tampon can’t get lost inside you!
If your flow is light, you’ll want to change the tampon every three to four hours. On heavier days you may need to change a pad or tampon every couple of hours. If your flow is heavy enough that you need to change your pad or tamponevery hour for several hours, or if you have to get up at night to change your pad or tampon, that is too heavy and you should see your family doctor.
If you just can’t insert a tampon no matter how hard you try, see a doctor to find out what’s going on.
Panty Liners
Panty liners, also sometimes called panty shields, are like pads except that they are so much thinner and lighter that you hardly know you’re wearing one. They’re good for those times when
• your flow is light.
• you’re expecting your period to start.
• you wear a tampon and you’re worried that it will leak. Tampons can leak a little even when they’re inserted correctly.
• you’re not sure that your period is over, and you want to feel safe for a day or two afterward.
Liners come in different sizes and shapes with a few types of absorbencies, but they don’t vary as much as pads or tampons.
When to Use What
----
You don’t have to choose among a pad, a tampon, or a liner. If your flow is very heavy, you can use both a tampon and a pad. If you know that your flow changes a lot from heavy to light, you might want to have a few different types of pads and tampons so you can switch back and forth.
How Often Must You Change Your Protection?
How often you need to change your protection depends, of course, on how heavy your flow is. But to stay healthy and avoid the chance of leaks, it’s best to open a new pad, tampon, or liner every three or four hours. Wrap up the used pad, tampon, applicator, or liner in toilet paper, and throw it in the garbage. Never flush it down the toilet, because even brands that claim to be flushable can clog the pipes.
Do You Need a Deodorant During Menstruation?
Pads, tampons, and liners all come in both scented (deodorant) and unscented versions. The chemicals in scented products can irritate skin and cause allergic reactions, but if you don’t get those symptoms, you can use them. However, you don’t need them! As long as you wash and dry yourself thoroughly each day, wear clean underpants, and change your pads or tampons often, you won’t have menstrual odor. When you urinate while wearing a tampon, hold the string out of the way so that it doesn’t get wet, and if it does anyway, squeeze it dry with a tissue.
Problems That Can Arise
If menstrual problems are severe enough to interfere with your usual life, see a doctor. Some problems are:
• Dysmenorrhea 3 —when you have really strong cramps
• Menorrhagia 4 —when you have very heavy bleeding, periods that last longer than seven days, a cycle that is less than twenty-one days, or bleeding with clots
• Amenorrhea 5 —when you stop getting your periods after they have become fairly regular, or it has been two years since you’ve first started your breast development and still do not have a period. If you are already menstruating amenorrhea can result from stress, weight loss, thyroid disorder, or other medical conditions.
• Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS): when you experience symptoms, in the days leading up to your next period, including mood swings or irritability, tension or anxiety, anger or sadness, food cravings, breast tenderness. A good number of women will experience some of these symptoms. If your symptoms of PMS are severe, see your doctor. There are a variety of treatments for PMS.
Toxic Shock Syndrome
----
One thing you should never do is leave a tampon in place for more than six hours. It could cause a rare but serious infectioncalled toxic shock syndrome. Anybody can get toxic shock, with or without wearing a tampon, but it occurs most often in girls and women who use them. Symptoms include a sudden high fever, low blood pressure, vomiting or diarrhea, a
If your flow is light, you’ll want to change the tampon every three to four hours. On heavier days you may need to change a pad or tampon every couple of hours. If your flow is heavy enough that you need to change your pad or tamponevery hour for several hours, or if you have to get up at night to change your pad or tampon, that is too heavy and you should see your family doctor.
If you just can’t insert a tampon no matter how hard you try, see a doctor to find out what’s going on.
Panty Liners
Panty liners, also sometimes called panty shields, are like pads except that they are so much thinner and lighter that you hardly know you’re wearing one. They’re good for those times when
• your flow is light.
• you’re expecting your period to start.
• you wear a tampon and you’re worried that it will leak. Tampons can leak a little even when they’re inserted correctly.
• you’re not sure that your period is over, and you want to feel safe for a day or two afterward.
Liners come in different sizes and shapes with a few types of absorbencies, but they don’t vary as much as pads or tampons.
When to Use What
----
You don’t have to choose among a pad, a tampon, or a liner. If your flow is very heavy, you can use both a tampon and a pad. If you know that your flow changes a lot from heavy to light, you might want to have a few different types of pads and tampons so you can switch back and forth.
How Often Must You Change Your Protection?
How often you need to change your protection depends, of course, on how heavy your flow is. But to stay healthy and avoid the chance of leaks, it’s best to open a new pad, tampon, or liner every three or four hours. Wrap up the used pad, tampon, applicator, or liner in toilet paper, and throw it in the garbage. Never flush it down the toilet, because even brands that claim to be flushable can clog the pipes.
Do You Need a Deodorant During Menstruation?
Pads, tampons, and liners all come in both scented (deodorant) and unscented versions. The chemicals in scented products can irritate skin and cause allergic reactions, but if you don’t get those symptoms, you can use them. However, you don’t need them! As long as you wash and dry yourself thoroughly each day, wear clean underpants, and change your pads or tampons often, you won’t have menstrual odor. When you urinate while wearing a tampon, hold the string out of the way so that it doesn’t get wet, and if it does anyway, squeeze it dry with a tissue.
Problems That Can Arise
If menstrual problems are severe enough to interfere with your usual life, see a doctor. Some problems are:
• Dysmenorrhea 3 —when you have really strong cramps
• Menorrhagia 4 —when you have very heavy bleeding, periods that last longer than seven days, a cycle that is less than twenty-one days, or bleeding with clots
• Amenorrhea 5 —when you stop getting your periods after they have become fairly regular, or it has been two years since you’ve first started your breast development and still do not have a period. If you are already menstruating amenorrhea can result from stress, weight loss, thyroid disorder, or other medical conditions.
• Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS): when you experience symptoms, in the days leading up to your next period, including mood swings or irritability, tension or anxiety, anger or sadness, food cravings, breast tenderness. A good number of women will experience some of these symptoms. If your symptoms of PMS are severe, see your doctor. There are a variety of treatments for PMS.
Toxic Shock Syndrome
----
One thing you should never do is leave a tampon in place for more than six hours. It could cause a rare but serious infectioncalled toxic shock syndrome. Anybody can get toxic shock, with or without wearing a tampon, but it occurs most often in girls and women who use them. Symptoms include a sudden high fever, low blood pressure, vomiting or diarrhea, a
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