Menstruation becomes an integral part of every girl's life, from adolescence to menopause. And these days come regularly. Using a personal calendar or even a special application on your phone (or other gadget), you can track the frequency of menstruation and their duration. Each girl can choose the means for absorbing blood, suitable for her. Pads, tampons, menstrual cups - the choice is great. But most often it is the possible harm of tampons that scares, and not other means.
Individual choice
Surely every girl will agree that menstruation is an unpleasant and inconvenient phenomenon. But still, this is a signal that the lady is he althy, is in reproductive age and is not currently carrying a child under her heart. If menstruation disappears, then pregnancy is the only joyful diagnosis frompossible. In other cases, this is a signal of illness or the gradual withering of the reproductive function of the fair sex. So any girl takes menstruation as a given. It is in her power to make these days as comfortable as possible through the selected hygiene products. At this time, you should often take a shower and perform ablutions of the genitals, rest more and, if possible, get enough sleep. Most women choose to absorb menstrual blood with pads because of their ease of use, availability, and lack of contraindications. But pads have significant disadvantages. The first is the risk of leakage. It is also an unpleasant odor that can be noticeable after a couple of hours of use. And we must not forget that pads can be visible under tight-fitting clothes, so for the period of menstruation with them, you will have to forget about tight trousers and mini-skirts. Because of these factors, girls are increasingly "switching" to hygienic tampons during menstruation. Benefit or harm lies behind such a choice? Worth looking into.
A bit of history
Speaking about the harm of tampons for women, you need to delve into the past. Then it becomes obvious that ladies have been using tampons during their periods for thousands of years. The oldest written medical document, the Ebers Papyrus, describes soft papyrus tampons used by women in ancient Egypt as early as the 15th century BC. The fair sex in Rome preferred wool tampons. It's a little scary to imagine how problematic it was to use them. In ancient Japan, paper analogues with a bandage were in use. They changed up to 12 times a day. In the Hawaiian Islands, tree ferns were used, and in some parts of Asia and Africa, grasses and moss are still used as hygiene products.
Russian ethnographer with German roots Jakob Lindenau wrote that Koryak women "put moss tampons between their legs", following the example of Ostyak and Tunguska ladies. Every morning such "tampons" were burned, and during heavy menstruation, two or three times a day.
Modern remedy
Almost the same as it is now, the tampon has been used since the 18th century, when wounds were treated with it. The first modern version with applicator tubes was patented by Dr. Earl Haas and Michael Dun. Later, Gertrud Tendrich bought the patent rights, and in 1933 she began to sell this product. With the increase in tampon production, Tendrich hired promoters to promote the products in drugstores in Colorado and Wyoming. She also enlisted nurses to lecture on the benefits of the remedy. They talked in detail about the benefits and harms of tampons for women during menstruation. Back then, such frankness in discussing such a sensitive topic was new.
Caring for the female anatomy
Toward the end of the 1940s, Dr. Judith Esser Mitta and his husband Kyle Lucerini developed the world's first tampon without an applicator, which had to be inserted into the vagina with the fingers. Soon Dr. Karl Hahn and Hein Mittag started mass production of such tampons. Thus, women all over the world havechoice when purchasing this hygiene product. Almost forty years later, the question arose of how much harm tampons have for women due to cases of toxic shock syndrome.
Features of hygiene products
A tampon is an oblong, tightly compressed hygienic absorbent material with a thread tied to the end. For this thread, it is convenient to remove it out of the vagina. Accordingly, for use, the tampon must be inserted inside. This is quite simple to do, but some manufacturers make it easier by releasing tampons with an applicator. The tampon reliably blocks the flow of blood to the outside and absorbs it inside. Products differ in the abundance of secretions. The smallest ones are suitable for girls who do not live sexually or have a very meager volume of monthly blood. If the tampons have the inscription regular or normal, then they can be used with moderate discharge. Super and super plus tampons are designed for medium to heavy flow. On each pack of products, manufacturers provide information on the rules for use and describe the possible harm from using tampons. This is usually information about toxic shock syndrome.
