The Unique Dangers of Smoking for Women

The Unique Dangers of Smoking for Women Addiction Nicotine Use Smoking-Related Diseases Print The Unique Dangers of Smoking for Women By Tracee Cornforth Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Sanja Jelic, MD on January 21, 2020 Sanja Jelic, MD, is board-certified in sleep medicine, critical care medicine, pulmonary disease, and internal medicine.   Learn about our Medical Review Board Sanja Jelic, MD on January 21, 2020 PhotoAlto/Frederic Cirou/PhotoAlto Agency RF Collections/Getty Images More in Addiction Nicotine Use Smoking-Related Diseases After You Quit How to Quit Smoking Nicotine Withdrawal The Inside of Cigarettes Alcohol Use Addictive Behaviors Drug Use Coping and Recovery We all have heard the warnings about smoking, especially that cigarettes can cause cancer and increase our risk of heart disease, but women smokers face unique challenges. The sad fact is that approximately 23 million women in the U.S. (23 percent of the female population) still smoke cigarettes. Smoking is the most preventable cause of death in this country, yet more than 140,000 women die each year from smoking-related causes. The highest rate of smoking (27 percent) occurs among women between 25 and 44. Despite all the warnings todays teens have heard about the dangers of smoking, the reality is that almost all of the new smokers today are teenagers; over 1.5 million teenage girls smoke cigarettes. Women smokers suffer all the consequences of smoking that men do such as increased risk of various cancers (lung, mouth, larynx, pharynx, esophagus, kidney, pancreas, kidney, and bladder) and respiratory diseases, but as women, we need explicit cognizance about the numerous smoking-related health risks which are uniquely ours. Oral Contraceptives and Smoking Do you use oral contraceptives or another hormonal method of birth control? Women smokers who use oral contraceptives risk serious consequences including increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases such as blood clots, heart attacks, and strokes. This risk increases with age and women over 35 who smoke should not use oral contraceptives. Historically, a mild elevation in blood pressure often occurred in pill users. However, blood pressure often returned to normal pre-pill levels once oral contraceptives were discontinued. New studies indicate that high blood pressure is not a common problem for todays pill users, nonetheless, all women using oral contraceptives should have their blood pressure checked every six to 12 months. Pregnancy and Smoking Chemicals in tobacco are passed from pregnant mothers through the bloodstream to the fetus. These toxic chemicals present serious risks to the unborn child as well as the mother. According to Our Bodies, Ourselves for the New Century, by the Boston Womens Health Book Collective: Smoking during pregnancy is associated with preterm delivery, low birth weight, premature rupture of membranes, placenta previa, miscarriage, and neonatal death. Newborns whose mothers smoked during pregnancy have the same nicotine levels in their bloodstreams as adults who smoke, and they go through withdrawal during their first days of life. Children born to mothers who smoke experience more colds, earaches, respiratory problems, and illnesses requiring visits to the pediatrician than children born to nonsmokers. Infertility and Smoking Is a baby part of your future plans? Many women today delay childbirth until they are in their 30s or even 40s, which can cause fertility problems even for nonsmoking women. But women who smoke and delay childbirth are putting themselves at a substantially greater risk of future infertility than nonsmokers. The fact is women smokers have around 72 percent of the fertility of nonsmokers. When all other factors are equal, it is 3.4 times more likely than smokers will require over one year to conceive. Increasingly, studies are showing that decreased ovulatory response, as well as the fertilization and implantation of the zygote, may be impaired in women who smoke. Chemicals in tobacco may also alter the cervical fluid, making it toxic to sperm causing the pregnancy to be difficult to achieve. We cant leave the men out on this one, though. Men smokers are 50 percent more likely to become impotent. Some of the toxic chemicals found in cigarettes may result in gene mutations that can cause miscarriage, birth defects, cancer and other health problems in their children. