Sleeping in my underwear left me hospitalised and nearly septic

We’re all guilty of sleeping in our underwear from time to time, but for 26-year-old Kaela this simple habit left her in excruciating pain in hospital. She slept in underwear she’d worn many times before to bed but woke up to find they had rubbed against her vulva in a flossing motion and cut her. The assistant property manager from Dallas, Texas, assumed the wound would heal on its own, but over the next few days, she felt an intense burning and began exhibiting feverish symptoms.

After the cut formed a bubble, Kaela struggled to close her legs due to the severe pain, so she visited her doctor and was prescribed antibiotics. She said: ‘I took them for two days before I decided I was going to die if I didn’t go to the hospital. ‘I couldn’t sit, stand or even, lay down. My only option was to ride to the hospital lying on my left side because it was on the right side of my vagina.’.

At the hospital, doctors used an ultrasound wand to confirm a 4.8cm Bartholin’s cyst – a fluid-filled blockage in the Bartholin’s gland in the labia – with blood work showing she had an infection as a result. ‘They were worried had I waited any longer, that I would have gone septic,’ Kaela says. ‘They had me on several different IV antibiotics hoping that the cyst would burst on its own instead of having to do it surgically.’.

It was an ‘excruciating’ ordeal, with Kaela explaining: ‘I was practically screaming in pain that not even morphine could cure.’. However, on the morning of her third day in hospital, she stood up and felt a ‘massive burst of liquid gushing’ down her legs. The cyst bursting was an immediate rush of relief and she was finally able to sit, stand and lay normally. Kaela remained in hospital for a further two days until her white cell count showed she no longer had an infection. But her turmoil didn’t end there.

In July, months after her underwear had initially cut her and following numerous trips to A&E, she was eventually diagnosed with a fungal infection. Kaela said: ‘She had me start taking this antifungal medication and within a week I started to feel so much better. You never know how sick you are until you aren’t sick anymore.’. Over the next few months, the wound slowly healed and Kaela was finally cyst and infection-fee.

Reflecting on the incident, she says: ‘It’s so silly and insane that a pair of underwear caused mass torment and pain for me for nine months. ‘Each time I had to tell a family member, friend, or doctor that this all started because of a pair of underwear I died a little inside from embarrassment, but now I think it’s quite hilarious. ‘It’s a great comedic relief story that people would never expect to hear.’.

How to eat your way to a better night’s sleep. Now, Kaela refuses to sleep in underwear, preferring to let the area ‘breathe’ and says she has learnt to advocate for herself. While there are no official dos or don’ts when it comes to sleeping in your underwear, Dr Suzanne Wylie for IQ doctor tells Metro that it’s recommended to sleep without pants to let your genitals breathe. ‘Tight or non-breathable underwear can create a warm, moist environment, which may increase the risk of irritation, bacterial overgrowth, and fungal infections,’ she explains.

‘If you prefer to wear underwear, opt for loose-fitting, breathable cotton rather than synthetic fabrics.’. While underwear alone doesn’t directly cause Bartholin’s cysts, they trap moisture and heat which which worsens conditions like eczema or folliculitis and increases the likelihood of chafing and cuts which can then become infected. However, if you do cut your genitals like Kaela, Dr Wylie advises to clean the area gently with warm water and mild soap, then pat it dry.

‘Apply a mild antiseptic and wear breathable underwear to reduce irritation,’ she adds. ‘And if the cut becomes painful, swollen, or shows signs of infection (redness, pus, or increasing discomfort), see a doctor promptly, or you could develop cellulitis, abscess formation or sepsis, in rare cases.’. Bartholin’s cysts like the one Kaela had are relatively common according to the doctor, although severe cases that lead to hospitalisation are more rare.

While they sometimes resolve on their own with a warm compress and a warm-water bath covering the hips and bottom, antibiotics may be required in cases where infection is present. ‘Larger or persistent cysts may require drainage or a minor surgical procedure,’ Dr Wylie adds. ‘Kaela was fortunate to receive treatment before developing sepsis, which is a life-threatening condition. Self-advocacy in healthcare is crucial, particularly when symptoms persist despite treatment.’.