Tampons, The Good & Bad
Vaginal inserts that absorb menstrual flow is known as tampons. Tampons are sanitary products that are made of cotton or rayon or a mixture of the two. These are disposable pads that can be used only once.
The first disposable tampons were invented by the ancient Egyptians. The tampon was made of papyrus that was softened to become absorbent. The Greeks made tampons from lint wrapped around a small piece of wood. This has been mentioned in the works of Hippocrates in the 5th century B.C. There is evidence to show that tampons were also made of wool, paper, vegetable fibers, sponges, grass and later cotton.
The word tampon is to “stop” or plug in French. Salicyclates were used by the French people to stop the flow of blood from wounds during wars.
The modern version of the tampon with the applicator cord was invented in 1929 by Dr.Earle Haas. The mass production was taken up by Tampax Company in 1931. The menstrual tampon was originally designed by Dr.Judith Esser-Mittag, a gynecologist and was later mass produced by Dr.Carl Hahn and Heinz Mittag. The company was sold to Johnson and Johnson in 1974. The first organic and fully natural tampons were designed in 1990′s by Natracare.
Most modern tampons are made of 100% cotton. The sizes and absorbency rate determine the packaging. Individual pieces are also available for sale. Axial or radial expansion of the tampon happens during use.
Many tampons come with an outer plastic covering to ease the process of insertion. While the outer tube may be made of plastic the inner tube is invariably of absorbent cotton. There is often a locking mechanism that is activated when the tampon is inserted into the vagina. The insertion can be done using an applicator or with the fingers. A few tampons come without the outer plastic covering and must be unwrapped and inserted into the vagina with the fingers only.
It is proven that use of tampons over long periods of time can cause the person to suffer from Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS). Health workers insist that women use sanitary pads alternately. They also recommend that tampons should not be used while going to bed.
Tampons are made of cotton and hence they can contain pesticides that are sprayed on cotton. Chlorine-a bleaching agent-that used on cotton could also cause problems, for some women during tampon use. Chlorine causes the formation of dioxin which is a health risk.
In British Columbia, Canada a Company Winalite has a healthy alternative to tampons. The Winalite sanitary napkins stay dry and also have negative ion technology to keep inflammation down.
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