Latest news with #ToxicShockSyndrome
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE I nearly DIED after developing toxic shock syndrome... here are the symptoms I overlooked
At only 15, Shannon Turner suffered a near-deadly case of toxic shock syndrome, which was so severe she was given a 50 percent chance of survival - all from using a tampon. Now, she has laid bare the horrifying ordeal exclusively with the Daily Mail. 'It put me in a coma and nearly took my life - I hadn't even had my period for a full year yet,' Shannon, who was on a family vacation at the time, explained. Shannon revealed she began to feel ill in the evening after she landed, but she assumed it was just jet lag and tried to sleep it off. But she woke up the next day with extreme symptoms, including: vomiting, diarrhea, a fever, and fatigue. 'I was brought to the doctor that afternoon, given a shot for nausea, and sent home,' she continued. 'I continued to deteriorate and was brought back to the doctor later that same day.' 'My last memory is collapsing in the office and laying on the ground because it hurt too much to sit up,' she recalled. 'My heart rate was extremely high, my blood pressure was dangerously low, and I was rushed to the ICU. I didn't wake up until a few days later.' Toxic Shock Syndrome is a 'rare complication of certain types of bacterial infections,' according to MayoClinic. 'It can be fatal. 'Risk factors for toxic shock syndrome include skin wounds, surgery, and the use of tampons and other devices, such as menstrual cups and birth control sponges or diaphragms.' While Shannon was unconscious, doctors worked furiously to diagnose her - initially misdiagnosing her with meningitis and nearly performed an unnecessary spinal tap. 'Thankfully, my mom mentioned to a family member that I was on my period - and that's when menstrual toxic shock syndrome (mTSS) was suggested,' she shared. 'The doctors were informed and my treatment plan shifted. I was incredibly lucky the infectious disease doctor on call had studied toxic shock and knew exactly what to do, but because mTSS progresses so quickly, I was still given a 50/50 chance of survival.' She explained that after the doctors saved her life, she was sent home with 'little guidance' on what to expect during recovery, or how long her symptoms would last - and the aftermath was brutal. 'My hospital stay was only a few days, but the recovery afterward took much longer,' Shannon said. 'I dealt with memory loss, anxiety, attention issues, and depression. My periods also became extremely painful. 'From the age of 15, I was put on prescription painkillers to manage my menstrual pain.' Her experience led to her starting her nonprofit, Protect Her Inc., which is dedicated to 'revolutionizing menstrual health education.' 'We believe knowledge is power - and yet, so many people are navigating their cycles with almost none,' she pointed out. 'I began to see why [there were no recourses], because periods have been taboo for far too long. It's the same reason I never talked about my experience with mTSS, and that silence was incredibly isolating.' Now, over 15 years later, Shannon regularly shares tips on how to avoid the life-threatening situation happening to other people - as well as the symptoms she ignored. 'My message to anyone using tampons is: use the lowest absorbency possible. Your tampon should be saturated when you remove it - if your flow is light, opt for a liner instead,' she listed. She also advises against using tampons overnight, noting if you begin to get sick you won't notice the symptoms if you're asleep. 'We need to stay aware of what our bodies are telling us - especially when there's a foreign object inside us,' she pointed out. Shannon added it's important to learn about the brands of sanitary products you're using, and make sure you're comfortable with their ingredients and manufacturing standards. 'Most importantly, be in tune with your body. It's always communicating with us, if we take the time to listen,' she urged. Shannon also advises people to immediately take a tampon out if they start feeling sick - describing the symptoms as flu-like. 'So [if you experience] headaches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever - take the tampon out,' she insisted. 'If you feel even worse go seek medical attention.' Shannon now hopes to educate young women through her non-profit, Protect Her Inc, which provides comprehensive menstrual education to adolescents aged seven to 18, with 'a focus on practical knowledge that fosters confidence, health literacy, and open dialogue.' According to National Library of Medicine, studies have shown the risk of mTSS was higher in young women who used tampons, than in women who used menstrual pads. They noted everyone should be aware of the symptoms of mTSS, which are early flu-like symptoms near or during menstruation, including acute onset of fever, vomiting and diarrhea, and progressive dizziness upon standing, and said people should should seek immediate medical attention if experiencing these symptoms.
