Staying Well: Women's health risks decrease after quitting smoking

Staying Well: Women's health risks decrease after quitting smoking - Flint, Michigan Columns, Letters & Opinion - The Flint Journal – MLive.com: "Women who smoke are at an increased risk for various health problems, including cancer, heart disease, lung disease and early menopause. Female smokers are 59 percent more likely to begin menopause before the age of 45.

Women who smoke during pregnancy have an increased risk of preterm delivery and delivering a baby with low birth weight for gestational age.

There are immediate and long-term benefits for women who quit smoking. According to information obtained from the National Cancer Institute, levels of carbon monoxide in the blood begin to decline within a few hours of quitting smoking.

Decreased levels of carbon monoxide allow more oxygen to circulate through the heart and lungs which helps blood pressure and heart rate return to normal.

Within 5-15 years of quitting, stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker. The production of phlegm decreases after a few weeks of quitting causing reduced amounts of coughing and wheezing.

Lung function begins to improve after a few months.

Women who quit smoking may also reduce the risk of infertility. Pregnant women who quit smoking may reduce the risk of preterm delivery and having a baby with abnormally low birth weight."