Meet Toxic Shock Syndrome

Toxic Shock Syndrome, also known as follow TSS, is a rare disease, but if not diagnosed early and treated properly, can become fatal. It was discovered in the 1980s in the US, but to this day is not fully understood by medicine. It is not a contagious disease, but anyone can be affected.

It is an infection caused by different bacteria, the most common being Staphylococcus aureus. It is present in some regions of the body such as the nose, armpits and vagina and develop through mucous membrane wounds. When the toxins produced by these bacteria are released into the body and enter large amounts in the bloodstream, they cause serious damage.

During the late 1970s, an outbreak of infection struck a large number of people, most of them menstruating women and young women wearing tampons. At that time they were made with chemicals capable of absorbing the flow for long periods. For many years the disease was associated with the use of these pads.

Doctors and researchers have not come to any decisive conclusion about the occurrence, but the fact is that when using tampons, women spend longer without changing them, especially on days when the flow is no longer so intense, a fact that favors the proliferation and a considerable increase of bacteria inside the vagina, among them, the responsible for TSS. Another factor favoring the association of tampon use with the disease is that, according to doctors, some tampons may cause microscopic injury to the vagina through which infection to the blood occurs.

Although rare, the highest incidence (nearly half) still corresponds to prolonged use of tampons, but the other half, affecting men, children, menopausal women and non-tampon women, originate in infections caused by burns, surgery and insect bites.

Symptoms appear suddenly and may progress rapidly. The most common are malaise, fever higher than 39 degrees, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, sore throat, dizziness with or without fainting, muscle aches, hand and foot stains, burn-like skin irritation, among others.

Currently, most tampon manufacturers no longer use chemicals to contain fluxes for a long time, they have returned to using cotton fibers, yet their prolonged use is not recommended by doctors, especially those indicated as superabsorbents, that should not be used.

Measures such as avoiding sleeping with the tampon, switching use with the tampon, not using it for longer than 4 hours, never leaving it for more than 8 hours and choosing a low-absorbent tampon can help minimize The risks of contracting the disease, moreover, redouble attention to hygiene after undergoing cuts, surgery or any other types of injuries.

There is no specific test to diagnose the disease, but by collecting blood and urine, the bacteria or others that have similar symptoms are found. Once the problem is diagnosed, treatment may require hospitalization and administration of antibiotics to combat the causative bacteria. After that, other treatments help stabilize the body, stabilize blood pressure and prevent dehydration. As the kidneys can also be affected, in some cases they may fail making kidney dialysis sessions a must.

It is always better to be safe than sorry, so if you use tampons and suddenly notice these symptoms during or after menstruation, remove it immediately, see your doctor and talk about your suspicion. Early diagnosis in most cases can be decisive for the patient's life. Take care.

We Were There - Toxic Shock (April 2024)