Smoking is still a fad for many people across the globe, and the trend doesn’t seem to be fading away. Many of us are aware of the damage that tobacco from cigarettes does to men. But only some of us know the impairments that cigarettes do to women. It turns out that smoking is far more detrimental to women than it is to men. The health issues are also not appropriately addressed most of the time, adding more to the misery of women. Let us see how cigarettes affect a woman’s health and what measures can they adopt to quit this addiction at the earliest.
First up, let us ponder over the adverse health effects that smoking cause on women:
Irregular Menstrual Cycle
Smoking can cause an irregular menstrual cycle in women as cigarettes alter the level of estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and other hormones. Women who smoke are also likely to experience painful periods. A study also revealed that the menstrual pain increased in proportion with the number of cigarettes smoked.
Infertility
Smoking can hurt the fertility of a woman quite severely. Tobacco in cigarettes decreases the ovulatory response and impairs the implementation and fertilization of the zygote. This is the reason why women smokers have only 72% of the fertility of an average healthy woman. Pregnant smoking women also face the risk of miscarriage due to the adverse effects of tobacco.
Premature Menopause
Women who smoke are at a higher risk of having early menopause. It has been observed that the women smokers attained menopause three years earlier than an average healthy woman. Hot flashes, vaginal dryness and sleep disturbances are other consequences of excessive cigarette smoking.
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) is an infection that occurs in female reproductive organs. The risk of PID is 33% more in women who are regular smokers, and this infection can further aggravate fertility problems. One should know that PID is a disease that requires immediate medical intervention and should not be taken lightly at any cost.
Poor Cardiac Health
Smoking can wreak havoc to a woman’s cardiac health. Carbon monoxide and tobacco in cigarettes rob your heart, brain and arteries of oxygen, which can often lead to further grave consequences. The chances of blood clots also increase, which can trigger a heart attack.
Breast Cancer
Smoking has always been linked to a higher risk of Breast Cancer in women. There is a 25% higher risk of breast cancer in women smokers than non-smoking women. What is more disastrous is that the probability of breast cancer reaches 75% if a woman is smoking two packs of cigarettes per day. However, the good news is that if a woman stops smoking, the potential risk remains the same as for a non-smoker.
How Can Women Quit Cigarettes?
It is easier said than done to quit smoking once and for all. A proactive approach is needed to leave the dependency on tobacco gradually. Let us discuss some excellent measures that can help women to slowly end the addiction to smoking forever.
Be Mindful of Triggers
Addictions of any kind are consequences of triggers that happen in certain situations. One should know that stress causes a great urge to smoke. You should figure out a solution to these stress or try not to reach that point where you see yourself tiring out. Practice deep breathing and meditation that helps tremendously to manage the thoughts better. Regular exercise also helps a lot in having a great mood throughout the day.
E-Cigarettes
E-Cigarettes are one of the well-known alternatives to quit smoking as they exclude most of the toxic substances found in cigarettes. One can effectively tweak the nicotine levels through e-cigarettes which gradually helps in ending the addiction to tobacco. The fact that they resemble cigarettes makes it easier for you to make a transition to it quickly. Try this gadget if you feel you it is difficult for you to drop cigarettes at once.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy
Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) is a medically approved way of taking nicotine by other means than tobacco. NRT is administered through different ways like adhesive patch, chewing gum, nose sprays, inhalers etc. This method has been known to increase the chance of quitting smoking by 55%. The biggest benefit of NRT is that users get a constant dose of nicotine throughout the day that helps deal with the withdrawal effects in a better way. Doctors suggest NRT to smokers as this method is found to be safe as well as effective.
Yes, quitting smoking is never easy, but it is not impossible too. Women smokers who are trying to quit should not beat themselves up while having a relapse. Most ex-smokers who have successfully quit cigarettes have encountered huge failures and still managed to beat it. Stay on the path irrespective of obstacles and failures and success shall be yours.