Hindustan Times
09-06-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Tampon guide 101: Experts bust the 6 biggest myths, how to prevent Toxic Shock Syndrome
Tampons are typically shrouded in mystery, stigma, and misinformation, despite being an efficient and functional menstrual product. Sadly, menstrual hygiene and products still aren't still talked about openly as much, leaving many women in the dark, mulling over half-truths and antiquated myths. Separating fact from fiction becomes the need of the hour, not just to clear doubts, but to take charge of your body, your menstrual health, and your period with confidence. HT Lifestyle reached out to experts who shed light on tampons; from busting common myths and addressing the age-old debate of pads vs tampons, to breaking down the biggest caveat that keeps many away, Toxic Shock Syndrome. Here's your guide to tampons, decoded from the very basics: Since a tampon goes inside the body, unlike pads or reusable cloth, which are external or simply attach to underwear to absorb menstrual blood, it naturally sparks more questions and concerns. The concept of inserting something internally may be unfamiliar or even scary to some. But being well-informed helps combat this anxiety. Aditi Gupta, MD of Mentrupidea, shared 6 popular myths and debunked each of them with the actual truth behind them: Truth: Totally false. Just make sure to use a fresh one before bed. Switching from pads to tampons, even though tampons may be more compact and hassle-free, is a challenge, as pads have long remained the more popular choice, sparking this comparison to weigh their efficiency. Dr Gayatri Deshpande, Sr. Consultant & HoD, Gynaecology & Obstetrics at Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital, Mumbai, however, shared how tampons may be a better option. She said, 'Tampons and pads each offer different levels of hygiene and comfort. Tampons, when used correctly, tend to provide superior hygiene as they are used internally, directly absorbing menstrual fluid. This significantly reduces the contact of menstrual blood with the skin, minimizing the risk of irritation, odor, and vaginal infections.' But tampons come with a very important precaution that needs to be kept in mind. While it is rare, still, precautions need to be taken. Dr Deshpande added, 'However, tampons must be changed at least every six hours to prevent complications such as Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS), a rare but serious condition. Moreover, highly absorbent tampons can lead to vaginal dryness by absorbing the vagina's natural lubricating mucus.' Now that you are aware of the potential risks of tampons, which only arise from improper menstrual care, let's understand which tampon material is best. She said, 'It's recommended to use tampons made from pure cotton without parabens or added fragrances, as these substances can disturb the vagina's natural acidic pH balance, potentially leading to bacterial vaginosis. Ultimately, maintaining proper menstrual hygiene, regardless of choosing pads or tampons, is crucial for overall reproductive health.' The key to being well-informed is to broaden your horizon, even facing some uncomfortable truths, like the rare but very serious risks of Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS). Dr Tejal Kanwar, Consultant Gynaecologist at UJAAS, an initiative by Aditya Birla Education Trust for menstrual health awareness, explained TSS. She said, 'Toxic Shock Syndrome is a rare but serious bacterial infection commonly caused by Staphylococcus aureus or Streptococcus pyogenes. It is often linked to tampon use, especially the super-absorbent ones, though it can also result from skin wounds, surgery, or tends to occur more commonly in menstruating women under 30' Dr Kanwar listed out the symtoms: But don't let this deter you from using tampons, as with any menstrual product, TSS is rare and anyway, proper hygiene is imperative to avoid infections or rashes. Dr Kanwar elaborated on how to prevent TSS and said, 'TSS is preventable with simple yet vital menstrual hygiene practices such as changing tampons every four to eight hours, using the lowest absorbency needed, avoiding overnight tampon use, alternating between tampons and pads and avoiding tampons altogether if you've had TSS before.' Further, Dr Kanwar highlighted the importance of menstrual hygiene beyond just TSS. She said, 'Good menstrual hygiene goes beyond just TSS prevention. Even basic hygiene like changing products, gentle cleaning, breathable underwear, proper disposal, not sharing, and tracking your cycle play a key role. These practices not only support reproductive health and comfort but also empower confidence throughout your period.' ALSO READ: Pads, tampons, menstrual cup, panty: Doctor shares advantages, concerns and safety advice for common period products Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
Buzz Feed
10-05-2025
- Health
- Buzz Feed
