When you're traveling and away from the comforts of home, you may have to do some things differently in terms of the bathroom. For instance, if you're traveling in Greece, you can't make the common mistake of flushing toilet paper, as the septic systems can't handle it. In some countries, you may find toilets that require you to squat over them. You may even end up not going at all on a plane because you don't know the best (and worst) time to use the bathroom during a flight. However, there is one
thing that you shouldn't ever do in a public toilet when traveling (or in any other circumstance), which is hovering over the seat, as it can cause health issues.
You may very well have been doing this for most of your life. Many people hover over the toilet seat to avoid touching it and coming into contact with germs. However, Stephanie Bobinger, part of the pelvic health physical therapy team at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, wrote on the center's website, "When you hover, your hips have to hold you in midair. If you're in a partial squat, it doesn't allow the full excursion for urine to flow. The path of urine is impaired, and it's not as open ... That extra force can be damaging to the body." That's not all, however; she also explains that when you don't empty your bladder completely, leftover urine can foster bacterial growth that can lead to urinary tract infections (UTI) and incontinence.
Read more: The Four Unspoken Rules For The Airplane's Empty Middle Seats
How To Use The Bathroom Safely While Traveling
There is another issue that can come from hovering over the toilet, which is that your body gets used to not emptying the bladder fully due to tightened muscles. That can lead to stress incontinence, which may cause you to leak urine when you cough, sneeze, or exercise. All of this may lead you to wonder how to avoid germs while traveling. We all have to go sometimes, and it makes sense that you'd want to avoid touching the seat in any way. In fact, you may not even find toilet seats on public toilets in Italy, because people were standing on the seats and breaking them (also to avoid germs).
However, there are things you can do. First, remember that when you sit, it's your legs and rear end that should be touching the seat, not any sensitive areas. You can bring anti-bacterial wipes for any body parts that do come in contact with the seat. In the case where there is no seat in the first place, you can brace yourself on the wall or even face the other way and brace your arms on the back. It's not ideal, but it may allow you to relax the pelvic muscles more.
However, a much easier way to handle this is to bring either a pack of tissues or travel seat covers, like Relyo Toilet Seat Covers that come in a 50-pack on Amazon. You can throw them in your backpack or purse. They're great for planes, public bathrooms, and camping while traveling, or simply the public restrooms we encounter in places like the mall or restaurants. Of course, many public restrooms already have seat covers that you can use.
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Read the original article on Islands.
