By Scihealthhub – January 11, 2025
Traveling for Christmas has always been one of my favorite traditions. It’s an opportunity to reunite with family and friends, soak in the festive spirit, and make lasting memories. However, there was always one thing that marred the experience for me—urinary tract infections (UTIs).
For years, UTIs seemed like an inevitable part of my holiday travels, casting a shadow over the joy of spending time with my loved ones.
Ordinarily, people with spinal cord injuries have an increased risk of developing UTIs. This is because many of them have a condition called neurogenic bladder, where the bladder doesn’t empty properly. As a result, urine stays in the bladder for too long, creating an ideal environment for bacteria to grow. Additionally, the bladder’s lining cells become less effective at fighting off these bacteria, making UTIs more likely (1, 2).
From my experience, the risk of UTIs increases further when a person with a spinal cord injury goes on a trip. This can often be due to irregularities in bladder management and lapses in hand hygiene. For instance, someone who uses clean intermittent catheterization (CIC) may struggle to perform the procedure regularly or correctly while traveling.
Personally, CIC is my preferred method of bladder management. At home, I’ve created a conducive environment that allows me to perform this procedure regularly and safely. However, when I travel, I’ve often had to temporarily switch to a combination of CIC and a condom catheter due to the lack of suitable facilities for performing CIC whenever needed. Unfortunately, this approach hasn’t worked well for me during past trips, as it seemed to contribute to the development of UTIs.
What I Did Differently This Time
This last Christmas holidays, I decided it was time to try something different. Instead of alternating between CIC and a condom catheter, I made a deliberate choice to use a condom catheter exclusively throughout my trip—from the moment I left home to the day I returned.
This simple change turned out to be a game-changer. For the first time in years, I traveled, celebrated, and returned without the dreaded UTI. I didn’t have to deal with the discomfort, fever, or the need for antibiotics that usually accompanied my trips. I felt liberated, healthy, and fully present to enjoy the festivities.
Looking back, I realized how important it is to adapt one’s bladder management routine to the realities of travel.
Returning to the Recommended Best Practice
While the use of condom catheters as a bladder management method can be effective and reduce the risk of UTIs, it has its challenges. The most significant is that the bladder does not empty completely, resulting in residual urine, high bladder pressure, and increased vesicoureteral reflux (urine flowing backward from the bladder to the kidneys). These factors may damage the kidneys if not properly managed.
Therefore, three days after returning home, I switched back to CIC, which is the expert-recommended first-choice bladder management method due to its lower risk of complications and infections when performed correctly. CIC closely mimics normal bladder storage and release of urine, allowing one to regularly and completely empty the bladder.
My experience during the trip reinforced the importance of being flexible while still prioritizing the best long-term practices for my health.
This Christmas, I celebrated more than the season itself. I celebrated the joy of being healthy and the freedom to fully immerse myself in the moments that matter most.
Call to Action:
If you’ve struggled with recurrent UTIs during travel, share your story in the comments. What strategies have worked for you? Let’s learn from each other and make travel healthier and more enjoyable for everyone.
