Doctor explains how long you can actually leave a tampon in after woman told she's 'lucky to be alive' after using one at friend's wedding
Rhianna Benson
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Images
A doctor has attempted to set the record straight on how long you should leave your tampon in following a woman near-fatal experience after she left her tampon in for eight hours.
Ashley DeSkeere, 46, ended up in intensive care after she returned home from a long-day of post-nuptial partying at her friend's wedding.
It wasn't until she began suffering a fever, vomiting and diarrhoea, however, that she sought medical attention.
She was subsequently blindsided by an unexpected toxic shock syndrome (TSS) diagnosis after doctors discovered that she'd kept her tampon in for over eight hours the day prior.
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An infection caused by the prolonged use triggered the life-threatening condition, which saw Ashley kept in hospital on several drips for a further five days - with doctors telling her that she was 'lucky to be alive'.
Having since made a full recovery, the mother-of-two has since vowed 'never' again to wear tampons.
After her horrifying near-death experience, many other women and people who menstruate have been left wondering how often they should be changing their sanitary products.
So naturally, a handful of medics have attempted to relieve concerns over tampon use by revealing exactly how long they should be used for at one given time.
Amongst them is Dr Nighat Arif, who recently emphasised on TikTok: "A tampon should not be left in longer than 8 hours."
A follower also went on to ask her, 'Can it cause urinary tract infections? I usually leave my tampons in no later than 2/3 hours but I notice if it’s any longer, I always get a uti!!', to which she responded: "Yes it can in some trigger cystitis/ UTI symptoms".
According to experts at the NHS, urinary tract risks aren't the only potential hazard when it comes to leaving your tampon in for too long.
According to the official website, tampon-users should be aware of certain symptoms when it comes to keeping a look out.
Not only can a high temperature potentially indicate TSS, but so can flu-like symptoms, vomiting or simply feeling sick, or a skin rash.
Diarrhoea can also be a key indicator that something more sinister happening behind the scenes, as well as dizziness or fainting, difficulty breathing, confusion.
Despite being a rare condition, TSS can be fatal 50 percent of the time - so if you have any suspicions, then it's best to seek medical treatment immediately.
Other complications can also arise from not changing your tampon after a certain time, such as bacterial vaginosis (BV) and a yeast infection - both of which can be treated with medication.