Be it, men or women, smoking is injurious to everybody irrespective of gender. The consumption of nicotine has done no good ever. Smoking is a serious form of addiction that claims a lot of lives every year. It poses hazardous health issues, some of which are immediate while others take time to develop.
There are more men than women who smoke but the harmful impacts of smoking on women’s health are greater than how they are often percieved. Since women have more complex bodies than men, the ill consequences of smoking are way more severe in them.
Impacts Of Smoking On Women’s Health
Reproductive Issues
It is hard for a woman to stay healthy and young considering the health problems she faces. Women who smoke have more painful and irregular periods. Smoking can also lead to lower levels of estrogen in a female’s body which causes mood swings, fatigue, and vaginal dryness. They also get menopause at a younger age. If you are struggling with getting pregnant, the reason could be smoking.
Respiratory Issues
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or COPD is a disease that makes breathing difficult and gets worse with time. Smokers usually suffer from COPD, and women are at higher risk than men. More women have died of COPD than men, and unfortunately, it’s an untreatable disease.
Heart-related Issues
Smoking also puts you at risk of heart disease. More women than men who smoke have died of cardiovascular disease. Smoking and oral contraceptives don’t go well together and increase the risk of heart disease in women. Additionally, smoking is responsible for abdominal aortic aneurysms i.e. weakening of the main blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body.
Cancer
Cancer is yet another unfortunate impact of smoking on women’s health. Smoking puts you at increased risk of cancer in the lungs, pancreas, kidney, liver, throat, and bladder. More women have died of lung cancer than men because of smoking. It also increases the chances of cervical cancer which is just one of the health issues women face today.
Pregnancy-related issues
If you smoke during pregnancy, it doesn’t only put you at serious risk but also makes your baby vulnerable. If a baby is exposed to nicotine, it can stunt its development before and after birth. Smoking during pregnancy causes a higher risk of serious birth defects. It can induce premature delivery, affects the child’s brain development. As scary as it sounds, the baby can also die of sudden infant death syndrome.
So, women should definitely quit smoking if they are expecting a baby. Nicotine patches or gums and vapes can be used as a substitute to quit smoking. Remember, smoking is not cool!
Featured Image: nbcnews.com
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