57 Fascinating Photos Of The Human Body
Check out this X-ray of a gymnast doing a move most of us could only dream of. It's pretty wild what the body can do. I'm sorry to show you this, but this is what's done to teeth to prep them for veneers. Did you know that some societies use ants to suture wounds? You basically bring an ant close to bite both sides of the wound, then remove its body, leaving the head. This ancient practice is pretty darn effective. A newer practice? Using fish skin in healing. Tilapia skin is similar enough to human skin – and high enough in collagen – that it can be used to treat burn wounds. Did you know that a severed hand can be saved by sewing it to another body part? That's what doctors did with Chinese patient Xie Wei. Doctors were unable to immediately reattach his hand (which had been severed in a work accident) to his arm, so they temporarily attached it to his leg to use the blood supply of the arteries there. Here's another photo. And don't worry — the hand was later reattached to Wei's arm! Modern medicine has come so far and has made doctors' and nurses' jobs so much easier. Check out this Vein Viewer device that can show where your veins are. Another medical advancement? This man had a device implanted into his chest that functioned as his heart, which allowed him to live for five weeks after receiving it, rather than dying immediately. With the device, he had no heartbeat. Did you know meds can turn your pee green? Your pee can also turn purple, usually in rare cases of UTIs and long-term catheter use. Pregnancy changes your body, too. Sometimes in strange and unexpected ways. It can even change your hair color. I'm sure you've heard that people's feet swell during pregnancy, but I doubt you've understood quite how much they swell. Here's how your body changes during pregnancy. TIL about chromhidrosis, where you sweat colors instead of clear. This person sweats red! Toxic Shock Syndrome can cause your skin to peel pretty badly, especially on your feet and hands. Watch out for this and sunburn-like rashes with no apparent cause! You should also know that you can get TSS even if you don't use tampons! Just like your skin can peel after a sunburn, your tongue can peel after a burn. Let's move onto teeth. Most of your teeth have one or two roots, but some molars have even more. This one has FIVE roots. Roots can also fuse together, looking something like this. Some roots can be huge. Or like with this wisdom tooth, them a real pain to extract. Fun fact: when extracting wisdom teeth, sometimes a bit of the jaw comes with them as a bonus! Oh, and tumors can grow on teeth. Teeth can be in places where they really shouldn't be. And some people have multiple extra teeth in places they shouldn't be. Here's what a nerve extracted from a tooth looks like. Eating too many carrots, sweet potatoes, or other orange foods can actually turn your skin orange. It's called carotenosis. Sorry to break the news, but it is possible to grow a hair out of your eye. It can happen if you have a cyst on your eye, called a Limbal Dermoid. Finger and toe abnormalities always fascinate me because there's just such a range in them. Here's an example of one. Here's another. And another. Since thumbs are so essential, if someone is born without one, one of their other fingers will usually be amputated and turned into a thumb. This one is caused by Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease, which causes nerve damage primarily in the arms and legs. Many people with CMT have hammertoes or high arches in their feet. Here's what an x-ray looks like for someone with six fingers. Eye abnormalities are also fascinating to me. This is Corectopia, which encompasses eyes that do not have their pupil in the center. This person's eye abnormality is caused by multiple episodes of uveitis, creating iris adhesions. Increasing my fear? Eye surgery can go pretty wrong. Unfortunately, it is possible to get a tumor behind your eye. Beware of scratching your cornea — this is what it looks like close up. It may look small, but it can get an infection. You should definitely see your eye doctor! Getting bitten by a brown recluse spider is no it gets worse as time goes on. This person has what's called Tree Man syndrome. Unfortunately, it can get even worse than this, and though growths can be removed, they often recur. Another condition that causes growths on the body is neurofibromatosis. These growths are usually benign, but can become cancerous, and there are other symptoms. This (left) is what your blood might look like if it contains high triglyceride (fat) content. Here is what someone's urine looks like after 25 years of having a UTI. :( Nerve damage can have strange effects on your body. Like with this person — their finger with nerve damage doesn't prune. Here's how different the two forearms of a professional tennis player look — this player primarily uses their right arm. Did you know that when you have an infection, the