Drinking Water while Traveling

Some of us with bronchiectasis choose to take drinking water precautions to prevent bacterial infections. We drink water that is sterile. Options are:

*Water from a Lifestraw pitcher or water bottle with filters (NOT a Brita filtering device). 
*Water from a UV water bottle or treated with a Steripen
*Bottled spring water 
*Boiled water

When traveling, some of these options might not be available or practical, but generally speaking, we can find one that works for us.
I used the Steripen regularly during my trip in October to Italy and also when necessary bought bottled water.

I chose not to bring my Larq UV water bottle on my trip because while sightseeing I don’t like carrying anything or wearing a backpack. But, many find it and the CrazyCap helpful. 

Now let’s talk about how the water we drink can cause an infection in our lungs and possibly more bronchiectasis. The answer is two-fold: by inefficient swallowing and gastric reflux.

All of us micro-aspirate liquid into our lungs throughout the day. This might be from liquid “going down the wrong pipe” as can happen with swallowing issues and coughing.

Gastroesophageal reflux is another way bacteria can enter the lungs. Both acid and non-acid gastric refluxate can come up from the stomach and enter the lungs. 

One way to help prevent reflux while traveling is to take precautions including:

*Raising the head of your bed
*After eating, waiting a couple of hours before lying down, doing airway clearance or exercising 
*Squatting down instead of bending at the waist whenever possible 
*Not eating trigger foods

Not everyone with bronchiectasis will get a lung infection. However, there is about a 25-30% chance one will and the precautions I have laid out can reduce that probability. 

In Italy, I found that most restaurants were filtering their own water to cut down on plastic use. I preferred not to drink their water as I assumed it probably was not sterile. Surprisingly, quite a number of the restaurants no longer served bottled water.

​So, wherever you journey to, be prepared for eco-friendly restaurants by bringing your own water.

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