The Negative Effects of Tobacco on Women

Smoking is unhealthy for anyone, at any age, and can lead to disease and even death. Smoking, on the other hand, carries a number of additional dangers for women. While many many are aware that smoking can cause heart disease and certain cancers, such as lung cancer, many are unaware that smoking can also harm a woman’s reproductive health and lead to cervical cancer. Almost every organ in the body is affected by smoking. When compared to nonsmokers, smokers are more prone to experience certain health problems and get certain diseases. Some health problems appear right away, while others take time to show. The following are some of the negative health impacts of smoking that women should be aware of. 

List of negative effects of tobacco on women

• Heart Disease: Each year, smoking is responsible for around 34,000 deaths in women due to ischemic heart disease. Despite the fact that the majority of these deaths occur in women over the age of 50, the risk of smoking-related heart disease is much higher in young female smokers.
• Pregnancy: Chemicals in cigarettes are transmitted to the foetus through the bloodstream of pregnant women. These poisonous chemicals pose a major threat to both the unborn child and the pregnant woman. Preterm birth, low birth weight, premature rupture of membranes, placenta previa, miscarriage, and neonatal death are all linked to smoking during pregnancy. Newborns whose moms smoked during pregnancy have the same quantities of nicotine in their bloodstreams as adults who smoke, and they experience withdrawal symptoms in their first days of life.
• Infertility: Many women today refrain from having children until their 30s or even 40s, which can lead to fertility health even in nonsmoking women. Women who smoke and delay birth, on the other hand, are at a far higher risk of future infertility than nonsmokers. Smoking has been linked to a diminished ovulatory response, as well as zygote fertilisation and implantation, according to a growing number of studies. Tobacco chemicals may affect cervical fluid, making it poisonous to sperm and making pregnancy difficult to accomplish.
• Cervical Cancer: Regular pelvic exams, including pap smears, are recommended for all women, but it is especially important for smokers. Smoking has been linked to the development of cervical cancer in studies; one study found that smokers have an 80% higher risk of acquiring cervical cancer. Chemicals contained in cervical tissue that are also found in cigarettes may impair cervical cells’ ability to resist infection and provide a breeding ground for aberrant and malignant cervical cells to multiply.
• Breast Cancer: In 1994, the American Cancer Society published the findings of a study that found that smoking raises the risk of dying from breast cancer by at least 25%, with the risk increasing with the number of cigarettes smoked each day. Women who smoke two packs or more per day have a 75 per cent chance of developing deadly breast cancer. The good news is that if you quit now, your chance of dying from breast cancer in the future is the same as it is for non-smokers.
• Vulvar Cancer: Vulvar cancer is another type of cancer that may be more common in women who smoke. Women who smoke have a 40% greater chance of getting this type of gynaecological cancer.

How to quit smoking?

Never start smoking is the best way for a woman to protect her health. However, stopping smoking is the safest option for women who smoke, and it is never too late to do so. Smoking is a bad habit that must be stopped. To stop smoking, you can take a number of steps. Make a plan to stop doing this and stick to it. Adopt alternatives to smoking, such as exercise or going for a walk or run, staying cheerful, avoiding situations that make you want to smoke, seeking expert aid with a regular health examination, and so on. A woman’s cervical cancer risk is lowered within a few years after stopping, and her lung cancer risk can be halved within ten years of quitting. 

Conclusion

In both men and women, smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer death. It raises the risk of cervical cancer in women. Lung cancer kills more women than any other cancer, including breast cancer. Young women (ages 30–49) are now diagnosed with lung cancer at a higher rate than young men. When you give up smoking, your mind and body will immediately begin to heal. Quitting smoking can help you feel better and have more energy to do the activities you enjoy. Menstruation is also affected by smoking, with strong premenstrual symptoms and an increase in cramps. It also impacts fertility, causing delays or difficulties in conceiving.