How does smoking make PCOS worse?

A staggering amount of women suffer from this endocrine imbalance, and smoking can make it much worse by provoking some of its symptoms. While smoking is unhealthy for everyone, tobacco use is especially unhealthy for women with PCOS. read more

As with many other conditions, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) can be exacerbated by certain lifestyle choices. Also known as Stein-Leventhal Syndrome or PCOD (Polycystic Ovarian Disorder), this condition occurs when a woman’s body produces an excessive amount of androgens, or male hormones. read more

Ergo, one might expect that smoking + PCOS may place an individual at even higher risk for metabolic syndrome and its complications (diabetes, heart disease) than either condition alone. It appears that this hypothesis has been studied: Cigarette smoking, nicotine levels and increased risk for metabolic syndrome in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. read more

Smoking can increase your risk for heart disease, atherosclerosis, and diabetes. You are at a much higher risk of developing those conditions when you have PCOS, so do yourself a favor and skip behaviors that will only make that risk higher. Check with your doctor if you need help kicking the habit. read more