What You Need To Know About Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS)

Posted under General Health by Don

Margaret’s ordeal began in May last year when she came down with what she initially thought was flu. She called her office and told them she would be staying home for a couple of days.

“I thought, ‘A couple of days rest and I will be fine’. I was a keen swimmer and guesses that I’d picked up a chill from cycling home from the pool with wet hair.”

But two days later she felt worse. Her temperature had risen and she was feeling weak and dizzy. Her local doctor gave her fever medication and advised rest.

On the fourth day a concerned colleague, Maisie, called to visit. She remembers: “I saw that Margaret was not at all well. She was very nauseous and seemed disoriented. Then I noticed she had a rash on the palms of her hands. Everything that I had read and heard about TSS poured into my mind. Of course, we had the usual doubts about whether we were overreacting, but I wanted to be on the safe side.”

As it turned out, Margaret spent almost five weeks seriously ill in hospital, receiving treatment for tampon-related toxic shock syndrome (TSS).

Margaret also had three fingers amputated from her right hand, and she also lost a further two from her left hand.

Most TSS cases are associated with the usage of tampons. Those menstruating women who use tampons should be extra careful in choosing the right tampon. All-cotton tampons do not carry the same risks as conventional tampons. Tampons are made from a blend of cotton and rayon. Rayon is a synthetic fiber made from wooden pulp. It is broken down using chlorine-based chemicals (which) leave dioxins in the tampons. The dioxins produce the staphylococcus aureus bacteria that cause TSS.

There are steps that have been taken to regulate the industry but they are not enough. In 1990, the US FDA (Food and Drug Administration) introduced instruction labels on tampon packaging advising use of the lowest necessary absorbency, and also introduced absorbency standards regulations. But to some women’s health sectors, these measures are far from sufficient.

It is that simple, and as, long as wood pulp is cheap and tampon manufacture is a billion-dollar business, the industry will resist change. Besides, there is still an enormous market for conventional tampons, so accustomed are we to the convenience comfort and discretion they afford us. Until this change, the best protection against TSS is education and personal awareness.

Be aware of the symptoms of TSS. If you notice any of the following, seek medical attention immediately. Remove your tampon if you have one in place, but be sure to keep it as your doctor may gain valuable information from its inspection:

• Sudden high fever

• Shivering and chills

• Headache

• Sore throat

• Nausea

• Vomiting

• Diarrhea

• Rash, similar to sunburn, followed by peeling, particularly if it is on palms or soles

• Rapid fall in blood pressure

Later symptoms may include:

• Muscle pain

• Hallucinations

• Semi-consciousness

• Confusion