We all know that tobacco smoking is injurious to health and it is more so in the case of women. Yet, 23% of women in the US smoke cigarettes and greater than 140,000 among them die annually due to smoking-related reasons. Despite these sorry facts, teenage girls get attracted to smoking and many of them start this sordid habit early in their life. In this article, we reveal the effects smoking can have on women. Read on to learn more information which could definitely put you off tobacco if you are a regular user.
Smoking Effects
To start, smoking can cause all the same ailments in women as in men. These include increased risk of cancers of the bladder, kidney, pancreas, esophagus, pharynx, larynx, mouth and lungs. On top of this, smoking can also cause some unique health risks in women. Read on to learn more about them.
Smoking and Oral Contraceptives
Women smokers who regularly make use of oral contraceptives face higher risk of getting cardiovascular ailments like strokes, heart attacks and blood clots. This risk becomes greater with age, therefore women smokers above 35 years of age are advised to refrain from using oral contraceptives.
Smoking and Pregnancy
The toxic chemicals in tobacco pose grave health hazards for both mother and child. Smoking while pregnant can cause low birth weight, preterm delivery, miscarriage and even neonatal death. Kids born to smoking mothers are more vulnerable to respiratory problems, ear aches, colds and other ailments and visit their doctor more frequently than kids born to nonsmoking women.
Smoking and Infertility
Today’s women postpone childbirth sometimes till even their forties. Smoking women who delay childbirth face a much higher risk of infertility. Research reveals that women smokers have much less fertility capacity compared to nonsmokers. This is because the toxic contents in tobacco affect fertilization and make it difficult for smoking women to become pregnant.
Smoking and Menstruation
Women smokers are more vulnerable to early menopause. Smoking also raises the risk of menstrual problems like vaginal infections / discharges, absence of periods and abnormal bleeding. This is because smoking significantly lowers estrogen levels and creates a toxic impact on the ovaries.
Smoking and Osteoporosis
Smoking significantly raises the risk of osteoporosis and bone loss. Regular women smokers can experience bone density loss at a much higher level than nonsmokers. Women smokers above 40 years should regularly undergo bone density scanning to detect changes early and effectively treat ailments like osteoporosis.
Smoking and Heart Disease
Smoking causes about 34,000 deaths among women due to ischemic heart disease. In fact, women smokers face much higher risk of suffering a heart attack compared to men smokers. Researchers say this could be due to the adverse interaction of tobacco chemicals with estrogen.
Smoking and Cancers
Smoking significantly raises the risk of cervical cancer, breast cancer and vulvar cancer. The good news for women smokers is they can drastically reduce their risk of contracting ailments by quitting as soon as possible. Therefore, put your mind over matter and quit smoking today and now to enjoy good health and happiness.
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