Thanks to science and technology, and all the innovative minds out there, the range of period products has only grown over the years! These can be used to maintain proper menstrual hygiene. Initially, most of us used commercially available sanitary napkins, but in recent times menstrual cups or tampons have also made their way into our lives.
Menstrual products are designed to protect us, and at the same time, help us maintain hygiene during our period. But turns out, they all have some risks, if you use them beyond a prescribed time.
Unfortunately, most of us do not pay much heed, when it comes to changing our period products after every few hours. We literally wait, until they are drenched in period blood. Well, this habit can lead to several health risks.
Whether it is sanitary pads, tampons, period underwear, or menstrual cups – all the menstrual products have a normal shelf life, and you should change them frequently.
Well, to answer this, HealthShots got in touch with Dr Manisha Singh, Senior Consultant – Gynaecologist & Reproductive Medicine, Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru.
The normal blood loss during menses is 80 to 100ml. The risk of infection exists, because blood is a perfect culture medium for organisms (bacteria) to grow. It is therefore important to change these period products, every 3 to 4 hours.
Products that can be used for a longer duration are menstrual cups (up to 12 hours). At the end of the day, the cup can be removed, emptied, cleaned, and re-inserted.
When it comes to period products, the thumb rule is to never leave them longer than their prescribed limit. And if you don’t, it can certainly cause health issues. Dr Singh explains the risk of not changing period products in time.
During menstruation, maintaining good hygiene should be of utmost importance, ladies!
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