An Orthopedist With a Clinic for Sports Medicine in Commerce TX Wants Patients to Quit Smoking

by | Feb 11, 2016 | Healthcare

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A middle-aged woman who gets plenty of weight-bearing activity decreases her risk of osteoporosis. That’s important since osteoporosis is common in women after menopause due to hormonal changes. However, if this woman has a tobacco-smoking habit, she is doing something counterproductive for maintaining bone density and strength. If she ever breaks a bone and needs assistance from a clinic for Sports Medicine in Commerce TX, the orthopedist will strongly encourage her to quit smoking. The fracture may have happened because of reduced bone density.

Nicotine has a negative effect on the body’s ability to produce new bone cells. It reduces the activity of osteoblasts, which are the cells that produce new bone tissue. Regular production of new bone tissue is essential because of cell turnover in the body. Smoking tobacco also interferes with calcium uptake by bone cells since it damages receptors that absorb calcium.

The more cigarettes the woman smokes, the worse the problem tends to be. It may not be likely that a heavy smoker is very active in vigorous sports because she will probably have breathing issues during aerobic exercise. However, she still might take regular walks, play some badminton or go for bike rides. The risk of breaking a bone now is greater if she ever trips and falls or gets into a collision on the bike.

This person has more protection for bone health if she takes several walks a week or does other activity on her feet since that type of exercise helps maintain and build bone density. A doctor with a facility such as Paris Orthopedic Clinic PA is glad to hear about middle-aged women making the effort to stay active. Nevertheless, this is not an excuse to continue smoking, as the exercise cannot counteract the negative effects on bone. It also does not protect against all the other serious health issues connected with tobacco smoking.

For all these reasons, an orthopedist with a clinic for Sports Medicine in Commerce TX wants patients to stop smoking now. The doctor can provide a prescription for medication that helps smokers quit. Nicotine patches and other smoking cessation products are available over the counter, but a prescription can be valuable if the patient’s health insurance will pay for those items.

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