temperature of your body rises in that area? You can even see it with thermal nail polish. Here's what Acrodermatitis Continua — a type of psoriasis — looks like. Back to how amazing modern medicine is – this is an external fixator, which attaches metal to bones to keep them in place while healing. Freaky, but awesome. Usually, hemangiomas (blood vessel growths) are red and appear in children, then fade as they grow up. This person's remained. This is what Pectus Excavatum looks like. Essentially, your breastbone is sunken. It can affect the heart and lungs, especially as the body grows in teenage years. Finally, let's move on to brains. Here's what brain cells making memories look like. Did you know that spinal fluid washes over our brain while we sleep? This helps clean out toxic proteins and keeps your memory sharp. Unfortunately, it slows as we age. Here's what the inside of a skull looks like during brain surgery (this one was for seizures). Finally, here's what someone looks like after brain surgery — TBH, it's pretty metal.
News.com.au
10-05-2025
- Health
- News.com.au
Mum's grim find after realising ‘UTI pain' was tampon lost for one year
A woman who accidentally left a tampon in for over a year was left fighting for her life in hospital after contracting toxic shock syndrome. Anna Osborn, 30, who lives in Columbus, Indiana, US, began feeling unwell in October 2023 but was constantly told by doctors that her symptoms resulted from recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs). The mum-of-two was dealing with severe pelvic pain and visited her GP, who prescribed antibiotics, assuming it was an infection, according to Kennedy News. However, her health failed to improve, and she remained constantly sick and in agonising pain, despite back-to-back doses of antibiotics over the course of months. She suffered from constant fevers and extreme fatigue, yet doctors continued to prescribe her more antibiotics. 'Every time I finished an antibiotic dose, I immediately started getting sick again. I knew my body was fighting something,' Ms Osborn said. 'Doctors just couldn't figure it out. 'I was told I must just have a low pain tolerance or I'm being overdramatic. I was just brushed off by a ton of doctors. It felt like my organs were shutting down. There was no other way to describe it.' She started to think about what could be causing the debilitating pain and considered the possibility that her intra-uterine device (IUD), used for contraception, could have become dislodged. Then, after undergoing a vaginal exam in February 2024 to check for complications with her IUD, doctors finally made a shocking discovery. It was the first time a doctor had performed a vaginal exam on Ms Osborn, and what they found left them both 'traumatised'. At first, the doctor saw a small piece of something 'she hadn't seen before' and thought it could be endometriosis. Then, after pulling on it, Ms Osborn heard her say, 'Oh God, I think it's a tampon'. She then pulled the entire thing out, leaving both women completely lost for words. Ms Osborn wasn't sure how long the tampon had been inside her but worked out that she hadn't used one since 2023, shortly after getting her IUD inserted. 'I didn't notice it at all (during sex). The body tissue had grown over it. I didn't feel anything. I even had a smear in the year before, and nothing was mentioned,' she explained. She was immediately treated for toxic shock syndrome (TSS), a potentially life-threatening illness that can occur when a tampon is left in for more than eight hours, leading to a bacterial infection. TSS often results from toxins produced by Staphylococcus aureus (staph) bacteria, but it may also arise from toxins produced by group A streptococcus (strep) bacteria, according to the Mayo Clinic. Symptoms can include fevers, low blood pressure, vomiting, muscle aches, headaches, and even seizures. Despite heightened awareness of TSS, it is not as common as one might think. In the US, the average annual incidence is around 0.3 to 0.5 per million people, while in the UK, it's 0.7 per million. Exact rates of TSS are not known in Australia, as it is not a 'notifiable' disease, meaning the health department does not have to be informed each time a case occurs – however, it is likely to be similar to those in the US and UK. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US, up to three out of 10 people with TSS from streptococcus bacteria may die from the infection. Non-streptococcal TSS has a lower mortality rate, typically less than three per cent. Fortunately, Ms Osborn fully recovered. However, she believes she might have died if she had not 'pushed' her case with doctors. She is now encouraging all women to advocate for their health if they believe something is wrong. 'I didn't even know toxic shock syndrome was real and actually happened to people,' she said. 'I say to other people, just follow your gut. If you feel like something is wrong, then keep pushing.'
