A woman was forced to get her feet and parts of her fingers amputated after she got effected by a rare life-threatening toxic shock syndrome. The women named Sandrine Garneau from France was affected by the syndrome due to long use of menstrual cups.
Sandrine initially experienced a pain in her stomach followed by a dip in blood pressure and saw her skin turning a vermillion red by the time doctors discovered that she was affected by the syndrome and shifted her to the emergency ward.
The rare but life-threatening condition ‘Toxic Shock’ syndrome is caused by a bacteria. The bacteria causing it enters the body and releases harmful toxins. The entry of bacteria can happen when a menstrual product, like a tampon or cup, is used for too long.
In Sandrine’s case, the bacteria had let off toxins that had spread to her kidneys, lungs, and liver. She spent 3 weeks in the intensive care unit where surgeons had to cut 18 bones out of her hand that were affected by the bacteria.
Although it is often associated with the use of menstrual products, anyone can develop the condition. Symptoms, which can escalate quickly, include a high temperature, as well as flu-like symptoms including a headache, a sore throat and cough, feeling tired and cold, and aches in the body.
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The condition can also cause a person to feel sick, have diarrhea, and a rash across the body which resembles sunburn. Treatment for the disease includes antibiotics, as well as fluids to stop the patient from becoming dehydrated or suffering organ damage, and drugs to return blood pressure to normal. In the U.S., between 0.8 to 3.4 people per 100,000 develop the condition.
Inputs from Newsweek
