(Compiled from numerous sources; this is written primarily for women, but much can apply to men also)
What are some of the reasons women smoke
Women smoke for many different reasons in addition to being physically
addicted to the nicotine in cigarettes. When you are thinking about how
smoking affects your health and lifestyle, it can help to know why you smoke.
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| the smoking woman's companion |
The following are some of the reasons that women smoke:
- to cope with stress or anger;
- to avoid eating or to control weight;
- to cope with poverty or unemployment;
- smoking can seem like an old friend;
- smoking can be a reward after completing a task;
- to take a break from caring for others, such as children or elderly parents;
- to take a break from work responsibilities;
- to cope with relationship problems;
- to cope with feelings of powerlessness;
- to cope with the loneliness or boredom of social isolation;
- to maintain social connections;
- to create distance to cope with uncomfortable or dangerous social
situations
- to cope with addiction to other substances such as alcohol or drugs;
- to help with managing working, homemaking, and raising children simultaneously, a challenge many women face today, and;
- to give themselves a sense of control and emancipation.
When you figure out some of the reasons that you smoke, you may be able
to replace some cigarettes with different ways of coping. For example,
with a short walk on your lunch hour, instead of a cigarette, you can
take a break from the responsibilities of work, clear your head and get
some exercise.
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| coping with coughing |
- Smoking decreases your chances of getting pregnant.
- Smoking and using oral contraceptives (birth control pills) greatly increases your risk of strokes, heart attacks and vascular complications.
- Smoking while pregnant increases your chances of having a miscarriage, premature labor or a low birth-weight baby.
- Smoking while you are pregnant or a new mother increases the chances of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
- Smoking decreases bone density and increases your chances of breaking a bone.
- You may reach menopause earlier than you would have if you did not smoke.
- You are more likely to suffer from strokes and heart attacks.
- You are more likely to have lung cancer and a variety other cancers
than if you did not smoke. Smoking causes at least 85% of lung cancers.
Smoking is also strongly linked to cervical cancer and breast cancer. In
addition, it is linked to cancer of the bladder, kidney, pancreas,
mouth, esophagus, larynx and colon.
How can I get healthier if I'm not ready to quit smoking?
Even if you are not ready to quit smoking, you can take some steps to improve you health.
- Eat a variety of healthy foods every day. Include high fiber foods such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and lentils.
- Drink at least 8 glasses of water daily. Water helps to flush toxins
out of your body and to keep your organs and skin hydrated. This may
help with some of the dehydrating effects of cigarettes.
- Limit your use of alcohol and caffeine.
- Schedule regular visits with your health care providers and have an annual Pap test.
- Learn about how to care for your breasts throughout your lifetime.
- If you are over 35, learn what you can do to ease perimenopausal and menopausal discomforts. The Femininist Women's Health Center website offers a wealth of information on menopause.
- Practice relaxation exercises - deep breathing, yoga, and meditation
are some of the ways that women find to slow down, take a break and
relieve stress.
- Begin to exercise regularly. See your doctor for an overall health
assessment prior to starting a new exercise program. Be aware that
smoking does decrease the functioning of your lungs so you will need to
start slowly.
- Increase your intake of Vitamin C as smoking depletes your body of this important vitamin.
- Reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke.
- Smoke light cigarettes ONLY if you are comfortable with them.
If you're not, you will wind up smoking more, and inhaling more deeply,
to keep your body supplied with nicotine.
- Be comfortable with the length of the cigarettes that you smoke. If
your cigarette is too short for you, you're more likely to smoke a
second cigarette immediately after the first cigarette. And if your
cigarette is too long, you may very likely be smoking more than
necessary to be satisfied.
- Consider smoking all-natural smoke cigarettes, but only if you enjoy
them. All-natural cigarettes lack the additives and preservatives that
are found in most cigarette brands, which often are in themselves very
addictive, making non-natural brands more addictive than their
all-natural counterparts. But if you switch to all-natural cigarettes,
please know in advance that you have withdrawal symptoms for about a
week, just as if you were to quit smoking, but not nearly as intense.
