Making the decision to quit smoking

In today’s effort to create a smoke-free America, the harmful side effects of smoking are no secret to the general public. From graphic and attentiongrabbing commercials to boldly worded warning labels on every pack of cigarettes, the dangers remain a topic of conversation. For a woman, however, there can be a number of significant health problems that can affect and harm the female body, stressing the need for kicking the habit.

The biggest warning most consumers are faced with is cancer. There is countless data on the connection between smoking cigarettes and lung cancer, not to mention heart disease and strokes as well. But in addition to the main health conditions that are at the forefront of the smoke-free campaign, there are almost a dozen more that pose a threat to women’s health. Smokefree.org is a website created by the Tobacco Control Research Branch of the National Cancer Institute, which hosts a database of information from risks and dangers to resources for quitting and support. They list 11 harmful effects of smoking for women and emphasize the urgency to quit.

For starters, if growing older and developing osteoporosis wasn’t a challenge already, smoking can accelerate this issue by lowering bone density and increasing the chances of breaking a hip versus those who don’t smoke. And the bones aren’t the only ones in danger as women who smoke are also more likely to get rheumatoid arthritis – a joint disease that causes pain and swelling. Cataracts, gum disease and ulcers are also in the list, all linked to smoking and increased in likelihood.

The list of side effects only get scarier and more serious as the numbers go on. One of the most serious is the fact that smokers have worse survival rates after surgery, and are more likely to have complications. Depression is also linked to smoking, and is only increased by the fact that women are twice as likely to develop depression than men per the American Psychological Association.

The big three that circle around a woman’s health are menstrual cycles, menopause and pregnancy.

Women who smoke reportedly have more irregular and painful periods, tend to experience menopause earlier in life and can have a difficult time getting pregnant. In the event she does get pregnant, smoking increases the chances of infant mortality due to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or even losing the baby before it’s born.

The most obvious danger of smoking are the effects that it can have on the lungs and breathing.

Females who smoke in their teenage years will have issues with their lungs working as they get older.

Kicking the habit is never an easy feat.

There is an entire market of products and even pharmaceutical aids that claim to help with quitting.

Overcoming the hurdle is so difficult in part because, as most people know, smoking is addictive, and the chemicals and contents found in cigarettes have addictive qualities.

Smokefree.gov explains that nicotine, the drug that’s found naturally in tobacco, is as addictive as heroin or cocaine. It’s carried throughout the lungs and into the bloodstream, lasting up to four days in the body after smoking.

Making the choice to stop smoking has both immediate and long-term benefits. The American Cancer Society reports that those who quit before the age of 50 cut their risk of dying in the next 15 years in half.

Long-term benefits include reducing the chances of cancer, heart disease and stroke, but just 20 minutes after quitting smoking, heart rate and blood pressure drop.

After 12 hours, the carbon monoxide levels in your body go back to normal, and anywhere from two weeks to three months following your last cigarette, blood circulation improves, and lungs begin to function better.

Whether it’s quitting cold-turkey or with the assistance of nicotine replacement, or even getting professional help from addiction specialists, the benefits of kicking the habit are tenfold over lighting up for a quick fix. Smokefree.gov and the American Cancer Society offer resources on the first steps to quitting, including the sometimes stressful and difficult decision to quit, the options every woman has to assist and support the decision and tips for long-term success.

Sometimes the hardest part of the journey is maintenance, or dealing with withdrawal and cravings, but committing to a healthier life will always prove to be worth it.