Smoking significantly harms a woman's eggs by accelerating their loss and causing irreversible damage.
Here's a breakdown of how smoking affects a woman's eggs:
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Accelerated Egg Loss: Chemicals in cigarette smoke, including nicotine, cyanide, and carbon monoxide, speed up the rate at which eggs are lost from the ovaries.
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Irreversible Damage: Once eggs are lost or damaged, they cannot be regenerated or replaced. Women are born with a finite number of eggs, and smoking prematurely depletes this reserve.
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Earlier Menopause: Due to the accelerated egg loss, women who smoke typically experience menopause 1 to 4 years earlier than non-smokers.
In Summary: Smoking negatively impacts a woman's fertility by speeding up the loss of eggs, causing irreversible damage, and leading to earlier menopause. This effect is due to the toxic chemicals present in cigarette smoke.
