The woman and her new found companion in distress, the Mr. no-do-gooder, nicotine, seem to be having a whale of a time together, but at what cost?
Let’s run a crackdown on what she runs at stake from her romance with nicotine.
It’s the talk of the health circles! Cigarette smoking causes yellowish to brownish-black discoloration of teeth. It increases the accumulation of dental tartar and decreases flow of saliva, thereby upping the chances of increased dental cavities. Smoking also causes definite inflammation of the gums and it’s even gossiped that lips have turned darker, defaulters have admitted!
With increase in frequency and duration of smoking, women are at an increased risk of losing their teeth and developing oral cancers, which results in disfiguration of faces post surgical procedures in an attempt to save the woman and at unfortunate times, death!
Now, that literally leaves a bad taste in the mouth in the likes of a strong metallic odor. Ask your neighbor!
Oh yes! This allegation has finally gained some hard facts with the implication of a “smoker’s face.” A condition unique to smokers, it’s a combination of wrinkles, gaunt features and an oddly colored complexion.
A report in the Lancet, the UK’s leading medical journal, suggests that nicotine (the drug content of tobacco in the form of cigarettes, cigars or sheesha) switches on a gene that destroys collagen (the structural protein that gives skin its elasticity). By the age of 40 to 50, the facial wrinkles resemble those of nonsmokers who have them at 70. The wrinkles are attributed to the fact that smoking constricts the blood capillaries that nourish the skin, thereby depriving it of the much-needed glow-nutrients.
The good news though is that the effects are reversible if women quit earlier than after decades of their tryst. On the flipside, another study suggested excessive wrinkling even among those between 40 and 50 years old who had only smoked during their teens and twenties.
Just 10 minutes of smoking is enough to decrease the body and skin’s oxygen supply for an hour!
Smoking is known to cause thinning of hair, pre-mature or early graying and in extreme cases, female balding.
Oh yes! This one will make whatever hair there is left, to stand on its end!
This one plays tricks! It has been strongly suggested that women who use oral contraceptives and smoke, run 20 times the risk of developing blood clots, heart attacks and strokes. The risk is known to increase over age and women smokers above 35 are strongly reprimanded by doctors to not use contraceptives and advised to routinely get their blood pressure checked every six to nine months.
Are you trying to have a baby? Consider this: smoking predisposes a woman to develop menstrual abnormalities like irregular bleeding, amenorrhea (absence of menstruation), discharges, infections and PID (pelvic inflammatory disease) — a painful condition requiring immediate medical attention that causes ectopic pregnancies, pelvic adhesions and infertility problems.
Smoking, including second-hand smoke, reduces the success rates of aided fertility treatments like IVF.
Women smokers have decreased ovulatory response, impaired fertilization (10 to 40 percent reduced chances per cycle) and slim chances of implantation of the zygote for successful pregnancies to occur. Chemicals in tobacco make the cervical fluid toxic for the sperms to achieve possible conception.
The higher the number of cigarettes a woman smokes, the longer she takes to conceive than her non-smoking counterparts. Smoking women are also known to show symptoms of early menopause, two to three years earlier than nonsmokers.
Smoking during pregnancy increases the chances for miscarriages, pre-term labor, low-birth weight babies and child morbidity.
Smoking during pregnancy also predisposes the fetus to develop birth defects due to the presence of toxic chemicals that pass into the blood stream of the fetus through the mother.
A research study is linking fertility problems of males and females with maternal smoking during their conception.
Children born to smoking mothers develop more colds, respiratory infections, asthma, lower physical and mental development, reduced heights and undergo withdrawal symptoms soon after birth just like adults, resulting in increased pediatric visits. Women who smoke are also less likely to breast-feed their babies, depriving them of health benefits.
Withdrawal symptoms are a reality a quitter needs to face with a brave heart. Headaches, cravings, mood swings, irritation, restlessness, inability to focus and increased stress are only coping mechanisms of the body to readjust to your “pre-nicotine” way of life.
This one time you’re allowed! Because the future benefits far outweigh the short-lived pleasures!
Just remember, the phase is temporary and there will be plenty of fish for you to replace the turkeys with. And the fish will certainly start tasting better. Yes, there has been evidence of altered taste functions in relation to smoking.
Getting there isn’t easy; it’s a long haul but it’s certainly possible!
Smoking is as much a physical addiction as mental and biological. The nicotine craving is as potent as the need for cocaine or even heroin. Follow a series of strategies to break and overcome all these aspects.
Join a support group for encouragement, speak to friends and family about your decision to quit and ask for patience and understanding on their part to put up with your withdrawal symptoms. You may be surprised to learn how supportive they will be.
Consider NRT (Nicotine Replacement Therapy) gums/patches and bupropion medication only after consultation with your doctor. Counseling is also a good consideration since you will gain much support and insight on coping measures through your counselor.
Try using mock cigarettes and chewing gums for distraction. Hypnotic therapy is also breaking new ground in the treatment of nicotine-cessation programs. Always remember, however, that this is a psycho-physical aspect you are dealing with.
It’s almost impossible to stop at word “go,” so go easy. If you smoke 10 cigarettes a day, then cut down that number to half for three months, then break that reduced number into another half for the next three months, following suit until you achieve the zero target.
Drink 1.5 to 2 liters of water per day and herbal teas to counteract the acidifying and drying effects of smoking and to drain the body of the tobacco toxins.
Include vitamin C supplements as part of the daily diet.
Reduce intake of fries, cakes, white sugar and white-flour products and increase servings of fresh vegetables.
Surround yourself with invigorating aromas to calm those ticked nerves.
Start exercising to increase your breathing power.
Meditate, pray regularly and go sightseeing.
Nobody ever died from giving up smoking. It’s time to kick your butt and get on the road to recovery!
