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Smoking & Conception

Why do we smoke?

Neither I nor any of us in this world can give an accurate answer to it. Then why??

Probably habit, that’s what differentiates between healthy and unhealthy.

What starts with peer pressure in early years becomes an obsessive compulsion to have a cigarette in later years. The addiction to nicotine is so poisonous that situations can be created to have a smoke. It’s the urge to smoke to gain satisfaction,  urge to smoke for not to feel alone, the urge to smoke to celebrate success, the urge to smoke to cope up with failures, the urge for high self-esteem and the list is endless.

There are innumerable articles written about the ill effects of smoking and the bottom tag line in a cigarette packet “smoking is injurious to health”, hardly ever bothers a smoker. In fact, a smoker might doubt about the originality of the cigarette pack if it doesn’t come with the tag line. Such is the ill effect of smoking which mars one’s power of reasoning.

Women who smoke, not only compromise there health but also compromise there fertility status and maximizes pregnancy complications.

Facts:

  1. Smoking decreases the female hormone – estradiol, necessary for egg development.
  2. Smoking may lead to premature ovarian failure.
  3. Menopause sets in at a very early age.
  4. The quality of eggs diminishes resulting in failed or poor fertilization.
  5. Nicotine of smoke alters the mitotic spindle of oocytes, which can produce genetically abnormal conceptus. free download photoshop cs5 full version + serial number
  6. Nicotine alters the tubal propulsive movements leading to defective sperm and embryo transport and ectopic pregnancy.
  7. Nicotine narrows down the caliber of blood vessels of pelvis supplying blood to ovaries, uterus.
  8. It is a well-known fact that oxygen-rich blood is required for a healthy life to bloom. If blood supply is sub-optimal in the endometrium,  a  hostile environment for implantation is created which can favor miscarriage.
  9. Chances of low birth weight baby, premature birth is high.
  10. Higher chances of assisted reproductive technology procedures due to long-standing infertility due to reasons mentioned above.
  11. Higher doses of injectable hormones required to generate more eggs and subsequently to raise the estradiol levels. Less number of eggs are harvested in IVF procedures, poor fertilization rate, and compromised embryo quality which all favor defective implantation and compromises pregnancy outcome.
  12. In men, smoking lowers sperm count, motility and abnormalities in sperm morphology. All this further contributing to Poor reproductive outcome.

The above-mentioned facts summarize the ill effects of smoking in reproduction.

Over and above this, there are plenty of studies done all over the world which has demonstrated the relation of smoking with bad oral hygiene, heart disease, stroke, and cancer to name a few.

In spite,  of understanding and knowing all these facts, there are people who still smoke. Probably the answer lies in the fact that we all are becoming slaves of urbanization where the race to achieve the highest target generates a lot of stress and get trapped in the myth that smoking is a stress buster.

Though still enigmatic many countries all over the world still sell this slow poison openly and legally.

Strict laws should be enacted to ban the selling of this product.

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Dr Partha Das

Dr Partha Das is a highly skilled fertility/IVF Physician specializing in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. Dr Partha consults and manages patients presenting with complex gynecological, male and female infertility issues and management of recurrent miscarriage and IVF failures.

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