This is because your body is screaming for the other chemicals that were
in your old cigarette brand.
- If you smoke menthol cigarettes, consider switching to regulars. Women
who smoke menthols inhale more deeply with each drag. Consequently,
they take in more nicotine and toxins than smokers who smoke regulars.
Menthol stimulates cold receptors in the throat, producing a cooling
sensation, so smokers find the smoke less irritating as they inhale.
Which leads them to inhale more deeply.
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| conraception methods |
- If you are one of my straight sisters and use contraceptives, or are considering contraceptives, give special consideration to non-hormonal contraceptives, and try to avoid hormonal contraceptives. Many birth control methods introduce hormones, which increase the risk of blood clots. For women who are smokers, smoking is believed to intensify this. Additionally, there is evidence that smoking may decrease the effectiveness of hormonal birth control, because smoking causes a breakdown of estrogen levels, which in turn plays a role in the effectiveness of hormonal birth control. The Feminist Women's Health Center website also offers a wealth of information on contraception.
Non-Hormonal Hormonal
A quick note about the IUD. The decision to have an IUD inserted can be an exciting and empowering contraceptive commitment. But having one (regardless of which kind) may affect your ability to wear Tampons during menstruation, and force you to wear pads or a menstrual cup. It is rare, but the Tampon and the IUD strings may become entwined, causing the IUD to become dislodged when removing the Tampon. Additionally, fiber from the Tampon may collect on the IUD strings, creating an environment for bacteria to grow, leading to a higher risk of infection. If you have problems after insertion with Tampons, it may help to wait a few weeks after insertion, then go back to your gynecologist, and have her trim the strings. This would have the additional benefit of lessening the possibility of discomfort for your partner, particularly if he is larger.
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| Paragard, a.k.a., Copper-T |
A quick note about the Paragard (which I wore for 26 years). Because it is non-hormonal, unlike other IUDs, it is considered by most gynecologists to be the clear choice for women who are smokers. A couple "you should know's"...
- The Paragard changes the environment in your uterus to make it toxic to sperm and eggs. It's that simple! It is also believed, but not proven, that it also prevent pregnancy by preventing implantation of a fertilized egg.
- You can use the Paragard for pregnancy protection for up to 10 years. Hormonal IUDs are recommended for only half that long.
- The Paragard effectiveness is seriously impressive. Better than 99% effective. The only thing more sure is a tubal. But where tubals are generally not reversible, removing the Paragard immediately restores fertility.
- The Paragard doesn’t protect against sexually transmitted infections. So, if your partner's STI status is unknown, you’ll still need to use some form of protection, like condoms.
- Your insurance may cover the full cost of the Paragard, including co-payment and deductible. This is good, since it can be upwards of $1,000.
- You may not be able to get the Paragard if you have certain health issues. Discuss this with your gynecologist; she'll know best.
- Insertion can vary from feeling like an uncomfortable pinch to being very painful, but removal is generally a breeze.
- After you get the Paragard, you might have worse periods than before, and this effect may or may not last. It can drive up bleeding and pain in some women, because of the local inflammation it causes in your uterus, leading to extra irritation and blood. For most, this issue goes away or at least decreases after a year. And because Paragard contains no hormones, you can expect your cycles to stay pretty much the same. But for the first few months, they may even be a little more crampier, heavier, and longer.
- The Paragard is hormone-free, and usable in situations where hormonal birth control is inappropriate. Due to its lack of estrogen, the Paragard offers advantages for women who have health conditions that can get worse when exposed to this hormone, such as women with a history of blood clots or high blood pressure.
- Your partner shouldn’t be able to feel your Paragard strings during sex, but if he can, you should talk to your doctor. A possible reason for him hitting the strings is that the Paragard has moved and needs to be adjusted. If the Paragard is firmly in place, trimming the strings is an option.
- The risks of expulsion (Paragard coming out) and perforation (Paragard piercing your uterus) are very low, but it does occasionally happen.
