While rare, Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) is a potentially deadly disease that can be contracted in a variety of ways besides the most highly publicized way, tampon use. Richard Watkins, M.D., an associate professor of internal medicine, recently discussed the seriousness of the condition with SELF magazine.
Dr. Watkins notes, “In the case of tampons, that often means that a tampon is left in for too long (like overnight). This can create an environment in which the bacteria can grow on the tampon and produce a toxin that gets into the bloodstream, affecting your organs.”