Too early for tampons?!


Question: I just got my first period-week a month ago, and it was very heavy. Today is my first day of my second week, and I'm already bleeding A LOT. The thing is, is that I waterski, swim, and go in the hot tub all the time, and I have to say no to going in the pool and waterskiing.

Those "Female Health" teachers have scared me from using tampons, because they say if you leave them in too long, or use the wrong size, you get toxic shock syndrome(sp?) so now I'm scared that if I use the wrong size tampon, I will get the TSS.

Is it too early for tampons, and will using the wrong size of tampon give you the toxic shock thingy?


Answers: I just got my first period-week a month ago, and it was very heavy. Today is my first day of my second week, and I'm already bleeding A LOT. The thing is, is that I waterski, swim, and go in the hot tub all the time, and I have to say no to going in the pool and waterskiing.

Those "Female Health" teachers have scared me from using tampons, because they say if you leave them in too long, or use the wrong size, you get toxic shock syndrome(sp?) so now I'm scared that if I use the wrong size tampon, I will get the TSS.

Is it too early for tampons, and will using the wrong size of tampon give you the toxic shock thingy?

I started using tampons from my first period and I have only used pads twice in my entire life (and I have had my period since I was 12 and I am going on 24 now). You can use them all the time if you like them! TSS is a risk, but it was mostly a problem in the 1970s because they were creating very high absorbency tampons using a product that promoted bacterial growth and thus TSS. Modern tampons are a lot safer- millions of tampons are used per year and only a handful of people develop TSS. It can be avoided by not leaving tampons in for more than 8 hours and using the lowest absorbency you need (i.e. don't buy super plus absorbent ones just so you only need to change your tampon once every 16 hours/ you never worry about leaking).

You should start off with a lower absorbency and work your way up. The tampon absorbency that is right for you is one that needs changing after about 4 hours. I started off using regular tampons and I was going through them in about 45 minutes- not the right absorbency! You can buy mixed packets, so maybe start with one of them and you can see which one is right for you. Good luck!

Anyone can use tampons any time. I would go for the smallest size :)
TSS is from the bacteria being held in your vagina. If you change your tampons every 2 hours or so, you'll be fine.

Nope, never is too early! Whenever you feel ready, just try the lowest absorbency and work your way up.

Go a head and use a tampon. The thing to protect your self from TSS is that you change the tampon every 4-8 hours and use the lowest absorbancy possible for your flow. If you are worried about it I would suggest only using a regular flow tampon and not a super flow one and don't keep it in longer than 4 hours. that way you arn't as likley to have problems. I wouldn't suggest that you use them all the time however since you are just starting your periods. Use them only for water sports and athletic activities otherwise use a pad. They might not be the most comfortable thing to wear but its better for your body when your younger.

It is never "too early" to use tampons. The wrong size won't give you toxic shock. Leaving it in for more than 8 hours can lead to toxic shock because the blood gives infection a chance to grow. If you change it every 4 hours or so, you will absolutely be fine. Just use a pad at night since that would be the longest stretch of time you would go without being awake and able to remember to change it.





The consumer health information on answer-health.com is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions.
The answer content post by the user, if contains the copyright content please contact us, we will immediately remove it.
Copyright © 2007-2011 answer-health.com -   Terms of Use -   Contact us

Health Categories