Women, Don’t Lie About Your Health To The Doctor

LIE: “I’m not a smoker.”

Some women don’t consider themselves smokers because they don’t smoke two packs of cigarettes a day. When they go to the doctor, they don’t think it’s important to let the doctor know that they do smoke because they really only do it on the weekends, anyway, or they only take a couple of drags every time.

To your doctor, though, it does matter to know that you do smoke, regardless of how often. If you’re taking hormones, lighting up, even if you only do it on rare occasions, still increases your risk for blood clots and stroke. If you need a prescription for the pill for contraceptive purposes or simply to clear up your skin or regulate your menstruation, it’s important that you’re honest with your doctor about your smoking habits. Yes, he’ll probably remind you of the more serious risks of smoking, which you already know, like respiratory disease, emphysema, cardiovascular disease, and lung cancer. But if you need medication, he can figure out a safer option for you.