European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 7, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                To your health lessening the risk of toxic Shock syndrome Ait at wet mood  Uva Ai 4 Kiln a Danube Drouin  Shock decor jes in while cell numbers Corr. India Taw growth of mkt flab it lir to Koloian  olt Tood  cell by Janet d Agostino medical writer toxic Shock syndrome a disorder linked to tampon use was a hoi Media Story in the Early 1980s. Although the syndrome no longer earns headlines it still exists and can cause serious illness. Toxic Shock syndrome usually strikes women who Are having their menstrual period. But since the disorder was first identified health professionals have Learned that males and Nora menstruating females Are also victims of logic Shock syndrome said or. It. Col Duong Nguyen chief of preventive Medicine for the Frankfurt army regional medical Center. The syndrome is caused by a Poison called a toxin from the  aureus bacteria. Victims suffer a drop in blood pressure lever nausea vomit ing diarrhoea rash and flu like symptoms such As muscle aches. In the severest cases toxic Shock syndrome can cause death. When the syndrome was firs widely detected in t980, a new superabsorbent tampon sold under the name rely was blamed As the cause. Rely tampons manufactured by Procter and Gamble were taken off store shelves bul it soon became Clear that tampons of All kinds were associated with the syndrome. Tampons especially the superabsorbent still create the highest risk for developing the syndrome although the reason is not dear said or. I. Col Charles Wile chief of clinic services at Ramstein a. Tampons May provide an Ideal environment for the bacteria to flourish he added. Superabsorbent tampons May increase the risk because of the material used or because they scratch the Wall of the Vagina making it easier for the toxins to enter the body Nguyen said. Tampon boxes now carry a warning about the risk of developing toxic Shock syndrome trom tampons. Any woman who develops symptoms of toxic Shock during her period should immediately remove the tampon and Call a doctor. Fifteen to 20 percent of the people who develop toxic Shock syndrome Are men or non menstruating females who have staph infections on other parts of the body usually the skin according to a report in the Medica journal disease Olf a month. Nasal packing placed in the nose after surgery is also a risk Factor. For menstruating . The risk of contracting toxic Shock syndrome can be greatly reduced by not using tampons at All. Woman who do not want to Giva up the convenience of tampons can still reduce the risk by alternating tampons with pads. The number of hours a tampon is worn or the Way it is inserted Dees not seem to increase or decrease the risk according to the disease of the month. The contraceptive sponge also increases the chances of developing the syndrome the article said. The Fra now requires an insert warning of the risks to be placed in contraceptive sponge packages. Contraceptive diaphragms increase the risk but less so than tampons or Apo Ngea. Foam and spermicidal agents have not been linked with the syndrome. Tonic Shock syndrome is treated by removing the source o infection such As a tampon and adm Alering antibiotics Nguyen said. In severe cases other symptoms such As a drop in blood pressure Ara also treated. Early recognition of the symptoms helps ensure successful treatment. Publicity first focused on the worst cases but Lime has shown that Milder cases Are probably More common and improve with the removal of the tampon or with the end of menstruation. Reoccurrence of toxic Shock syndrome Are common especially if Lampon use is continued. Women who have had toxic Shock syndrome should absolutely not use tampons Wile said. The number of people in the United Stales who suffered trom the syndrome peaked with 900 oases in 1980 and has since declined. Toxic Shock syndrome now affects about 3 to 14 out of tqq.,000 american woman of menstrual age a frequency similar to tuberculosis and syphilis according to the journal. The outbreak in the Early 1980s May have occurred because of a change in the toxins produced by the  aureus bacteria which frequently change and produce new strains or because More women started using superabsorbent tampons in the late 1970s, the medical journal stated. How to minimize canker misery  new York times s i write this column my Mouth is throbbing Wilh pain caused by the very thing i am writing about canker sores an ailment As mysterious As it is common. It is hard to imagine How a sore so tiny can cause so much discomfort for so Long no matter what 1 do it seems determined like the common cold to run its seven Day course. Although nearly everyone gets canker sores occasionally and some often researchers have been ii Nate to identify a cause or devise a preventive or cure. Still a fair amount is known about factors that trigger these Mouth ulcers As Well As How to Mim Inize the misery and perhaps hasten recovery. It is known that what might look like canker sores is sometimes a symptom of a More serious problem that warrants a visit to a doctor or a Delisl. The medical name Lor a canker sore is aph thous stomatitis. They Are round or Oval lesions typically in a Cluster that form on the movable tissues in the Mouth usually inside the lips or Cheeks but sometimes on a under the Tongue. Similar sores on the Gums or roof of the Mouth a a generally caused by other conditions and should be examined professionally although they might appear to be covered with a while tissue canker sores Are actually Breaks in the skin which is Why they Hurt so much when anything caustic touches them. Particularly Lood or drink that is acidic spicy or hot. A canker sore starts As a red Patch that might cause a tingling or a mild pain when irritated. Bul within a Day. It blossoms into a painful translucent while Patch surrounded by a red Halo. Altogether the sore is usually less than three eighths of an Inch wide. The lip or Cheek at the effected area commonly swells for a Day or so. Depending on the sore s location it might Hurt to talk smile kiss and Brush your Teeth Lei alone eat and drink. A tendency to develop canker sores is often inherited bul the sores Are not contagious. Although once in a while viruses or other microorganisms have been blamed no infectious cause has been established for True canker sores undue Tunis can rigger outbreaks however this might be Why canker sores occur most olten in teen agers Young adults woman just before menstruation and people in upper socioeconomic groups who have rigid striving personalities. According to or. John j. Jandinski an immunologist and an associate professor of Bio dental sciences at the new Jersey dental school in Newark the link to stress is one of seve Al factors indicating that canker sores represent a form of immunological breakdown something changes in the Mouth tissue thai causes the immune system to attack that spot. One change familiar to most people is trauma such As biting the lip or Cheek or scratching the lining of the Mouth with a Toothbrush or certain goods irritation caused by a rough Loolah or an infilling denture can also cause a painful ulcer bul nol every injury of this kind develops into a canker sore Winch suggests that other factors must be involved. The following is Jandinski a assessment of some popular Over me counter remedies Anbe sol and Silver nitrate Sticks. These Aie caustic agents that Burn cause raze the tissue. If the affected area is Large such realm enl could Worsen the problem and cause scarring or a secondary infection. Gly oxide. Basically a cleansing agent Gly oxide duos nol do anything in particular to heal a canker sore. Or abase with or without Benzocaine a local aesthetic As a paste it forms a kind of Bandage that protects the sore irom further irritation and should help it to heal laser. Benzocaine relieves the pain temporarily. Mouthwashes rinsing the Mouth Wilh an Anli septic mouthwash or Wilh warm Saltwater one Teaspoon of sail Lor every pint of water can be soothing and May Speed Healing. Soul washes can be repeated As often As desired. It also helps to avoid food and drinks that Are especially irritating since these can delay Healing. You might be Able to avoid Contact with the sore if Jinja log beverages Are consumed through a Straw. For the two or three Days when canker sores Are really painful and hard to protect lion food or drink it might be Best to take All meals in liquid form through a Straw. It is advisable to abstain temporarily from snack cods like nuts and Popcorn which can irritable. People who Are especially susceptible to canker sores should avoid anything that can irritate Mouth tissues like hard bristled toothbrushes and any foods Ordinor Obi Els that Mig til Cut or scrape Ihu lining. Page 16 the stars and stripes tuesday july 7,1987