Make the most of your time abroad, without any discomfort
Whether you’re lounging by a pool or exploring a new culture, the change to your everyday life when travelling can affect your body – and to make enjoying yourself the number one priority, you first need to think about your number twos.
Constipation is common when travelling for several reasons, such as changes in diet and sleep schedule, and can cause symptoms like bloating, nausea or tummy aches.
No one wants to feel uncomfortable on holiday, but luckily, there are some simple things you can do before travelling to help avoid this.
What is constipation?
Constipation varies from person to person, but in short, it’s a noticeable difference to your bowel movements, including going to the toilet for a poo less than usual, or less than three times per week. Other symptoms include:
- Your poo is a different size or consistency to what’s normal for you
- You’re straining or it hurts to poo
- You feel like you haven’t fully emptied your bowels
How your poo looks can also indicate whether you’re constipated. The Bristol Stool Scale says that there’s seven different kinds of poo, two of these being signs of constipation:
Find out about more signs on our Constipation Health Hub or learn more about what your poo can tell you about your health.
Why do people get constipation on holiday?
A lot of people experience traveller’s constipation. There are several reasons why this could be the case, but generally, it’s because of a change in lifestyle. This can include:
- Not drinking enough water
- Change in diet
- Being less active
- Changes to routine, including your usual toilet time
- Jet lag
- Feeling of stress or anxiety
How can I prevent constipation?
Changes in diet
Having a healthy, balanced diet is important at all time and should try our best to maintain this when on holiday. A lot of the time, constipation can be eased by having the right diet which includes fibre rich foods.
Try to include some of these foods in your diet:
- Cereals that are high in fibre, like bran flakes, porridge and cereals containing wheat (like shredded wheat)
- Wholegrains. This can be done by swapping white bread for brown, or other wholegrain breads like wholegrain pitta or rye bread
- Fruits with skins, like apples, oranges, dried fruits and raisins, berries or plums (however, bananas don’t count)
- Nuts and seeds
- Vegetables, including potatoes with the skins left on
- Peas, lentils, pulses and beans, including baked beans
- Some herbal teas like green tea or peppermint
Bananas can sometimes help too – but it can depend on their ripeness. An unripe banana (one that is green or light yellow) can cause constipation, but a ripe banana (one that is yellow with brown spots) can help relieve constipation.
Biotics are live bacteria and yeasts, and they’re said to help with constipation however there’s not a lot of evidence to say they’re effective. You can find biotics in certain yoghurts and kefir.
Just like some foods can help aid digestion and relieve constipation, other foods can cause it. Try to limit eating lots of:
- Cheese
- Sweets
- High-fat meats
- Fast food, like pizza
- Ice cream
- Fried food
If you’re trying to add more fibre into your diet, make sure to add it in slowly. Too much fibre can also cause constipation.
We’ve all been there and eaten too many treats on holiday, including swapping our usual healthy food choices for something else. As yummy as this is, swapping out healthy, fibre-rich foods for treats can cause constipation, because a lot of the foods we call ‘treats’ are difficult to digest.
Don’t worry – you can still have your favourite holiday treats, but in moderation. Make sure to include fruit and vegetables in your meals, or other fibre-rich foods like the ones we’ve talked about earlier.
Part of travelling is discovering a new culture, and that includes the cuisine. But sometimes, our body can struggle to digest new food, leading to constipation. You can still try the new foods, but try to eat these alongside your usual balanced, fibre-rich diet.
Staying hydrated
Drinking lots of water is often vital when travelling, especially if you’re going to a hot country. But not drinking enough water can also cause your poo to dry up, making it difficult to pass.
Drink at least six to eight cups of water per day and try to avoid excess amounts of caffeine and alcohol because these are dehydrating. Discover more tips to drink more water.
Changes in routine
You’re on a break from your usual life, so of course there are going to be some changes to your routine. From sleep times to not getting enough exercise, these little changes can lead to constipation.
Jet lag
Jet lag (when your body adjusts to a new time zone) affects not just your sleep schedule, but your digestion too. This should relieve itself once your body has adjusted to a new time zone, but in the meantime make sure to eat the right diet and drink lots of water.
Toilet times
The rest of your routine can also become disrupted. If there’s a normal time you go to the toilet, try to plan for this, and go at the same time as you would in the UK, so your body is fully adjusted to any time zone differences. And, if you feel worried about using a public toilet, you can plan to go back to your hotel room or find a quieter bathroom nearby.
It’s also recommended that you don’t ignore the feeling of needing to have a bowel movement. If you do this, the stool can start to dry out, causing constipation.
Exercise
As lovely lounging by the pool is, not getting enough exercise can cause constipation too.
When we stop moving, our bowels do too, so you should incorporate some gentle exercise after mealtimes to help aid digestion. Try to go on a ten-to-fifteen-minute walk after meals, but make sure to wait fifteen minutes so your food can settle.
Although it might feel like a chore at first, once you get into the habit, you might find this is an enjoyable task you look forward to – you can even use this as an opportunity to explore where you’re staying!
Feelings of stress
From getting to the airport on time to finding your bearings in a new location, it’s easy to feel stressed whilst travelling. Stress, including the stress of being in a new environment, can cause constipation. Try to spend some time relaxing throughout the journey, or try practices like meditation to help destress.
When should I use laxatives?
If lifestyle and diet changes aren’t working, you might need to go to a pharmacist for digestive support remedies, like laxatives.
This can be tricky when abroad, because you may not know the nearest pharmacy or speak the language. You should always try lifestyle and diet changes first, but you might want to pack some digestive support from your local Boots just in case.
When should I visit a doctor?
Make sure you go to a pharmacist or use any digestive support treatment you’ve packed first, but if you find that your constipation is not getting better with treatment, speak to your GP. Find out more about constipation.
Looking for more ways to prep before going abroad? Make sure to have a look at our Travel Health Hub for specific health support for different countries, including certain vaccinations*. Or, get those final toiletries and sun tan lotion bits sorted with our sun and holiday page.
