If you’re of a certain age, then you may have had one of your doctors warn you many, many times about the dangers of tampons causing toxic shock syndrome (TSS); this syndrome instilled fear in people using tampons and, for some, it was thought that even leaving them in for an hour too long would cause a life-threatening condition. But it’s true?
First of all we need to understand what is toxic shock syndromealso because it could be a topic that many people are not aware of, considering among other things the little sex education in Italy. In the late 1970s and early 1980s there was an epidemic of cases of toxic shock syndrome, with nearly 2,500 people in the United States reportedly contracting the syndrome.
Toxic shock syndrome is a very rare and life-threatening condition and symptoms include:
- a sudden outburst;
- confusion;
- a sudden high fever;
- vomiting or diarrhea;
- heachache;
- convulsions;
- muscle aches;
- low blood pressure.
Why did menstruating people suddenly get toxic shock syndrome in the 80s?
Of the thousands who fell ill in the 1980s, 90% menstruated and 99% used tampons.
However, it wasn’t the tampons to cause toxic shock syndromebad toxins produced by bacteria (typically Staphylococcus aureus or Streptococcus pyogenes), which were present and grew on the swabs. These toxins would trigger an out-of-control immune response that would lead to tissue damage and, potentially, death.
Tampons have been around for a while, with the first tampon being patented in 1931, and have since become more popular during WWII when people used them more often in the workplace.
These tampons were made from cotton and rayon however the problem came when a brand wanted to make the tampons more absorbent i.e. Rely tampons. This brand used compressed polyester beads instead of your typical cotton, which was great in terms of absorbency, in fact they could hold nearly 20 times their weight in blood.
Unfortunately, this has proved to be a great habitat for the bacteria, as they provide a warm, humid environment. The ultra-absorbent feature also had the added disadvantage of causing small cuts when the tampons were inserted or removed, which meant that for some people they were painful to remove, as they were so good at absorbing that they stuck to the vaginal walls. .
Another thought is that these ultra-absorbent tampons also release oxygen into the environment, which has provided a great ecosystem for these bacteria to grow.
This caused a recipe for disaster, as the opportunistic bacteria that were growing on the tampon were able to enter the bloodstream, it also didn’t help that people were leaving their tampons on longer than recommended due to the absorbency characteristics.
The company quickly recalled the tampons once it figured out what was going on, but cases of toxic shock syndrome were still occurring and scientists acknowledged that the syndrome was due to the high absorbency of tampons despite the material they were made of.
Now in the United States, tampon manufacturers do not use the materials associated with early cases of TSS, and in fact, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires manufacturers to use accurate labeling for a standard absorbency measurement on all the boxes and all swabs must also be evaluated for safety by the FDA before being placed on the market.
How likely are you to run into TSS nowadays?
Nowadays, it’s actually quite rare to have TSS diagnosed and there are recommendations to minimize the risks, these include:
- quickly treat wounds and burns and consult a doctor if signs of infection appear;
- change tampons frequently (every 4-8 hours);
- wash your hands after inserting the tampon;
- do not use tampons when you are not menstruating;
- use the lowest absorbent product possible;
- insert only one tampon at a time into the vagina;
Having said that, the second spontaneous question is: Are people who use tampons most at risk for TSS? It should be noted that this it is not a disease unique to tampon usersCurrently in the United States, TSS occurs at a rate of 0.8 to 3.4 per 100,000, with most cases not being menstruation related at all.
If you are attracted to science or technology, keep following us, so you don’t miss the latest news and news from around the world!
#Toxic #Shock #Syndrome #Tampons #Affect