7 The dangers of smoking for women's health & bull; hello healthy

It is a common thing that women today also smoke a lot, even though stereotypes in society still think that women who smoke are considered bad. Actually, the main problem is not on labels in society, but on the impact of smoking on health itself. And it turns out, in addition to the impact of smoking which threatens all smokers, women are also at risk of experiencing the specific dangers of smoking in women's bodies.

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What are the dangers of smoking for women?

If you see a cigarette advertisement, surely you have read some of the effects that smoking has on the body, one of which can cause harm to the fetus. Here are some other dangers of smoking for women:

1. Reducing bone density

Smoking can produce free radicals - molecules that attack the body's natural defenses. Free radicals can disrupt hormonal balance. Your liver will produce enzymes that can destroy estrogen, this can lead to a loss of bone density. In fact, estrogen has an important role in bone formation. If you are now entering the age before menopause, you must stop smoking immediately. The production of the hormone estrogen decreases when you are menopausal, and when you smoke, your bones become more vulnerable because they lose their density.

ALSO READ: Why Menopausal Women Are at Risk of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis?

2. Triggers rheumatism (rheumatoid arthritis)

Rheumatism makes your joints feel hot and swollen. Symptoms that appear sometimes go undetected. You will also feel stiff and painful in the joints. The cause of this disease is still a mystery, although hormones and genetics can play a role in triggering this disease. But did you know that a study published in Arthritis Research and Therapy found that smoking can increase your risk of developing rheumatism?

The formation of rheumatism in the body will decrease when a person stops smoking. Researchers assume that smoking can lead to faulty immune function when you already have this genetic factor for rheumatic disease. In addition, smoking can also hinder the effectiveness of your rheumatism treatment. Even if you need surgery, smoking can increase your risk of complications.

You may not find that smoking makes your rheumatism worse. This is due to the influence of nicotine. These additives can have a calming effect, so you feel that when you smoke, the pain is reduced. Even though the facts that are in your body are not like that.

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3. Increase the risk of cataracts

Cataract is a disease in which the lens of your eye becomes cloudy. Research shows that someone who has ever smoked has an increased risk of developing cataracts. In fact, this risk can also be experienced by passive smokers. Cataracts are common in elderly people, which are caused by age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in the center of the retina. Research shows that smokers have an increased risk of AMD compared to people who have never smoked at all.

4. Depression

Indeed nicotine can offer a calming effect for its users, but according to the British Journal of Psychiatry, researchers reveal that nicotine dependence can cause depression. There is evidence of a consistent increase in depressive symptoms between the effects of smoking and depression. According to Professor David Fergusson quoted by the Psychcentral website, although the evidence is still not clear, it is possible that nicotine can cause changes in neurotransmitter activity in the brain, thereby increasing the risk of depression.

5. Ulcers in the stomach

The substances contained in cigarettes can naturally interfere with the body's protective mechanisms, including irritating stomach acid. According to Michael Brown, MD, professor of medicine at Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, smoking can irritate the digestive tract, indirectly contribute to ulcers and increase stomach acid reflux by weakening the sphincter muscles - which function to prevent stomach acid from rising into the esophagus.

6. Irregular menstrual cycle

Women who smoke can be at risk of experiencing infertility, aka infertile. Smoking also causes dysmenorrhea - unbearable pain during menstruation. In addition, women who smoke are also at risk of experiencing premature menopause, which is one to two years earlier.

ALSO READ: Why Does a Woman Get Early Menopause?

7. Cause lung cancer

In the early 20th century, lung cancer was still a rare disease. It wasn't until 1950 that lung cancer became the leading cause of death for men in developing countries. From 1970 to 1980, the death rate from lung cancer increased, both in men and women. One of the causes of lung cancer is starting to spread to women because more and more women are familiar with smoking. This cancer is caused by tobacco in cigarettes which will become toxic when it enters the body.