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Smoking increases pain of cramps. Menstrual cramps are bad enough without smoking coming along to make them worse. But new research has found that women who smoke are more likely to have severe menstrual cramps than their non-smoking counterparts. The researchers found the likelihood increased with the number of cigarettes smoked. “The researchers also found that the earlier women started to smoke, the higher their risk of chronically painful periods. Specifically, the risk was 59 percent higher for women who started to smoke before age 13, and 50 percent higher for those who took up cigarettes at age 14 or 15. The results may provide an incentive for young women to abstain from smoking.” Why this might happen is unclear, but it may have to do with how blood vessels are affected by smoking. “We know that smoking causes narrowing of the blood vessels and decreased blood supply. When this happens with the uterus, it can cause pain.”