- You can check the strings periodically, but don’t stress about it. If you feel your strings protruding from your cervix, that’s a pretty clear sign your IUD is where it should be. But if not, it’s no reason to assume you have an IUD complication, like perforation or expulsion. Over time, the strings often soften and curl up around your cervix, so you might not be able to feel them.
- You can use the Paragard for pregnancy protection for up to 10 years. Hormonal IUDs are recommended for only half that long.
- The Paragard effectiveness is seriously impressive. Better than 99% effective. The only thing more sure is a tubal. But where tubals are generally not reversible, removing the Paragard immediately restores fertility.
- The Paragard doesn’t protect against sexually transmitted infections. So, if your partner's STI status is unknown, you’ll still need to use some form of protection, like condoms.
- Your insurance may cover the full cost of the Paragard, including co-payment and deductible. This is good, since it can be upwards of $1,000.
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| gynecologist visit |
- Insertion can vary from feeling like an uncomfortable pinch to being very painful, but removal is generally a breeze.
- After you get the Paragard, you might have worse periods than before, and this effect may or may not last. It can drive up bleeding and pain in some women, because of the local inflammation it causes in your uterus, leading to extra irritation and blood. For most, this issue goes away or at least decreases after a year. And because Paragard contains no hormones, you can expect your cycles to stay pretty much the same. But for the first few months, they may even be a little more crampier, heavier, and longer.
- The Paragard is hormone-free, and usable in situations where hormonal birth control is inappropriate. Due to its lack of estrogen, the Paragard offers advantages for women who have health conditions that can get worse when exposed to this hormone, such as women with a history of blood clots or high blood pressure.
- Your partner shouldn’t be able to feel your Paragard strings during sex, but if he can, you should talk to your doctor. A possible reason for him hitting the strings is that the Paragard has moved and needs to be adjusted. If the Paragard is firmly in place, trimming the strings is an option.
- The risks of expulsion (Paragard coming out) and perforation (Paragard piercing your uterus) are very low, but it does occasionally happen.
- You can check the strings periodically, but don’t stress about it. If you feel your strings protruding from your cervix, that’s a pretty clear sign your IUD is where it should be. But if not, it’s no reason to assume you have an IUD complication, like perforation or expulsion. Over time, the strings often soften and curl up around your cervix, so you might not be able to feel them.
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| I QUIT!!! |
When you're finally ready to quit smoking.
If you decide to that you are ready to quit smoking, please think about
these: 1) nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), 2) for pre-menopausal women, your menstrual cycle, and 3) the dreadful and inevitable withdrawal symptoms that you will need to cope with.
- NRT is the use of various forms of nicotine delivery methods intended
to replace nicotine obtained from smoking. These products are marketed
for use in smoking cessation efforts to help deal with withdrawal symptoms and cravings caused by the loss of nicotine from cigarettes.
Several forms of NRT have been marketed, including the nicotine patch,
nicotine inhaler, nasal spray, gum, sublingual
tablet, lozenge, and
electronic cigarette. As a method of delivering nicotine into the
bloodstream, NRT is thought to be is a comparatively less dangerous
method than tobacco smoking. Most smoking related ailments are not
caused by nicotine, but by other constituents of tobacco smoke such as
carbon monoxide and the other 4000 chemicals present in tobacco.
Nicotine merely serves to keep the smoker addicted. NRT reduces the urge
to smoke that most smokers have in the early days of being quit, giving
the smoker a better chance of keeping her quit. Pregnant women and
light smokers should avoid NRT, and utilize behavioral counseling
cessation interventions. No two women are the same and it is recommended
to discuss with your doctor as to which nicotine replacement is best
for you.
