can be difficult to cope with on a daily basis, but when you have plans to travel, it can really put a kink in things. Obviously, you want to spend your vacation enjoying yourself, exploring the destination, and getting that break from home, but with IBD it isn’t always so simple.
If you’ve been holding off booking that dream vacation because you are worried about how your IBD will affect your travels, it’s time to let go of that fear. Here we’ll take a look at various ways you can cope with IBD while on holidays, allowing you to still enjoy yourself and be glad you took the chance and went away.
What You Need to Know About IBD
Now, before we take a look at the tips to coping, it’s important to understand what IBD is. IBD isn’t one thing, rather it is an umbrella term used for a variety of disorders that causes chronic inflammation in a person’s digestive tract. These include Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis among others.
Typical symptoms can include reduced appetite, cramping and pain in the abdominal region, fatigue, diarrhea, and more. Obviously, these are all symptoms that can greatly impact just how enjoyable a vacation may be.
Make Sure You Pack All Your Medications
The first tip is easily the most important one and that is to pack any and all medications that you have been prescribed for your IBD. You want to also be sure you have enough to last the duration of the trip so you don’t have to deal with filling a prescription while you’re away.
When packing your medication, you also want to be sure it stays with you on the plane in your purse or carry-on bag rather than checking it with your luggage. Should your luggage be lost in transit, at least you will have your medication with you.
Pack Supplements that Support Your Gut Health
Besides medication, you can also bring along supplements and items that actually support and promote gut health. A great example of just such a product is the UltraInflamX Plus 360 from blueskyvitamin.com. This particular product helps to relieve inflammation and pain associated with IBD, helps to promote a healthy digestive system, and it also gives nutritional support. It comes in a convenient powder formula that you can easily mix in with juice or water and take with you while on the go.
Be Mindful with What You Eat and Drink
While many people love to sample the local cuisine when they are away, for those with IBD it can spell disaster. The last thing you want is to end up with a case of traveler’s diarrhea, which is unfortunately very common.
To avoid this, you’ll want to stick to bottled water (even when you brush your teeth), stay away from vendor carts, make sure you aren’t eating raw dairy products, don’t eat food that has been sitting out for long periods of time, and avoid raw foods such as vegetables, fruit, fish, meat, and shellfish.
Pack a Variety of Safe Snacks and Drinks
If you plan on doing sightseeing and tours while on holidays, be sure to pack your own supply of “safe” snacks and drinks that you know are okay and don’t bother you. Often these organized tours will stop at restaurants and cafes along the way, and those establishments may not have much you can choose from. By thinking and planning ahead, you know you’ll be covered.
Plan Out Your Routes
It can also be quite helpful to plan your routes in advance making sure you map out where restrooms are along the way. You may even want to request a seat near the washroom when booking your flight, train, or coach bus ticket.
Make Sure You Purchase Travel Insurance
The final tip is to make sure you purchase travel insurance that will cover you should you have a medical emergency. You never know when your IBD may flare up and what kind of attention you’ll need, so travel insurance will act as that peace of mind. Without it you can spend an absolute fortune on medical expenses and prescriptions.
Don’t Put Too Much Pressure on Yourself
Finally, you want to make sure you don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Yes, you are on vacation and you want to make the most of it, but knowing when to hold back and take a little time to relax is imperative to your health.
No Need to Skip Vacationing
Just because you have been diagnosed with IBD, doesn’t mean that you have to skip vacationing. Instead, it’s all about planning and being organized so that you can avoid flare-ups as much as possible, and also knowing what to do should one occur.
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