Smoking can increase your risk of developing osteoporosis as well as contributing to many other medical conditions. Osteoporosis causes bones to become weak and brittle and can lead to bone fractures and chronic pain.
Smoking increases your risk of developing osteoporosis by increasing the likelihood of entering menopause at an earlier age. One of the effects of menopause is reduced estrogen levels. Estrogen, a female sex hormone, maintains bone density by keeping calcium in the bones. As estrogen levels decreases, so does the amount of calcium in the bones. Less calcium in the bones results in lower bone density, that is, weak bones.
One of the first steps in reducing your risk of osteoporosis other medical conditions like stroke and heart attack is to
stop smoking. Stopping smoking is likely to prolong your bone health and reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis.
There are several ways to stop smoking:
- using will power alone, (cold turkey)
- using nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)
- using the medication Zyban (bupropion)
- using other alternative therapies
Always speak to your doctor before you stop smoking as it may affect some medication.
Read more about how to stop smoking at
QuitWay.com.
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