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| various forms of NRT |
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| menstrual cycle |
- Scientists have discovered powerful causal connections between the
hormones and the need for cigarettes. Most doctors agree that women who
quit smoking in the first half of their menstrual cycle, or the follicular phase (from the beginning of menstruation until ovulation, or
the fourteenth day of the cycle), are not as likely to stay smoke-free,
as women who quit smoking in the second half of their cycle, or the
luteal phase (after ovulation, until menstruation begins) This is
because the high quantities of progesterone is found during the luteal
phase, which is helpful in clearing nicotine from the body. And this
reduces withdrawal symptoms. Also during the luteal phase, women are
less tempted to smoke when they see other smokers, because of reduced
quantities of estrogen, which are much higher in the follicular phase.
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| depression |
- Withdrawal symptoms are the ugliest part of quitting smoking. Their intensity varies between different smokers. These symptoms are often very intense and unforgiving in nature. The good news is, for most, they subside significantly several days after quitting, normally five days. When planning your quit, this must be expected and planned for. These symptoms may include:
Anxiety
Depression
Drowsiness
Extreme cravings
Frustration
Headaches
Increased appetite
Insomnia
Irritability
Nightmares
Restlessnes
The 10-point Fagerstrom scale for nicotine dependence will give you an idea how intense your withdrawal symptoms will be. Dependence levels range from none, to low, to moderate, to high. NRT will be helpful if you're anything higher than lowly addicted. If you're highly addicted, NRT may not be enough; seeing your doctor and seeking professional help, possibly including Chantix, hypnosis, or Zyban should be considered.
A few notes on smoking and pregnancy.
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| lesbian couple with their baby |
If you are pregnant, or if you are considering pregnancy in the near future, whether by natural intercourse, or by artificial insemination or in vitro fertalization (which more and more single and lesbian women are doing every year), you will want to think about your smoking routine. Smoking during pregnancy is probably one of the most controversial thing that we as women do. Ideally, the mother-to-be should quit smoking BEFORE conception, if she possibly can, even if she plans to start up again after the pregnancy. If this is not possible, then cutting back is also a viable option. Slowing down intake immediately upon realizing that conception has happened, and possibly setting a quit date a few weeks, later, and work towards that date, where the mother could slowly wean herself off of cigarettes by that quit date, has at least some chance of success.
Quitting smoking suddenly, or cold turkey, may have negative effects as well as positive effects. Many believe that if a pregnant mother suddenly quits smoking, because it sends her own system into withdrawal, it can also in turn shock the developing child. Cutting back slowly can help prevent this. Non-smokers don't become smokers in a day; the habit develops over at least several days, sometimes longer. Conversely, it generally takes time for smokers to become ex-smokers.
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| "smoking for two" |
- First and foremost, the health of the child. A developing child needs nutrients and oxygen in order to grow properly. If not, there is a risk of poorly developed organs, which means a low birth weight, and the risk of disease development after birth.
- The carbon monoxide contained in cigarette smoke blocks the absorption of oxygen into the mother’s system, and subsequently, the developing child. Quitting smoking removes this barrier, and the mother's body can begin to repair damaged tissue in the mother’s lungs from smoking, and thus delivering more oxygen to the child.
- Also, smoking, as we all know, acts as an appetite suppressant. This could mean that the mother is eating less than she normally would, and therefore leave less nutrients for the developing child. It’s a good idea to eat a very healthy diet when pregnant, so as to provide all the necessary nutrients.
- All of this acts on keeping the baby's weight low. A lower weight means a smaller baby, and a smaller baby means more difficulties are possible. The lungs are the one of the last organs to develop, and as we know, are the gateway to life. If one can't breathe, nothing else matters. Further, if there are complications, and surgery or medicine is necessary to treat the baby, a low weight makes that more difficult and more risky.
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| smoking daughter, disapproving mother |
- A mother by definition is one who nurtures, helps develop, and smoking only hinders this process.
- Children of smoking mothers have a many fold chance greater of becoming smokers than children of non-smoking mothers. Furthermore, such children normally begin in their teens, when their bodies aren't fully developed, and they are often not mature enough to understand the possible consequences of the decision that they are making, or how becoming a smoker is probably the most life-altering and lifelong decision they will ever make.