Dr Nada Hassan, a GP and women's health expert, has opened up about a specific smell she says she can sometimes identify as soon as a patient walks into the room: a retained tampon.
Why it happens more often than people realise
Speaking on Instagram, Dr Hassan said: "As a GP, there are smells you just don't forget. A retained tampon is one of them, and honestly, sometimes I can tell as soon as a patient has walked into the room." She explained that forgetting a tampon is more common than most people assume, saying: "Be honest, do you actually know your last tampon came out? It's more common to forget it than people think. Tampons shrink down with moisture, they migrate higher than expected, and it's genuinely easy to forget one is there." She added that she's had to remove retained tampons, sometimes multiple, from patients who had no idea one was still present, noting a tampon can also become compressed higher in the vagina, making it harder to feel or remove.
What it can lead to
Dr Hassan warned that the more serious risk tied to a retained tampon is toxic shock syndrome (TSS), a rare but potentially fatal bacterial infection caused by toxins entering the bloodstream, usually from Staphylococcus aureus or Streptococcus pyogenes bacteria that normally live harmlessly on the skin or in the nose and throat. These bacteria can multiply and release toxins when trapped in a warm environment, a risk linked to prolonged tampon or menstrual cup use, though it can also result from skin wounds, burns, surgical incisions, or childbirth. She said: "The risk increases the longer a tampon is left in, and research has found it rises significantly after 6 or more hours, especially with overnight use. Once symptoms start, things like fever, rash, dizziness, or vomiting can escalate within days. It's a medical emergency."
Why the smell matters
Dr Hassan noted that while TSS is the worst-case scenario, the far more common outcome of a retained tampon is simply unpleasant-smelling discharge, which is frequently mistaken for other conditions. She explained: "And that smell gets mistaken for BV or an infection all the time, which means people end up treating the wrong thing." She clarified that a strong or unusual vaginal smell doesn't automatically indicate something serious, since period blood can carry a natural metallic scent and vaginal bacteria can shift odour naturally, though a distinctly fishy smell can be associated with bacterial vaginosis specifically. She urged: "If you get sudden foul-smelling discharge, please see your GP; it's a quick check, it's nothing to be embarrassed about, and it could save you from something far more serious going undetected."
Official guidance
NHS guidance advises against leaving a tampon in for longer than eight hours, in line with manufacturer instructions.