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) and Smoking Pelvic inflammatory disease occurs with 33 percent more frequency in smokers than in nonsmokers. PID  is a painful disease that requires immediate medical intervention and is often a contributing factor in ectopic pregnancies as well as pelvic adhesions and other fertility problems. Premature Menopause, Menstruation, and Smoking Beginning to smoke as a teenager increases a womans risk of early menopause three times. Smokers often notice symptoms of menopause two to three years earlier than nonsmokers. Menstrual problems such as abnormal bleeding, amenorrhea (absence of periods) and vaginal discharges/infections are common complaints among women who smoke. Menstrual abnormalities and early menopause may be caused by a toxic effect on the ovaries or by the significantly lower levels of estrogens noted in many studies of women smokers. Hormones and Smoking Estrogen replacement therapy provides beneficial protection, to post-menopausal women against the risk of osteoporosis. But these benefits are many times negated by the increased cardiovascular and other health risks associated with smoking while taking  hormones. Women who smoke face a serious increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke when using estrogens. This risk should be discussed with your physician before beginning  hormone replacement therapy if you are a smoker. Your doctor will assist you if you choose to quit smoking. Osteoporosis and Smoking Osteoporosis  affects most of us if we live long enough. But there are certain things we can do to reduce our risk of osteoporosis such as participating in regular physical activity and making sure we are getting 1000 mg to 1500 mg of calcium daily. Smoking causes a significant increase in the risk of bone loss and  osteoporosis. Women who smoke, one pack of cigarettes a day, often experience a loss of bone density equaling five to 10 percent more than nonsmokers by the time they reach menopause. Bone density scanning to determine the density of your bone structure is recommended for all women beginning at age 40. Bone density scanning is particularly crucial for women smokers so that changes can be noted and treatment can ensue if osteoporosis is noted. Heart Disease and Smoking Approximately 34,000 deaths in women from ischemic  heart disease  are attributed to smoking each year. Although most of these deaths are in women past menopause, the risk of smoking-related heart disease is significantly higher in young women smokers. Researchers in Denmark have found a 50 percent greater risk of a heart attack in women smokers over men smokers. This difference may be due to the interaction of estrogen with the chemicals found in cigarettes. Cervical Cancer and Smoking All women should have regular pelvic exams  that include  pap smears  and for women who smoke the necessity is even greater. Studies show that smoking may lead to the development of  cervical cancer; one study found an 80 percent greater risk of developing cervical cancer in smokers. Cervical cancer  patients who quit smoking or who cut down, by at least 75 percent, may have a greater chance of remission and survival than patients who continue smoking. Chemicals found in cervical tissue that  is also found in cigarettes may weaken the ability of cervical cells to fight off infection and may create a potential breeding ground for  abnormal cervical cells  to multiply. Breast Cancer and Smoking The American Cancer Society published the results of a study in 1994 which indicated that breast cancer patients who smoke may increase their risk of dying at least 25 percentâ€"a risk that increases with the number of cigarettes smoked per day. The possible risk of fatal  breast cancer  rises up to 75 percent for women who smoke two packs or more per day. The good news is that if you quit now your potential risk of dying as a result of future breast cancer remains the same as for a non-smoker. Vulvar Cancer and Smoking Another type of cancer which may occur more frequently in smokers is  vulvar cancer. Smokers experience a 40 percent higher risk of developing this devastating type of gynecological cancer. Tips for Quitting Plan ahead to quit smoking on a certain day. When the quit smoking day arrives, make sure you have thrown out all the ashtrays and cigarettes you have in your home, so you wont be tempted. Have plenty of raw vegetables such as carrot sticks and celery available for the times you feel like eating as a result of your desire to have something in your hand/mouth. Many women fear of gaining weight as a result of quitting smoking. Participating in a vigorous exercise program three times per week may help you quit, and exercise helps reduce any subsequent weight gain, as well as providing overall health benefits. Joining a support group and actively participating often helps women when difficult times or emotional conflicts occur. Over-the-counter methods that supply nicotine in forms such as gums like Nicorette and patches, such as the Nicoderm C Q patch, help many people decrease the physical symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. Never smoke simultaneously with one of these methodsâ€"nicotine overdose may occur. See your physician if you need further assistance in achieving your quit smoking goal. He can offer additional methods which are available by prescription.