When someone says he is suffering from cancer, the first thing we ask is, Is he a smoker? We all know the bad consequences of smoking on the body. It is one of the major reasons for cancer and heart diseases. Smoking is bad for all, men and women both.
But when it comes to women’s health, smoking may face a lot of unique health challenges than men smokers.
Studies show that around 1.5 million women die every year from tobacco smoking. The sad part is yet men and women are smoking cigarettes in every part of the world. The highest rates of smoking women are counted in the age between 20 to 44.
One can almost find millions of search results on Google for the bad effects of smoking on women’s health. Despite that, the bad news is yet around 1.5 million teenage girls are under the influence of smoking cigarettes.
What is so dangerous about smoking tobacco?
Maybe it’s a cigarette, cigar or rolling paper. There are no ways that smoking tobacco is going to cause fewer injuries to health. For heavy smokers, bad health results may be sooner compared to less frequent smokers.
Studies show that whenever you light a tobacco cigarette. It produces around 700 different types of chemicals. Out of which almost 250 plus are harmful to the human body and almost 69 plus can develop the risk of cancer.
Not just for smokers but even for passive smokers who do not smoke but frequently inhale the smoke of tobacco are more likely to develop serious health issues than smokers.
Unlike men, even women who smoke are likely to develop higher health disorders such as numerous cancer and respiratory diseases. But some serious health issues can be only found in women smokers and are unique to only their gender.
Let us look down on some serious health issues of smoking on women.
Birth Control Pills and Smoking
Women who take any kind of birth control pills or contraceptive injections should ideally not smoke. In spite of the various dangers of mixing birth control medicines and smoking many women find it hard to quit smoking. Studies prove that in spite of doctors’ warnings women continue to smoke and it is obvious as nicotine is not that easy to quit.
In many cases due to lack of knowledge women are not even aware that smoking and contraceptive pills can be really dangerous to their health. Hence it is really important to share with your health expert before you plan to switch yourself on birth control pills.
There are a lot of health risks associated with birth control pills and smoking. It can shrink the blood vessels, restrict blood flow to the heart, increase blood pressure and may even cause blood clots.
These issues may even derive in non-smoking women who take contraceptive meds and are above the age of 35.
Are there any safe ways to add contraceptive pills and smoking?
Earlier when these medicines were introduced in the market it contained a high level of estrogen. It was around 100 mg per pill. But today there are several hormonal contraceptive pills available in the market that contains around 30 to 50 mg of estrogen.
Yet such types of medicines are not good for smokers or women who are above the age of 35 years.
If you are a hard smoker or above the age of 35 it is always best to use birth control pills that contain less than 20 mg of estrogen. They are much safer products and are way easily available in medical stores.
Before you make this your choice it is always best to talk to a health expert and share your health history along with smoking habits. I am sure a health expert will guide you in a better way and may also help you with some quit smoking plan.
Smoking and Pregnancy
Do not mix pregnancy and smoking. It is going to put both the mother and the unborn child in great danger. As you all know smoking cigarettes contains a lot of chemicals that include nicotine, carbon monoxide and tar. Mixing these with pregnancy may cause a lot of fatal compilations to the mother and the unborn baby.
These harmful chemicals present in tobacco are passed from pregnant mothers through the bloodstream to the fetus causing serious health issues to the mother and unborn child. Pregnancy and smoking may also higher the risk of preterm delivery, low birth weight, premature rupture of membranes, placenta previa, miscarriage, and neonatal death.
Did you know that a child born from a smoking woman contains a high level of nicotine in his bloodstream since his birth? Even if a smoking woman surpasses all the above challenges and gives a normal birth to a child. The newborn child may suffer respiratory complications, often cold and illnesses requiring visits to the pediatrician than a child born to nonsmokers.
Hence it is always better for women to first quit smoking and then think of pregnancy. It will not only benefit the mother but even the child who is going to be part of her life someday.
Fertility and Smoking
In today’s challenging world men and women keep chasing behind a good career and a better job. And these are some of the common reasons for late marriage or late family planning between couples.
But what many don’t know is that it may cause fertility problems for women. Especially if the woman is a smoker and palling to delay childbirth then she is putting herself at a greater risk of fertility issues.
Women who smoke may be impaired with the decreased ovulatory response, fertilization issues and implantation of the zygote. Even the harmful chemicals present in tobacco may affect the cervical fluid, making sperm toxic and hard to cause pregnancy.
Yet there are some more controversial studies and research that state that smoking may even cause a lack of libido or sex drive in women. Yet such sexual illness can be overcome easily with medicines such as Lovegra, Ladygra, etc.
Menopause and smoking
If your female is smoking right from her teenage then there are more likely chances that she may be at a higher risk of early menopause. Women who smoke often notice menopause almost three years earlier than normal age.
In many cases, women who smoke heavily may also notice menstrual issues such as abnormal bleeding, skip periods and vaginal infection. Early menopause or menstrual problems are caused due to toxic effects on the ovaries or lower levels of estragon found in smoking women.
Cancer and Smoking
Well, it is not much required to explain the relation between cancer and smoking. One can find millions of results on Google search for Cancer and smoking. But other than lung cancer, mouth cancer, one cancer that is unique for women smokers only is breast cancer.
Breast cancer is one of the common illnesses that many females are facing from all around the world. But smoking increases the chances of breast cancer in women by almost 75 percent.
Other than this they are even more at higher risk of developing Vulvar and Cervical Cancer.
Conclusion
It doesn’t matter whether you are a man or a woman. Smoking is not good for either of them. Smoking tobacco causes great damage to your health. It is something that can only welcome some of the most fatal health issues in your life.
So be a man or woman it is best to quit this habit as soon as possible. Though it is tough because nicotine is really addictive and your body craves for more. But nothing is impossible against your will. Try talking to your health experts or consult a rehabilitation center for the best treatment.
