Why does toxic shock syndrome happen

TSS gets worse very quickly and can be fatal if not treated promptly. But if it's diagnosed and treated early, most people make a full recovery. Sometimes you may also have a wound on your skin where the bacteria got into your body, but it may not look infected. While these symptoms could be due to a different condition, it's important to contact your GP, a local out-of-hours service, or NHS as soon as possible if you have a combination of these symptoms.

If you're wearing a tampon, remove it straight away. So it's important to know how to prevent it and what signs to watch for. With prompt treatment, it's usually cured. A person also might have bloodshot eyes and an unusual redness under the eyelids or inside the mouth and in the vagina in females.

The area around an infected wound can become swollen, red, and tender. Toxic shock syndrome is caused by two types of bacteria :. Most cases are related to staph bacteria. When strep causes toxic shock syndrome, it's usually because the bacteria got into areas of injured skin, such as cuts and scrapes , surgical wounds, and even chickenpox blisters. Originally, toxic shock syndrome was linked to the use of super-absorbent tampons.

Research led to better tampons and better habits for using them, such as changing them often. The number of TSS cases dropped dramatically. But certain conditions can cause this bacteria to grow and produce toxins. Certain wounds, incisions, burns and gynecological procedures can increase your risk. The condition can affect men, women or children, but its incidence is very rare.

However, she says that awareness about TSS and how to prevent it is still important, especially for women. And forgetting to remove the last tampon during your period or going too long between changing tampons can increase the risk of TSS, she says. Talking about the risk of TSS is important as part of a larger discussion about healthy menstruation — especially for those who have just started their periods , Dr.

Reinhold says. The toxins may enter your bloodstream through a wound to the skin, including a surgical wound. TSS can also occur in menstruating women using tampons or a menstrual cup. Most people, however, are not affected by the toxins because they have developed antibodies to them. Symptoms of TSS include flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache and muscle soreness. These symptoms will develop quickly and are severe. Other symptoms may include pain at the site of a wound, vomiting and diarrhea, signs of shock including low blood pressure and light-headedness, shortness of breath and sunburn-like rash.

In general, TSS symptoms can develop as soon as 12 hours after a surgical procedure. Symptoms usually develop in 3 to 5 days in women who are menstruating and using tampons. If you experience the above symptoms after using tampons or after a surgery or skin injury, contact your health care provider immediately.

Toxic shock syndrome requires immediate emergency care in a hospital.