Woman are more open to smoking side effects than men. Smoking ladies are likely to start smoking at an earlier age which could be as young as 13 or 14 and they experiment with smoking more than boys of the same age. So much so that between the ages of 15 to 17, the number of girls smoking is greater than the number of boys of the same age. It is only at the age 18 to 19 do the number of boys smoking exceed the number of girls smokers.



Effect of Smoking on Females

Females have more effects due to smoking than males. Females can suffer from childlessness due to smoking. A recent study demonstrated that female smokers have double chances of childlessness than non-smoking females. Smoking decreases the number of oocytes (eggs) in female reproductive internal organ. An experiment was done on animals, which showed that nicotine was the main cause of decrease in oocytes.

Smoking women witness abnormal functioning of fallopian tubes, which carry eggs from ovary to the uterus. Smoking disturbs the physiological levels of reproductive hormones, increases the pelvic inflammatory disease and reduces embryo implantation. Babies born to smoking females develop ectopia problems. The rate of respiratory diseases increases in babies of females, who smoke. Sudden death of babies after the delivery is mostly a scenario with the smoking females.

Heart disease is the most common cause of death among ladies. Smoking is the main cause of the heart diseases. Heart diseases take more lives of women every year than all other types of cancer combined. Smoking increases the blood pressure, which causes strokes. Every year in the United States, about 160,000 deaths are due to strokes and out of them 100,000 were females. Strokes not only lead to death, but may also make the person permanently disabled. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is another disorder seen in smoking females.

Studies indicate that women are more susceptible to the harmful effects of smoking than males. This studies report that respiratory disorders, deteriorating health, reproductive disorders and lung diseases are more in smoking females, than smoking males. The female teenager of a smoking parent has a higher chance to develop asthma, bronchial diseases at the early age of 18. Globally, cigarette smoking is the main cause of respiratory diseases, reduced lung function and lower grade of Self-Rated Health (SRH). Female smokers have larger reduction in expiratory lung function, than male smokers.

Another disease caused by smoking is diabetes. Around 18 million people suffer from diabetes of which 37,000 deaths a year were female. Many females develop diabetes due to excessive smoking habits. The last stage of diabetes shows symptoms such as blindness, nerve damage and kidney failure. To avoid diabetes, smoking females should avoid smoking, conduct regular tests of sugar levels and by maintaining a controlled and healthy diet.

A recent medical study reported that smoking is the main cause of acne in humans, especially females. Smoking causes a particular type of acne known as Non-Inflammatory Acne (NIA). Large blackheads and blocked pores are the characteristics of NIA.

Researchers studied 100 females of ages 25 to 40 and reported that 46% of smokers had acne. Teen smokers have a greater chance of skin disorders. Smoking females also suffer from premature aging of skin, leathery complexion and wrinkles. On the whole, smoking has more harmful effects on women than men.