Smoking is a Women's Health Issue Across the Life Cycle - Holland, A.C.

Question 1

Dysplasia

Answer 1

A precancerous condition in which abnormal cell formation occurs (shown in cervical and vulvar cancers).

Question 2

Menstrual dysfunction

Answer 2

Cigarette smoking contributes to this, through affecting menstrual irregularity, intermenstrual bleeding, dysmenorrhea and secondary amenorrhea. Any influence on the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian (HPO) pathway can lead to menstrual cycle dysfunction.

Question 3

Abstract

Answer 3

Although many women know about the risks of lung cancer and cardiovascular disease that stem from tobacco use, many don’t realize there are several other potential health consequences of smoking, such as impact to one’s reproductive health, bladder health, bone health, etc

Question 4

How does cigarette smoking impact conception and fertility?

Answer 4

Cigarette smoking is associated with reproductive impairment, including decreased fecundity rates, increased infertility rates, decreased in vitro fertilization (IVF) success rates and increased rates of miscarriage.

Question 5

Relationship between cervical and vulvar cancers and smoking?

Answer 5

Smoking has been assocaited with dysplasia of the cervix and vulva. There is double the risk of developing both cancers than a woman who doesn’t smoke. And smokers have a more difficult time clearing a human papilloma virus (HPV)

Question 6

How does smoking impact menopause/perimenopause?

Answer 6

Smoking is associated with early menopause onset and increased risk of vasomotor symptoms. When compared to nonsmokers, female smokers experience a shorter perimenopausal period. They also enter menopause earlier than expected by 2-4 years. The rationale for this observation is unclear, but smoking is associated with elevated FSH levels

Question 7

How does smoking impact bladder health?

Answer 7

Urinary urgency and frequency are three times more common in female smokers than in nonsmokers.
The exact pathophysiological relationship between smoking and overactive bladder symptoms remains unclear. It sands to reason that the anti-estrogenic effect smoking has on estrogen receptors plays a role, since we know that estrogen receptors are located in the urogenital track and estrogen supports healthy bladder functioning.

Question 8

How does smoking impact bone health?

Answer 8

An association between lower bone density and smoking has been observed among postmenopausal women. There are several potential mechanisms that have been proposed for how smoking leads to osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures:
- Lower body weight as commonly found in female smokers
- Antiestrogenic effect of smoking
- Increased bone resorption, which can lead to osteoporosis

Question 9

What should medical professionals, especially nurses do to aid in smoking cessation?

Answer 9

Nurses can significantly influence the prevention and cessation of smoking by asking women at each health care encounter about tobacco use and readiness to quit smoking.
they should capture every opportunity to educate women of all ages about risks associated with smoking and to emphasize the protective benefit of smoking cessation throughout a woman’s lifespan.