Can you get an infection from leaving a tampon in too long?

Leaving a tampon in for too long can lead to infections and rarely cause life-threatening toxic shock syndrome (TSS). TSS is typically caused by an overgrowth of bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus. Each year toxic shock syndrome affects about 1 in 100,000 women.

What can happen if tampon left in too long?

The longer that a tampon sits in the body, the more likely it becomes for bacteria to produce toxins that can enter the bloodstream through the uterus or vaginal lining. When this happens, it can cause a rare, life threatening bacterial illness called toxic shock syndrome (TSS).

What to do if you find an old tampon inside you?

It’s not possible for a tampon to get lost inside you and it’ll stay in your vagina after you have inserted it. Try using your fingers to grab the string of the tampon or the tampon itself. If you still can’t get the tampon out, go to your GP practice or nearest sexual health clinic as soon as possible.

What happens if you leave your tampon in too long?

Toxic Shock Syndrome This is the infection that you may have heard horror stories about – it is caused by a buildup of bacteria from leaving a tampon in too long. However Playtex reports that this is extremely rare – only one to 17 cases are reported for every 100,000 women who use tampons.

What are the signs of a retained tampon?

Signs of a retained object or tampon. It is possible for a woman not to know about or forget about an object or tampon being in her vagina. Signs that you may have a retained object in your vagina include: discharge from the vagina (it may be yellow, green, pink, grey or brown in colour) discharge that has a very bad smell.

How long does it take for a forgotten tampon to show up?

This discharge can show up within a few days or take as long as a couple of weeks—which means you may not make the connection that a forgotten tampon is the cause. If these symptoms appear, “ask yourself if a rash, fever, or pain is also present,” recommends Dr. Greves. The last three symptoms are signs of TSS.

How can you tell if you have a discharge from a tampon?

The biggest giveaway is a foul-smelling discharge. “The key is to notice if the discharge is pink, green, yellow, or brownish and is accompanied by an odor,” says Christine Greves, MD, ob-gyn at the center for obstetrics and gynecology at Orlando Health in Florida.