Smoking From A Young Age Can Increase Period Pain

First Posted: Nov 18, 2014 10:42 AM EST
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Smoking can increase the risk of menstrual cramps, according to recent findings published in the British Medical Journal.

Researchers found that many women may experience dysmenorrhea, or period discomfort, with extensively severe pain in up to 29 percent of women. Yet this pain was found to be much higher when women were smoking as part of their regular routine and if they had started at a young age. 

For the latest research, study authors based their findings on an extensive study of 9,000 women who participated in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Researchers found that about 7 percent of women involved in the study started smoking by as early as 13. Another 14 percent had started between the ages of 14 and 15. Study findings indicated that 8 percent of women had also started smoking before they began having periods.

Participants were divided into four groups depending on the type of duration and period pain they experienced.

Researchers found that around 42 percent of the participants were part of the "normative" group that suffered no or few period symptoms. Another 33 percent of women were part of the "recovering group," that suffered less period pain from 40 percent between the ages of 22 and 27, to 10 percent by 34 to 39. A remaining 14 percent were put in the "chronic" group when they suffered from frequent period pain between 70 percent and 80 percent during the study monitoring period.

The study results reiterate how current smokers are much more likely to deal with chronic period pain, especially if they began smoking at age 13.

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