How Smoking Affects Women’s Health More Than That Of Men

Nicotine is an addictive drug present in tobacco that makes it hard for smokers to quit it. In addition to nicotine, smokers inhale about 7,000 other chemicals in a cigarette.

Many of these chemicals come from the combustion of tobacco leaves. Some of these compounds are chemically active and trigger profound and harmful changes in the body. Tobacco smoke contains over 70 known carcinogenic chemicals. Smoking damages almost all organs of the body, causes many diseases and affects health in general. Although it has the same effects on both men and women, the long-term effects are worse in women.

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), smoking puts both men and women at risk for several types of cancer, but it can also increase the risk of cervical cancer in women several times. A Danish study found that women who smoke have a six times higher risk of cancer than women who don’t. Women who smoke often have a 50 percent increased risk of menstrual cramps. Smoking can make women’s periods extremely painful.

According to a report by WebMD, smoking cigarettes has a negative effect on women’s fertility. Smoking can cause problems in conceiving because women who smoke are at risk of not ovulating. This can lead to the problem of not getting pregnant. The nicotine contained in cigarettes disrupts the function of the fallopian tubes and can prevent the eggs from reaching the uterus through the normal route. This can lead to an ectopic pregnancy or an ectopic pregnancy, in which there is a risk of the child losing its life.

Cigarettes are especially dangerous for pregnant women because smoking not only harms women but also increases the risk of many diseases for the child growing in the womb. Smoking can worsen the heart rate of the baby in the womb and increase the risk of miscarriage by 39 percent. In such a situation, women should not smoke cigarettes during pregnancy, even accidentally. Smoking cigarettes can cause nicotine to enter the woman’s breast milk, which allows this dangerous element to enter the child’s body through breastfeeding. This can affect the health of the children.

Excessive smoking can damage the woman’s skin and increase the problem of blemishes. Smoking also increases the risk of osteoporosis, the most dangerous bone disease for women. Smoking can cause women to enter menopause before their age. According to the US National Institute of Health, smoking increases the risk of heart attack in women several times. Overall, it can be said that smoking is harmful for everyone, but for women’s health, smoking is an enemy. Women should avoid smoking completely.