Anuradha Varanasi
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I m 16-year-old and would like to know how often I should change my sanitary pad during my period? My periods usually last for five days and the blood flow varies a lot from day-to-day due to which I am confused.
Dealing with periods can be challenging at any age for women due to heavy bleeding, cramps, bloating and body aches. Other than that, the biggest question is about how often sanitary pads need to be changed. After all, hygiene is extremely important while you are menstruating. These are the 10 menstrual hygiene tips every girl and woman should know. Dr Uma Vaidyanathan, Senior Consultant Gynaecologist and Obstetrician, Max Hospital, New Delhi, says, Menstrual blood can cause a very foul odour and if pads aren t changed regularly it can cause rashes and in some cases, even infections. In extreme and very rare cases, changing your sanitary pads or tampons very irregularly could also cause toxic shock syndrome (TSS).
That being said, there is really no fixed number of times that the sanitary napkins need to be changed, especially during the first three days of your period. Depending on how heavy your blood flow is, you need to decide accordingly and change your pad. The quality and capacity of your pad also matters but if you notice a foul stench, you will still need to change your pad even if there s no risk of overflowing, adds Dr Vaidyanathan.
However, as your blood flow reduces by the last or even second last day, you can then change your pad only twice or thrice a day. Since the bleeding drastically reduces by the ending or the last day of your menstrual cycle, you can take it easy and change twice a day, says Dr Vaidyanathan. However, there will be times when you think your period has come to an end and the next day, just when you heave a sigh of relief, you will notice some spotting! To avoid that, as a precaution wear a sanitary napkin even on the sixth or seventh day just to be safe or carry a pad with you. Here s how you can calculate your fertile days.
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