Maura Higgins has revealed she became “very ill” after accidentally leaving a tampon in for three months – and she wants other women to talk about it.
The former Love Island star was appearing on ITV2 show Shopping with Keith Lemon when she revealed she previously contracted toxic shock syndrome (TSS).
“There was a tampon inside me for three months,” she said. “When the doctor found it, it was stuck to my cervix. And I was so ill. I did not know what was going on... There were people that have died from that happening.”
Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a life-threatening condition caused by bacteria getting into the body and releasing harmful toxins.
It’s often associated with incorrect tampon use, but there are actually a number of potential causes that can also impact men and children, according to the NHS, including infected cuts, insect bites, surgery wounds and burns.
If you’ve heard Maura’s story and are thinking...‘eh?’ I get it. I also used to wonder how on earth anybody could ever forget they’d put a tampon in. Until it happened to me.
A few months ago, during a particularly hectic week, I pulled out a tampon only to realise there was another old one still in there, compressed and wedged above like an unwelcome guest. Gross, yes. But trust me, it happens. And women need to talk about it.
As Maura said: “Young girls might not have noticed, like you go on a night out, what if you got really drunk and forgot, like, these things actually do happen, and people don’t speak about it.
“It’s nothing to be ashamed about, that’s why I think it’s an important topic isn’t it?”
Dr Nichole Tyson, a gynaecologist at Kaiser Permanente in Northern California, previously told HuffPost that accidentally doubling up on tampons is common. There are lots of women who’ve had a tampon in for days – or weeks – without realising it.
In many cases, they’ll visit a nurse about discharge or because something doesn’t feel right, and then they’ll find the culprit.
To reduce your risk of toxic shock, you should only use a tampon for a maximum of eight hours. But if you do realise you’ve accidentally had two in or forgotten to take one out at the end of your period, don’t panic.
“We’ve got a lot of testimony of thousands and thousands of cases of retained tampons, as we call them, without any toxic shock,” Dr Tyson said.
“We want you to not use a tampon for super long because it could put you at higher risk for toxic shock, but just because it’s in for a long time doesn’t mean you’re going to get it.”
Making this mistake is nothing to be ashamed of and if you need to visit a nurse for help dislodging an old tampon, they won’t judge you for being “irresponsible”.
“The patients that I’ve seen with [a retained tampon] tend to be busier and they’re professional kind of people who are just mortified that it happened,” said Dr Tyson. “It’s not uncommon, it’s just embarrassing. It’s like another thing you forget – you can’t find your phone and you’re holding it.”
What are the symptoms of toxic shock syndrome (TSS)?
Although TTS is rare, it can be life-threatening so is worth looking out for. The NHS lists the following symptoms:
a high temperature
flu-like symptoms, such as a headache, feeling cold, feeling tired or exhausted, an aching body, a sore throat and a cough
feeling and being sick
diarrhoea
a widespread sunburn-like rash
lips, tongue and the whites of the eyes turning a bright red
dizziness or fainting
difficulty breathing
confusion.