tampon question?

Question

i use tampons but the box says to leave in for a maximum of 8 hrs. how much longer can u accidentally leave it in before something bad happens?

Answer 1

Tampons are a risk from the moment you put them into your vagina – the 'something bad' happens the moment you put them into your vagina, commercial tampons [e.g. Tampax] are the most harmful out of over twenty different menstrual options and harm to vaginal health occurs no matter how long you leave them in for.

Toxic shock syndrome is not the only risk from tampons, due to their effect on the vagina as well as introduction of fibres and chemicals they are also known to cause infections such as bacterial vaginosis, they are also linked with increased menstrual cramps and increased menstrual flow – unhealthy vagina equates to menstrual health problems.

Tampons they prevent your vaginas natural cleaning functions, causes vaginal splitting, give bacteria a place to multiply and in the case of commercial tampons they introduce chemicals into the vagina. The longer you leave tampons in for the greater the risks because the more bacteria can multiply upon/within the tampon and the longer the vagina goes without being able to flush those bacteria out – it is like milk, the longer you leave it out the more bacteria grow within it.

http://www.spotsite.org
http://www.tamponalert.org.uk
http://www.toxicshock.com

You can decrease the risk by changing them more often [every 4 hours], using less absorbent tampons, using organic, sponge or homemade tampons such as Natracare Organic Tampons or Jade & Pearl Sponge Tampons [do not contain synthetics or chemicals], or simply by not using tampons at all. If you prefer internal options menstrual cups are a good alternative, you can wear menstrual cups such as Divacup or Instead for up to 12 hours without leaking or any health risk what-so-ever.

http://www.natracare.com
http://www.jadeandpearl.com
http://www.divacup.com
http://www.softcup.com

Answer 2

I wouldn't leave it in too long since your risk of getting TSS are greater the longer you leave them in. As a general rule, I think some people are saying to not leave it for longer than 6 hours now. I don't think anything bad will happen to you the first time you accidentally forget about it but TSS usually happens over a period of time where the tampon isn't changed often. Try to remember or do something that reminds you about it.

Answer 3

If you've accidently left one in longer than that, but nothing happened that time that's great. It's not a risk you should take though. The reason it's not recommended for you to leave in a tampon longer than 8 hrs is b/c its a breeding ground for bacteria. It can cause serious medical problems including Toxic Shock Syndrome in which you can die. You might get lucky and have nothing happen to you once, but if the bacteria grows faster another time you may not be so lucky...

Answer 4

The box says only wear a tampon at max for 8 hours a day . . that means the rest of the time you should be wearing a pad. The reason it is unsafe to wear a tampon constantly is because of toxic shock. This is something that can happen to anyone who is plugged up too long. It happens to some girls and they cannot wear tampons at all. Please listen to the box, and if you notice symptoms . . like itchy red hands or heat sweats, take it out at once. You can read more on this at the website below.

Answer 5

Its going to depend. I wouldn't leave them in for longer than the eight hrs on the box. I probably wouldn't leave them in longer than about 4-5 hrs. The reason is that you can get infections by having a foreign object inside your body--it can become a breeding ground for bacteria. Same thing could happen by leaving your contacts in too long.

Answer 6

if you want t be safe and unrisky....leave it in for no more then 8 hours. i never even leave min in for 8 hours...5 at max for me. it is very rare but you can get TSS...or toxic shock syndrome.

TSS is a systemic illness, which means that it affects the whole body. It can be caused by one of two different types of bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes - although toxic shock that is caused by the Streptococcus bacteria is rarer. These bacteria can produce toxins - proteins that act as poisons. In some people whose bodies can't fight these toxins, the immune system reacts. This reaction causes the symptoms associated with TSS.

When people think of TSS, they often think of tampon use because the earliest cases of the illness, back in the late 1970s, were related to superabsorbent tampons. Research led to better tampons and better habits for using them - such as changing tampons more often. The number of TSS cases dropped dramatically. Today about half of all TSS cases are linked to menstruation.

Aside from tampon use, TSS has been linked to skin infections that are typically minor and are often associated with the rash of chicken pox. TSS has also been reported following surgical procedures, abortions, giving birth, and prolonged use of nasal packing for nosebleeds - although all of these are rare.

Good luck!!!

Answer 7

I've accidently left one in for like 10, 11 hours (I was a little drunk and passed out and didn't wake up to change it). I think you really only run into problems when you leave them in all day or something ridiculous like that. There was this girl that I went to school with that left a tampon in for like 2 days or something retarded like that and got sick (I don't know how the hell one would "forget" that she had a tampon in for that long, wouldn't you notice the string at some point??)

Answer 8

i've accidentally left it in for longer but nothing has happened to me.

Still follow the instructions and also chose the right tampons according to how much blood flow.
Toxic shock syndrome usually occurs with highly absorbent tampons. So try avoid those "super" absorbency tampons if you don't need them.

Here's more about it:
http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/toxic_shock.html

Answer 9

It is not a good idea to really leave them in that long anyways. By that time you could already have bacteria from the old blood causing problems. I would never leave it in that long. I do not really trust Tampons. So I only use them in the day when I am up. When going to bed I use Pads.

Answer 10

Generally, the longer you leave a tampon in, the greater the risk you run for infection.

Personally, I have left a tampon in for longer but it's not something that I endorse or encourage :).

Here's a more detailed article on tampons - if you're interested:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tampon