A woman has revealed how she almost died from toxic shock syndrome as a teenager after she fell asleep with a tampon in.
Kimberly Pong, from California, said that she once went to sleep for eight hours with a tampon in and woke up with her body swollen and covered in rashes and hives.
The travel and lifestyle coach went to the doctor twice for her unusual symptoms but was told it was likely due to allergies and was sent home.
However, after receiving a third opinion from a different doctor she was told to go to hospital “immediately” and was then hospitalised for two and a half weeks.
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Kimberly was left fighting for her life after it was discovered that she was suffering from toxic shock syndrome (TSS) - a highly dangerous but rare bacterial infection that can be caused by tampon use.
She said: “I almost died and had to get multiple IVIg/blood infusions and was supposed to be in the ICU.
“But then miraculously, the doctors saved my life and I'm forever grateful for them.”
According to the NHS website, toxic shock syndrome is a “rare but life-threatening condition” which “gets worse very quickly and can be fatal if not treated promptly”.
Kimberly shared images of her terrifying ordeal in an Instagram reel and the clip has since gone viral, receiving over 4 million views.
In the pictures, she looks unrecognisable with a swollen, red face and hives all over her skin.
The scary incident happened when Kimberly was 15 but she recently shared her story on social media to warn other women of the “rare but serious” condition.
She wrote: “When I was 15 years old, I fell asleep with a tampon in, like how most women do and thought nothing of it. However, when I woke up, my body was covered in hives.
“I went to the doctor a couple of times and she said I was probably allergic to something so I went back home. I went back the third time, to a different doctor, and he told me I needed to immediately go to the hospital.
“I was then hospitalized for 2.5 weeks. I don't remember much from that time... but as you can see in the pictures, I looked... scary.”
She continued: “I recently came across these photos and felt inclined to share because I feel like too many women don't realize that toxic shock syndrome can happen and the importance of taking this seriously.
“I hope no one has to go through what I went through and I hope by sharing this, people will take TSS more seriously and be more careful with wearing tampons.”
People praised her for sharing her story online as it inspired fear in others.
One wrote: "Thank you so much for sharing and bringing awareness. I have heard of this, but it is a totally different thing to see. I am glad you are healed."
Another person said they had the same experience, writing: "I had the same issue... everyone needs to know about TSS."
While one wrote: "I’ve never wore a tampon in my life because of that reason... that’s terrifying i’m glad you’re ok now!!"
Kimberly shared her tips to help prevent toxic shock syndrome writing:
Use low absorbency tampons (so not super absorbent ones)
Change your tampons often (every 4-8 hours or more frequently, depending on your flow)
Use pads on light flow days
Use a new tampon right before bed, but if you are willing to, I recommend wearing a pad to bed instead
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