World No-Tobacco Day 2022: 7 ways smoking harms women worse than we know
World No-Tobacco Day 2022: From hormone-related diseases to cardiovascular diseases to developing complications in pregnancies, here are seven ways in which women are affected due to smoking.
World No-Tobacco Day 2022: Every year, World No-Tobacco Day is celebrated all over the world in order to aware every one of the ill effects of tobacco consumption, the diseases that are caused by it and urge people to quit the habit through prevention measures. Quitting smoking and tobacco consumption is a long journey of determination, dedication and requires a lot of convincing. Speaking to HT Lifestyle, Dr. Deepak Namjoshi, Pulmonologist and Director, CritiCare Asia Multispeciality Hospital, Mumbai said, “Active smoking is way worse as it affects almost every organ from lungs, heart, mouth, kidney, liver, to even the reproductive system. Vaping is no better.” he further spoke of the reasons of smoking – one of them being social influence. “Social influence is one of the root causes of addiction and often forces women to take it up since their teenage times. Proper medical guidance and counselling are therefore, needed for maximum cure,” he said.
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Addressing the issues faced by women due to smoking, Deepak Namjoshi noted down seven ways by which women get affected. They are:
Reproductive health: Excessive smoking in women leads to irregular, painful periods and face difficulty in conceiving. Premature menopause is also caused by nicotine.
Pregnancy: During pregnancy, smoking leads to miscarriages, ectopic pregnancy, still birth, premature birth, sudden infant death syndrome and negative health outcomes.
Hormone production: Smoking leads to hormone-related diseases as well. It often leads to the drop in oestrogen production, which further leads to interference with sexual development, sexual functioning, and delay puberty.
Cancer: cervical cancer, lung cancer, bladder cancer, throat cancer, oesophagus cancer and rectal cancer are some types of cancer that are caused due to smoking.
Respiratory system: compared to men, women are more prone to developing severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The harmful chemicals clog the airways and harm the lining of the lungs. It can also lead to emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and several other conditions.
Rheumatoid Arthritis: “Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune, inflammatory disease that is more commonly diagnosed in women. Smoking can increase RA progression and deteriorate the patient’s response to medication and treatments,” Deepak Namjoshi added.
Cardiovascular diseases: Women smokers who take birth-control pills above 35 years of age, are at a risk of developing heart diseases.
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