How smoking is affecting you sexually?

Smoking has a negative effect on your body because it can cause several disorders like high blood pressure, lung cancer, and mouth cancer.

Not only this, but smoking also affects your sexual performance and restricts you from staying long in bed.

There are almost 600 different ingredients present in cigarettes and most of them are toxic.

When you inhale cigarette smoke, various chemicals are ingested like carbon monoxide, ammonia, and hydrogen cyanide.

Consequently, your overall health is affected. Smoking has harmful effects on your sexual function and fertility.

Females who smoke usually find difficulty in getting pregnant, while males have low sperm counts and suffer from erectile dysfunction.

Moreover, smoking can cause high blood pressure and circulatory problems, reducing feelings of urging for males and females.

Several people smoke to relieve their stress but this habit can increase feelings of anxiety and tension.

This increase can further have an impact on your sexual life and contribute to decreased sexual drive.

Effects of smoking on men’s sexual health

Smoking can increase your risk of experiencing the following sexual health issues:

Erectile dysfunction

Smoking damages the vascular system which is necessary for the process of assisting erections.

While erections demand a smooth flow of blood to male sexual organs and men who smoke often experience ED.

This is because smoking damages blood vessels and restricts them from functioning smoothly.

The presence of nicotine in cigarettes affects your blood flow, something that is necessary to attain and maintain an erection.

Furthermore, a person who smokes more, there is a greater risk of experiencing erectile dysfunction.

In a study, it was revealed that men who smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day have a 60% higher risk of experiencing ED.

Luckily, erectile function can be improved by quitting smoking.

Decreased fertility

Smoking can impact fertility in men negatively and cause severe issues.

In men, smoking has been linked to sperm count, reduced semen volume, and sperm motility.

Therefore, men who want to enjoy good fertility must quit smoking immediately.

Decreased stamina

Health difficulties linked with smoking not only affect your overall health but also your stamina.

This further can affect your sexual performance and restrict you from indulging in lovemaking sessions. 

Heart disorders, respiratory disease, cardiovascular problems, and other issues affect your ability to stay active physically.

It also includes the physical activity required to indulge in sexual intercourse with your partner. 

It is noticed that men who smoke have more chances to develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

People with COPD experience decreased stamina and shortness of breath when physically active.

Men might be required to experiment with less challenging sexual positions or plan for intercourse when well-rested.

Tissue damage

Smoking is responsible for damaging tissues present inside male sexual organs.

As a result, your ability to experience hard erections during sexual intercourse is impaired.

Decrease in size

Smoking can reduce the size of the male reproductive organs in men by harming the blood vessels and structure of tissues around them.

However, this problem is more common in younger men.

Effects of smoking on women’s sexual health

Females who smoke often experience problems with their sexual activity and find difficulty in getting pregnant.

Here are some effects of smoking on women’s sexual health:

Decreased arousal

Smoking can damage your blood vessels and lead to restrictions in blood flow.

With time, blood vessel walls thicken and make it hard for blood to flow properly around your body.

When smoking restricts blood flow to the genital area, it can decrease sensations of arousal. 

Some women even find problems in achieving perfect orgasm.

Women who go through menopause must quit smoking to enjoy a good sexual life.

Remember smoking can decrease the effects of estrogen and make it more difficult for you to get aroused.

Early menopause

As a woman, if you smoke then you might experience menopause almost 2 years earlier than non-smokers.

Smoking can also make you experience a number of menopausal symptoms.

This happens because smoking causes a decrease in females’ estrogen levels which further causes vaginal dryness, fatigue, and mood shifts.

Decreased libido

Sometimes, smoking can decrease a female’s libido and cause various health disorders.

Female smokers often have a high desire for sexual activity when compared to female non-smokers.

However the presence of nicotine in cigarettes lowers sexual drives in females because of decreased libido.

Fertility problems and pregnancy worries

Women who smoke typically have more chances of experiencing fertility problems.

One major risk of smoking is experiencing trouble getting pregnant.

Smoking while pregnant can increase health risks for pregnant women and unborn fetuses as well.

During pregnancy, if you smoke, it can cause the following problems:

• Miscarriage
• Issues with placenta
• Stillbirth
• Ectopic pregnancy

Children born to women who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to have a baby with a cleft palate or lip.

Quit smoking and enhance your sexual life

Quitting smoking not only aids in improving your overall health but also enhances your sexual life.

Giving up smoking habits can lead to better performance, increased libido, and enjoyable sexual health for both men & women.

Remember sexual dysfunction is common in males and females. Also, it can cause tension, if not addressed on time.

Therefore, several therapies can aid you in recovering from the damage that is caused by smoking and prevent further damage.