Tampons are very practical in summer, especially for swimming. Misused, however, they can lead to serious medical complications. Here’s how to avoid them.
- Between 60 and 80% of French women wear tampons.
- Each year, about twenty of them are victims of a toxic shock linked to tampons.
- Toxic shock syndrome is the consequence of the presence of a bacterium, staphylococcus aureus, in the vaginal microbiota.
It’s summer and the heat often leads us to the beach, to the swimming pool, to lakes or rivers. Moments of relaxation more than welcome, but which push many women to neglect their tampon when they have their period, the toilets not always being near bathing places.
The rules to follow when using a tampon
To avoid any medical complications, here are some rules to follow when using tampons, even in summer:
– change your tampon every four hours. If ever the place does not lend itself to it, health professionals believe that the same tampon should not be kept for more than eight hours.
– Adapt your buffer to your flow.
– Do not use a tampon that is too absorbent in order to keep it longer.
– Wash your hands before and after handling the tampon.
– Wait until the start of menstruation before putting on a tampon, even if you are afraid of a leak.
– These rules also apply to organic tampons.
Toxic shock, what is it?
Misusing your tampon can, in very rare cases, lead to toxic shock, a potentially fatal infectious disease or one that can lead to amputations.
Initially, the symptoms of toxic shock resemble those of a severe flu: a high fever of more than 39 degrees; low blood pressure; skin rash (erythroderma) similar to sunburn; vomitings ; watery and profuse diarrhoea; very inflamed mucous membranes (pharynx, eye, etc.); mental confusion or psychological obtundation.
In case of appearance of these symptoms, it is urgent to consult a doctor, to whom it is necessary to specify the suspicion of toxic shock to avoid the misdiagnosis of gastroenteritis or influenza.
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