Dangerous STS
So, why is the notorious toxic shock syndrome so terrible? And why can tampons cause it? Harm to he alth in this case is caused by a staphylococcal infection, which is rapidly progressing and difficult to treat. As a result, in 8-16% of cases, everything can turn outlethal outcome. This syndrome is quite rare, but all tampon manufacturers are required to warn women about this possibility in the instructions. Young women under 30 may be at risk. The disease is caused by Staphylococcus aureus, which belongs to a group of saprophytic bacteria that produce toxins that are dangerous to humans. These bacteria live on the mucous membranes and on the skin, however, in very modest quantities. In many people, the immune system is able to neutralize the toxic effects of these toxins. But if there are too many of them in the body, then an infection develops. At the initial stage, it resembles the flu, but it progresses too quickly. A woman needs to urgently call a doctor and be sure to remove the tampon if the manifestation of symptoms is ahead of all conceivable norms. Treatment is carried out only in a hospital with antibacterial drugs and solutions.
Just in case
If you have already used tampons and did not feel any signs of illness, then it is too early to relax. Remember about simple preventive measures and then you will not know the harm of tampons. For example, take a break from using these products, alternating them with pads, at least every two cycles. It would be nice to alternate hygiene products even during one menstruation, for example, use pads at night and tampons during the day. Always select tampons with the right amount of flow and change them every four hours. If you feel uncomfortable after insertion, then you need a less absorbent tampon.
Pros
Why do many girls choose tampons? The benefits and harms of this hygiene product are of interest to almost every woman who is preparing for menstruation. So let's look at the positives. When used correctly, tampons are better and more reliable than pads, they protect against leakage. They are convenient because they are absolutely invisible under clothes, that is, you do not have to give up your favorite thongs, shorts and skirts even during menstruation. On the skin and in the perineum after tampons, irritation occurs at times less, since the contact area is smaller. An important plus is the size, which allows you to store a spare tampon in the smallest purse or even a pocket. And it is also worth mentioning the moment that tampons make it possible not to deviate a bit from your usual life, that is, go in for sports, go to the pool or dance.
Cons
And yet there are a number of disadvantages and inconveniences when using these hygiene products. So, tampons need to be changed regularly to prevent the development of infection. Otherwise, there will be serious harm to tampons during menstruation. These drugs can also dry the mucous membrane inside the vagina and even cause an allergic reaction. It is not recommended to put tampons at night, as bacteria can actively develop at this time. Due to the need to change frequently, tampons are more expensive than pads. Another disadvantage will be the restriction in use with existing inflammation of the genital organs.
Nuances
If we consider the possibleharm to tampons, it is necessary to clarify how these hygiene products are used. After all, there are enough women who do not bother to read the instructions or at least pay attention to a new product for themselves. Because of this, annoying incidents and not the most pleasant incidents are obtained when the tampon is inserted too deep or even lost inside the vagina. What is the right way to handle this product?
First, change it every three to four hours. Try to do this in the bathroom or toilet so that some stagnant blood comes out of the vagina.
Second, when changing the tampon, wash the organs and insert the new tampon with clean hands.
Third, be careful with both the product and your body. Too sharp introduction, as well as sharp extraction, is fraught with microtraumas and irritation. Do not insert the tampon too deep, and in any case do not tear off the thread necessary to remove it. Otherwise, you will have to get a hygiene product already in the doctor's office.
Fourthly, always remove tampons before intercourse. Alas, this elementary recommendation is neglected by many girls who do not want to admit their condition to their partner. Such carelessness can result in a he alth problem.
Worth noticing
There are also other recommendations from experts that will make the process of using these hygiene products more convenient. For insurance against leakage in tandem with tampons, you can use "daily". So you willWe are confident in the cleanliness of linen, because with tampons you can forget about your delicate condition. It is also not recommended to regularly use exclusively tampons. Still, the constant presence inside the absorbent material is not very good for the body. On days of meager discharge, you can get by with pads. Gynecologists do not recommend the use of these hygiene products for very young girls without sexual experience. Is there any harm from tampons for virgins? As such, there are no strict restrictions, but a tampon can still damage the hymen.
