You should never wear more than one tampon at a time. Doubling up on tampons increases your risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome, or TSS. If your flow is very heavy, wear a tampon with a higher absorbency and change it more frequently. Or use a sanitary pad as extra back up.
Can anything bad happen if you put two tampons in? "It's not dangerous in and of itself," says Dr. Bhuyan. "It would just make it harder to take out that original tampon."
No tampon should be used more than once. Tampons—shown within an applicator on the left and without an applicator on the right—are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as medical devices. If you use tampons during your period (or menstruation), it's important to know how to use them safely.
You may also experience other symptoms like fever, change in discharge, swelling, itchiness, and rash in the vaginal area.
Tampon manufacturers advise that a tampon should not be left in for more than 8 hours. Occasionally, a rare but life-threatening bacterial infection called toxic shock syndrome has been linked to women using tampons.
Why does my tampon leak? Typically, a leaky tampon means you've left your tampon in for too long, or you're using the wrong absorbency. Be sure to change your tampon every 4-6 hours. If you find that you are leaking through your tampon after just four hours, it's time to start using the next absorbency up.
Expert analysis says the more absorbent the tampon, the more bacteria it can hold onto. That, paired with a tiny tear from something like pulling out a dry tampon before it's saturated with blood, can introduce the bacteria into the body.
The best way to know if your tampon needs changing is to give a light tug on the tampon string, if it starts to pull out easily then it's time to change, if not, it usually means you can leave it a bit longer. Just remember with tampons, 4 hours is about right, and don't leave one in for more than 8 hours.
Common signs and symptoms include fever, muscle aches, vomiting and diarrhea, and a sunburn- like rash that later peels. Hypotension (low blood pressure), shock, multi-organ failure, and death can occur. How soon after exposure do symptoms appear? TSS can develop within 12 hours in some cases.
If the volume of bleeding is too much, it is called menorrhagia. Typically, if a woman saturates more than 1 -2 pads or tampons per hour for several hours, it is considered too much bleeding.
Why can I feel my tampon, then? The most likely reason is that you didn't push your tampon in far enough when you inserted it. Not to worry – simply use your finger to push it in a little further. If that doesn't fix it, just take it out and try again with a fresh one.
Most of the time, blood won't leak out. If you do wear a tampon in the bath or shower, it's a good idea to change your tampon when you get out. The tampon can get wet from the bath or shower. It may not be able to absorb as much blood from your period as a fresh one can.
If you notice your tampons get soaked through in a couple hours, or you see blood on the string when you change it after a short time, you might need a larger size. You may need to size down if the tampon is mostly dry after wearing it for a few hours.
While the instructions on the tampon box encourage women to change their tampon every eight hours, sometimes people forget to change them or occasionally may lose them. Leaving a tampon in for longer than 8-12 hours, can increase risk of infection or possibly TSS, according to Jessica Shepherd, a gynecologist.
Don't freak out if you realize you've forgotten to change your tampon. If it's only been left in for 12 to 24 hours and you feel fine, just remove it and go on your way. If it's been longer than that or you can't remove it yourself, see a doctor for removal and a checkup.
Do not wear tampons when you do not have your period. Consider using pads or panty liners during the last day or so of your period when your flow is light. Use a lubricating jelly when inserting tampons in the last day or so of your period when your flow is light.
The second factor is leak protection.
Tampons are more likely to leak than pads because they can't always absorb all the blood flow. Pads are better at absorbing blood, making them a good choice for people who are worried about leaks. However, it may mean you have to change them regularly.
If you need to change your tampon or pad after less than 2 hours or you pass clots the size of a quarter or larger, that is heavy bleeding. If you have this type of bleeding, you should see a doctor. Untreated heavy or prolonged bleeding can stop you from living your life to the fullest.
Rotten, like bad meat.
A forgotten tampon could be the cause of a putrid vaginal odor. (It happens more than you realize.) In addition to a very bad-smelling vaginal discharge that's yellow, green, pink, gray, or brown, you may experience additional symptoms.