Why it's harder to poo on holidays
There are some things that we are all comfortable talking about, including the weather and house prices.
But then there are other topics that can feel off limits, such as, “Why do I get constipated when I go on holidays?”
But fear not, because GP Dr Ginni Mansberg is happy to answer any of these tricky questions.
Speaking to 9Honey’s Shelly Horton, Dr Mansberg explained that there are four main reasons that we tend to get backed up on holidays.
- “We all get really dehydrated when we’re travelling,” Dr Mansberg begins. “Particularly on a long-haul flight ... because, let’s face it, plane toilets are revolting. Who wants to go to one? So, you tend not to drink too much, and then you get constipated.” Be sure to keep your water intake up, and take it easy on alcohol as it actually dehydrates you.
- “Your plane food sucks. Basically, it’s revolting. You eat all the crappy deserts that you would never ever have at any other time. You could actually take some high fibre foods with you. Things like dried fruit, nuts, a carrot or mandarin,” advises Dr Mansberg.
- “You’re sitting like a couch potato. You’re stuck in that little chair for so long. If you’re not moving, your bowels are not moving either,” she explains. Take regular strolls around the plane, and do a few gentle exercises or yoga poses to keep your body moving.
- “For the vast majority of us, we have a psychological aversion to toilets, particularly on planes but also elsewhere. Once you stop pooping, you kind of get on a roll. All of us have got to get over our toilet phobia,” Dr Mansberg adds.
However, if you do all the right things but you know you still might get constipated, Dr Mansberg recommends you come armed with a stool softener to use rather than a laxative.
Laxatives, she says, are “sort of chemical irritants for the bowel, and they tend to get you into a vicious cycle”. A stool softener, on the other hand, is gentler on your digestive system.
Have you got any plane food horror stories? We would love to hear from you in the comments.