Fibroids and the 'Phantom Tampon'

 

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Some of you ladies know what I'm talking about... you've accidentally left an old tampon in, and you have a heavy, painful feeling in your vagina... it starts toward the cervix and eventually, your vulva feels sore.   What if I told you... you removed your last tampon already?

This is referred to as the Phantom Tampon because it feels like it's there, but when you check by feel and eventually with a pocket mirror, you realize nothing got "left behind"... except for a medical condition, such as vaginal dryness, irritation or polyps in there.  

Fibroids typically don't enter the vaginal cavity, but on occasion, larger (heavy) fibroids can "fall" through the cervix, causing an uncomfortable and painful feeling of fullness in the vagina.  Unfortunately, they are tender and can bleed easily, and ironically, if a woman is unaware (not likely but still) that it's there and rams a tampon against it, that can cause a very heavy bleed which will likely require transfusions... this is why it's so important that we ladies take our uterine health very seriously and see our doctor when something is wrong - that can save our life!