Long-term Effects of Smoking Cigarettes for Females

Smoking cigarettes for females can lead to a variety of ongoing complications in the body, as well as long-term effects on your body systems. While smoking can increase your risk of a variety of problems over several years, some of the bodily effects are immediate

There’s no safe way to smoke and according to the American Lung Association, Cigarettes contain about 600 ingredients, many of which can also be found in cigars and hookahs. When these ingredients burn, they generate more than 7,000 chemicals. Hundreds of them are poisonous, toxic and about 70 can cause cancer.

9 Harmful Effects of Cigarette Smoking

Chiefly, smoking affects the respiratory and circulatory systems, but the reproductive system, the skin, and the eyes are later affected. It also increases the risk of many different cancers.

Below are the long-term effects of smoking cigarettes for Females;

Damage to the lungs

Nicotine induces formation of oxygen radicals which damages the airways and air sacs — known as alveoli — in the lungs. At the same time nicotine reduces the antioxidant capacity of the lungs. People who smoke are at higher risk for chronic nonreversible lung conditions such as:

• Lung cancer
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Chronic bronchitis
• Emphysema

Heart Diseases

Chemicals in cigarettes can increase the buildup of plaque in the blood vessels, which leads to atherosclerosis. Smoking increases blood pressure within blood vessels, weakens blood vessel walls, and increases blood clots. Together, this raises your risk of;

• stroke
• Peripheral artery disease
• Heart attacks
• Chest pains.

Fertility Problems

Smoking causes fertility problem for both male and females. In males, the longer a person smokes the higher the risk of Erectile dysfunction, the lower the quality and DNA damage in sperm.

For females, smoking damage the female’s reproductive system and make it more difficult to get pregnant. It also increases the risk of child malformations and complications at birth.

Weakened Immunity

Smoking weakens a person’s immune system, making them more susceptible to illness. It can also cause additional inflammation in the body.

Blindness

Smoking increases your risk of age-related macular degeneration, the main cause of blindness in Adults about 65 years.

Type-2-Diabetes

Smoking causes type 2 diabetes, with the risk of developing diabetes 30 to 40% higher for active smokers than non-smokers. Smoking may also worsen some of the health conditions related to type 1 diabetes, such as kidney disease.

Causes Cancer

In addition to causing lung cancer, smoking can cause cancer almost anywhere on the body. This includes the lips, tongue, mouth, nose, breast, oesophagus, throat, voice box, stomach, liver, kidney, pancreas, prostate, bladder, blood, cervix, vulva, penis and anus.

Affects the Integumentary System (skin, hair, and nails)

The easiest effect of smoking that can be seen is changes on the skin. Substances in tobacco smoke actually changes the structure of your skin there by causing wrinkles. A recent study has shown that smoking dramatically increases the risk of squamous cell carcinoma (skin cancer).

Your finger nails and toe nails aren’t immune from the effects of smoking. Smoking increases the likelihood of fungal nail infections. Hair is also affected by nicotine. An older study found it increases hair loss, balding, and graying.

Also read:Why You Should Never Smoke Next to a Child

Dangers of Secondhand smoke in Children and Pregnancy

Oral Problems

Smoking affects your oral health. People who smoke are at a higher risk of developing mouth cancer (oral), gum problems, losing teeth, decay on the roots of teeth, and complications after tooth removal and gum and oral surgery.

Periodontitis-a gum infection that destroys the bone that supports the teeth. It is a major cause of tooth loss in adults.

Conclusion

The best way to avoid getting the harmful effects of smoking is to never start. If you do smoke, quitting as soon as possible can prevent or reverse health problems.