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Select Kettering Health locations accepting menstrual product donations
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) – Thousands of people in the Miami Valley are living with period poverty, and a local organization wants to help. Kettering Health is hosting the Period Poverty Donation Drive throughout March. People can donate sanitary pads, tampons, liners and cups in marked donation barrels at Kettering Health's medical centers and OB-GYN facilities. Period Kits Ohio will collect and distribute the donations. Period poverty is defined as the inability to consistently access menstrual hygiene products because of financial barriers. Living in period poverty is a health risk. Toxic Shock Syndrome is a rare but deadly condition caused by not changing menstrual products frequently enough. A lack of access to menstrual products can cause frequent work and school absences. Shame and stigma often affect those living in period poverty. The drive was started by Kettering Health employee and volunteer with Period Kits Ohio Alexis Wisler. 'Period poverty can affect anyone, but it especially affects low-income households and those facing homelessness,' said Wisler. 'Here in the Dayton region, about 28% of the population lives below the poverty line. That means many women in our community may have to choose between buying essentials like groceries or menstrual hygiene products each month,' explained Wisler. 'If you have an upcoming appointment at any of the participating Kettering Health facilities, we encourage you to donate and join in our efforts to curb period poverty.' Each location taking donations is as follows: Kettering Health Dayton Main Lobby – 405 W. Grand Avenue, Dayton Kettering Health Greene Memorial Main Lobby – 1141 North Monroe Drive, Xenia Kettering Health Hamilton Main Lobby – 630 Eaton Avenue, Hamilton Kettering Health Main Campus Main Lobby – 3535 Southern Boulevard, Kettering Kettering Health Maternal Fetal Medicine – 3533 Southern Boulevard, Ste. 3750, Kettering Kettering Health Medical Group OB-GYN at Cornerstone Health Center – 7740 Washington Village Drive, Ste. 100, Washington Township Kettering Health Medical Group OB-GYN at Kettering Health Hamilton – 520 Eaton Avenue, Ste. 200, Hamilton Kettering Health Medical Group OB-GYN at Kettering Health Middletown – 6147 OH-122, Suite 110, Middletown Kettering Health Medical Group OB-GYN at Kettering Health Washington Township – 1989 Miamisburg-Centerville Road, Ste. 100, Centerville Kettering Health Medical Group OB-GYN at Soin Medical Center – Ollie Davis Pavilion – 3535 Pentagon Boulevard, Ste. 220, Beavercreek Kettering Health Medical Group OB-GYN at Sugarcreek Health Center – 6438 Wilmington Pike, Ste. 300, Centerville Kettering Health Miamisburg Main Lobby – 4000 Miamisburg Centerville Road, Miamisburg Kettering Health Washington Township Main Lobby – 1997 Miamisburg-Centerville Road, Washington Township Progressive Women's Healthcare – 7756 Washington Village Drive, Ste. 135, Washington Township Soin Medical Center Main Lobby – 3535 Pentagon Boulevard, Beavercreek Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
