Toxic shock syndrome: why use menstrual pants?

What is toxic shock?

Toxic shock occurs during a woman's periods . Several conditions must be met. First of all, you have to be a carrier of staphylococcus aureus. It's a bacterium that's inside us, and in certain cases, when we wear a tampon or a menstrual cup for example, the blood flow will stagnate and create conditions that are favorable to the development of this staphylococcus aureus, which will produce a toxin that will clearly poison the body. 

In general, it occurs when the protection used, whether a tampon or menstrual cup, or in rarer cases sanitary towels, has been left in position for too long.

20 to 30% of women are healthy carriers of staphylococcus aureus. The ANSES (Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l'alimentation, de l'environnement et du travail) conducted a study and was unable to prove the link between the chemical substances contained in sanitary protection products such as tampons or menstrual cups, but it did issue a number of recommendations concerning the composition of these products: the use of these controversial substances in sanitary protection products should be encouraged.

What are the symptoms of toxic shock? How do I react?

This syndrome is characterized by a very high fever. You may experience headaches, nausea and a sunburn-like rash. It's vital to treat it as quickly as possible, and of course to remove your protective clothing.

How can I prevent toxic shock syndrome?

To prevent lthe onset of Toxic Shock Syndrome, it's important to follow the periods hygiene guidelines for wearing sanitary protection. Tampons, for example, should not be used for more than 8 hours at a time, and should be changed regularly. It's even advisable to change them every 4 to 6 hours. And above all, don't wear them at night, because generally speaking, when you sleep, you sleep a minimum of 8 hours. But sanitary towels also need to be changed regularly, as they can create a greenhouse effect, and thus encourage the development of bacteria, not necessarily toxic shock, but other infections such as urinary tract infections or mycosis.

Avoid toxic shock syndrome with Elia menstrual panties?

Our Elia menstrual pants are made from organic cotton, and we use eucalyptus fibers for the absorbent part, which always creates an airy environment.

The advantage of menstrual panties is that there will be a blood flow and therefore no favorable conditions for the development of toxic shock syndrome.

However, even a period pants should be washed every 12 hours maximum. It should be pre-washed with clear water and then put in the rest of the washing machine at 30° or 40°. It's also very important to change them every day, and to avoid using menstrual underpants for several days at a time, since blood stagnating in the underpants can also cause infections.

Just remember to change your sanitary pads regularly, whatever they are!