How Does Smoking Affect Fertility in Male and Female

Smoking and Fertility? Sounds unconnected and unusual.

But what if we tell you that smoking isn’t just about affecting your respiratory system or cardiovascular system but also about creating a mess with other parts of your body as well? 

One of those messy consequences is that it can affect one’s ability to have a baby. Yes, you read that right. 

Those feel-good cigarettes might relieve you of your stress for a while, but later on, they become the major hurdle on your becoming a parent journey. 

You might think that what we are saying is just a marketing gimmick or a scare tactic. But, no. A lot of research and studies show a strong connection between issues with fertility in both men and women. 

All those life-threatening and body-damaging chemicals are like vandals that attack and destroy your reproductive system from the inside. 

The effect of smoking on men’s fertility comes out as damage to their sperm. In contrast, smoking’s effects on women’s fertility are known to disrupt ovulation and heighten the risk of pregnancy complications. 

Therefore, if you are somebody who is planning to conceive and start a family, this is the right time to reconsider your smoking habit. It is time to dive deep into the integrities of whether smoking causes fertility issues and how you can enhance your chances of having a healthy baby. 

Effect of smoking on Men’s Fertility

For all the males out there, smoking might look cool and get you the social acceptance you desire, but deep down, it is damaging your reproductive system. Here is all that happens –

1. Decrease in Sperm Quality 

All those harmful chemicals, like tar, nicotine, etc, are real sperm killers. They lower sperm count, which makes it difficult for the sperm to fertilize the egg. Additionally, these chemicals can affect the shape and movement of your sperm, which makes it difficult for sperm to reach its final destination, i.e., the egg.

2. Harm to the DNA

To understand how smoking damages your DNA, assume your DNA is a blueprint. Now, with each puff you inhale, these chemicals harm this blueprint, which in turn leads to genetic mutations. As a consequence, smokers are more prone to the risk of miscarriages, congenital disabilities, after-baby problems, etc., as compared to non-smokers. 

3. Erectile Dysfunction 

To help you understand better, Erectile Dysfunction is when men can’t keep an erection firm enough for sexual intercourse. Smoking is the most significant contributor to this problem and directly affects fertility. 

Studies to Demonstrate Effect of Smoking on Men’s Fertility

• A study by Human Reproduction Update stated that smoking is linked to relatively lower sperm count, motility, and morphology. 
• Other research has also connected smoking to elevated sperm DNA damage, which in turn leads to fertility issues and pregnancy problems. 

Smoking effects on women’s fertility

Does smoking cause fertility issues? Can smoking affect getting pregnant? The answer to all these questions is Yes. Here is a list of problems it causes –

1. Early Menopause

Smoking can cause early exhaustion of your eggs, which in turn leads to early menopause. This makes it difficult to conceive and have a baby. 

2. Hormonal Issues

The substances involved in cigarettes cause chaos in your hormone levels, which cause issues with your menstrual cycle and ovulation, which in turn makes it difficult for you to get pregnant. 

3. More smoking, more complications 

Smoking before and after pregnancy leads to greater chances of miscarriages, premature birth, and post-birth defects in babies. 

4. Ectopic Pregnancy 

One of the most significant pregnancy risks is ectopic pregnancy. This is a kind of pregnancy when the fertilized egg implants itself outside the uterus, specifically in the fallopian tube. Smoking contributes significantly to increasing the chances of ectopic pregnancy. 

Studies to show Smoking effects on women’s fertility

• Human Reproduction published a study that stated that women who smoke are more prone to a drastically higher risk of infertility in comparison to non-smokers. 
• Several studies have shown that smoking can lower the option of getting success in pregnancy treatment like IVF, etc. 

Passive Smoking: The Silent Killer 

In several cases, all these problems are also caused by passive smokers as well. Passive Smoking or Secondhand smoke is when you are not a smoker, but you are still exposed to smoking. Even in such cases, your fertility is impacted negatively. The body-damaging chemicals in cigarettes have harmful effects on both male and female reproductive systems. 

The good part? Quitting smoking is the rescue

No matter what the complications are, quitting smoking at a time can improve your chances of fertility significantly. Your body has the fantastic power of healing itself, and as soon as you quit smoking, you make it happy while giving yourself a chance to become better and stronger. 

To men, as soon as they quit smoking, they will see an increase in the quality of their sperm. For women, the risk of problems during conceiving and pregnancy is significantly lower if they quit smoking before planning to start a family. 

And trust us when we say you don’t need any therapies or anything to quit smoking. All that you need is to have a strong mindset and techniques like meditation, mindfulness, physical exercises, etc. You don’t have to resort to NRT. Chewing gums, etc, to give up smoking. 

Once you quit smoking, your body will thank you for it. You will start to see an improvement in yourself while strengthening your bond with your body, with your loved ones, and with everyone around you. 

Tips to improve your fertility levels 

While smoking is known to harm your fertility levels, there are specific measures that can be taken to enhance your conceiving chances –
 

1. Quit Smoking
One of the most important steps, quitting smoking, can not only affect your pregnancy levels but also benefit other vital organs of your body.

2. Healthy Eating 

When you opt for a balanced diet consisting of enough proteins, vitamins, and other nutrients, you welcome better health and greater fertility levels.

3. No Stress 

Stress is known to affect fertility adversely. Therefore, it is essential to find ways to cope with it. 

4. Physical exercise is the key

Along with helping you to quit smoking, physical exercise can also help you keep up with your fertility levels. 

5. Say No to Alcohol

As smoking harms your fertility levels, so does alcohol. Therefore, it is advised to not consume alcohol before or after conceiving. 

Conclusion 

Your body is already blessed with impressive things to do. But, with things like smoking, you lower its ability. Therefore, it’s essential to make sure to help it with practices that help your body progress more.