Pads should never be flushed down the toilet. They should be wrapped in toilet paper and put in the garbage. Most bathroom stalls have special bins just for pads and tampons. If not, wrap tissue paper around it and throw it away. You should change your pad at least every 3-4 hours. If you’re having a “light" flow, you can probably go a little longer, but if you’re having a “heavy" flow, you’ll want to change your pad more often. (Like 1-2 hours)
Some tampons are designed to be flushed down a toilet, but some need to be disposed of in a garbage. Tampon applicators must never be flushed down a toilet. [2] X Research source There is something called Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) that can happen if you leave a tampon inside your body for too long. It can make you feel quite sick. This is why you should not wear a tampon longer than 4-6 hours, and why you should never wear one overnight.
The Office of Women’s Health in the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services has created an awesome guide just for teens. You can download a PDF copy of the guide at their website - http://www. girlshealth. gov/about/images/teen_survival_guide. pdf. The website kidshealth. org has a large section about female puberty and periods - http://kidshealth. org/teen/sexual_health/girls/menstruation. html.
If your period started when you weren’t expecting it to, or you’ve run out of pads or tampons, you can always use toilet paper. (Fold a long piece of toilet paper into a rectangular shape, then use another piece of paper to secure it around the sides. ) It will work for a short time until you can get home. If your pad or tampon leaks and leaves a spot on your pants, try pulling your shirt down over your bum. Or tie a shirt or jacket around your waist. Don’t be embarrassed about asking for help. Adults will understand and will not make fun of you. It’s probably even happened to them before! [6] X Research source
You feel a lot of pain in your stomach or have really, really bad cramps. The vaginal discharge you get between periods is yellow, grey or green and smells really bad. And your vagina feels itchy. Your period lasts longer than 7 days. You get your periods less than 21 days apart, or more than 45 days apart. (Although when you’re younger it’s more common to have irregular cycle patterns. ) You have any bleeding between your periods.
Sometimes PMS symptoms are bad enough that the medicine you buy at the drug store simply doesn’t work. If you’ve tried everything else and nothing is working, ask your parents to take you to the doctor to talk about prescription medicines. [13] X Trustworthy Source US Office on Women’s Health U. S. government agency providing resources for women’s health Go to source
