For many decades, smoking was considered a fun pastime, a social activity and a way for people to keep their weight down. When you watch the old movies, everyone was smoking, even in the hospitals! Now we know of all the dangers of smoking. But did you know that cigarettes also pose more risks to women than men? Here are five negative effects smoking has on women.
Five Negative Effects Smoking Has on Women
Smoking and Pregnancy
It’s hard to believe that a few decades ago, some women smoked while pregnant. This is a huge risk because the chemicals in the cigarettes are passed through the mother’s bloodstream to the fetus.
And, babies do not have fully developed immune systems. In fact, the chemicals are highly toxic. Some problems can include low birth rate, miscarriage, neonatal death, preterm delivery and more.
Plus, when babies have nicotine in their bloodstreams, they also go through withdrawals just like adults. Because they are exposed to such harmful chemicals at an early age, they experience more respiratory problems, earaches and colds.
So, they have more medical issues which are emotionally painful and also, expensive to address.
Infertility
Female smokers experience higher rates of infertility compared to nonsmokers. This is because chemicals in the cigarettes can alter the cervical fluid, which becomes toxic to sperm. Then, if both partners smoke, be prepared to realize that male smokers are 50 percent more likely to be impotent.
Still, that is not all, the chemicals in cigarettes can cause cancer, birth defects and other health problems in children. The negative effects smoking has on you , it also has on your children.
Breast Cancer
This topic and health issue is so important, the month of October is devoted to its prevention. When females are at risk or have developed breast cancer, they also increase their risk of dying by 25 percent if they smoke.
If a female smokes over two packs per day, that risk increases to over 75 percent. This is why it is critical to quit now.
If you quit today, you can reduce your risk of breast cancer to the same level as a non-smoker. Having a habit of smoking is essentially a death wish.
Menstrual Abnormalities
Female smokers can increase their risk of early menopause. They might get menopause two or three years earlier than nonsmokers. Yet, before menopause, female smokers might experience abnormal bleeding with periods or amenorrhea, which is no period at all.
Estrogen
Many doctors recommend estrogen replacement therapy to postmenopausal women to help prevent the effects of osteoporosis. Yet, if you smoke while taking hormones, then you increase your risk of a heart attack or stroke when taking estrogen.
Not to mention, smoking increases bone loss. This, then, increases the risk of osteoporosis.
Final Thought
As you can see, there are many negative effects smoking has on women. The sooner you can quit, the better off you will be.
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