Quit Smoking – Diabetes Under Control

Smoking can make controlling diabetes even more difficult. Your blood sugar levels rise when you use nicotine, making them more difficult to control. Smokers with diabetes frequently require higher insulin doses to maintain blood sugar levels that are close to their target ranges.

Diabetes can result in severe health issues like heart disease, renal failure, blindness, and nerve damage that can necessitate surgically amputating a toe, foot, or limb. People with diabetes who smoke are more likely to experience complications than those with diabetes who do not smoke.

Diabetes-related elevated blood sugar over time can harm the nerves in and around your heart as well as the blood vessels. Smoking cigarettes increases plaque, which harms blood vessels as well (a fatty, waxy substance that builds up on your artery walls).

Popular Ways to Quit Smoking

Given below are some strategies to quit smoking:

Try to quit all at once. Some individuals want to stop smoking gradually, but doing so might make the process more stressful because each step toward cessation may result in additional withdrawal symptoms.
Never give up. Many people make multiple failed attempts to quit before they succeed. People learn what works for them with each try. An unsuccessful attempt is merely one step in the process of successfully quitting, not a failure.
Recognize the addiction: Withdrawal sufferers may be concerned that the cravings and discomfort won’t ever go away. Some people could believe that their only source of pleasure is gone. But these unfavorable emotions are a result of the addiction, which can cloud one’s judgment.
Developing a new, healthier habit – Smoking is a physiological and behavioral addiction. It can be beneficial to dispel the connection between smoking and particular activity. For instance, instead of lighting up before starting the day, a person could take a little stroll around the block.
Consult a doctor before attempting nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), as it does not work for all smokers and should not be used by individuals who have diabetes.
Counseling – Counseling and psychotherapy can assist people in comprehending their reasons for smoking and their beliefs that it helps them cope. They also offer assistance with the emotional difficulties of quitting.
Medication – Some people who desire to kick the habit can benefit from taking medications that help people quit. Some of these medications also assist with the emotional side effects of quitting, and they can lessen cravings. A doctor should be consulted by smokers to see whether it is safe to use these medications along with their diabetes meds.
Encourage others to follow you – If another family member smokes, discuss stopping together. In this way, people can support one another. The individual who is quitting still risks exposure to smoke if the other person keeps smoking. It may be more difficult to quit smoking if you are exposed to secondhand smoke, which also poses a health risk.

Quit Smoking for Better Diabetes Management

For efficient diabetes control, it is important to quit smoking. When you quit smoking benefits will begin to appear soon. Some of the benefits are listed below:

Better control over blood sugar which results in better control of diabetes: Because smoking is linked to insulin resistance, which occurs when the body is unable to adequately respond to the insulin it produces and blood sugar levels rise, smoking makes it more difficult to control blood sugar levels. Quitting smoking will relieve your blood sugar management of this additional stress.
Lower possibility of kidney problems: Diabetic nephropathy, a condition that can cause difficulties with the kidneys, is a danger for people with diabetes. Smoking damages the blood vessels that supply the kidneys, which can cause kidney disease in individuals who already have it to worsen more quickly.
Lower risk of developing heart disease: If you smoke while having diabetes, your risk of developing heart disease is 2 to 3 times higher than if you didn’t smoke. Your blood vessels and heart will thank you if you give up smoking because smoking exacerbates the problems caused by diabetes, which include inflammation and blood vessel narrowing. When you stop smoking, your heart will benefit both immediately and over time. Your blood pressure and heart rate will start to return to normal in 20 minutes, your additional risk of heart disease will have decreased by half after one year, and after 2 to 5 years of quitting, your risk of stroke may be equal to that of a nonsmoker.
Reduced possibility of foot issues: Diabetic neuropathy is a consequence of diabetes that can result in nerve damage, inadequate blood flow to the legs and feet, and other problems. Peripheral vascular disease, foot infections, ulceration, and, in severe situations, amputation, can all result from this combination. The nerves and blood arteries that supply the legs and feet can experience increased blood flow restrictions as a result of smoking. The good news is that circulation can improve within three weeks to two months of quitting smoking.
Lowered risks of eye ailments: Smoking destroys the blood vessels that supply the eyes and has also been connected to higher-than-normal intraocular pressure, which can cause glaucoma and damage to the optic nerve. Diabetes harms the eyes as well and can result in diabetic retinopathy, a blinding eye condition. Giving up smoking lowers the chance of getting eye disease and can decrease the progression of eye disease if present.
Lowered risks of mouth infections and gum disease: By increasing your risk for gum disease, throat, and mouth cancer, as well as fungal infections of the mouth, smoking can have an impact on your oral health. Diabetes also raises your chance of developing gum disease and fungus infections in your mouth. In addition to lowering your risk for gum disease and oral infections, quitting smoking also enhances your sense of taste and smell, making meals more enjoyable. Therefore quitting smoking is one of the best tips for diabetes control.

References:

Cigarette smoking is one of the leading causes of diabetes and heart diseases in the world. People who smoke are 30-40% more prone to developing type 2 diabetes than nonsmokers. Not only does smoking cause diabetes, but it also worsens your diabetes health. If you have diabetes and you still smoke, your medications and treatment may get severely affected. Smoking is also associated with many other diseases such as heart diseases, kidney diseases, etc. As diabetes patients are already likely to develop these complications, smoking further increases the chances of getting these diseases. Therefore, it is extremely important to quit smoking to prevent diabetes as well as manage it effectively.

How Does Smoking Increase Your Risk Of Diabetes?

Smoking may cause inflammation in the body, which can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. The chemicals present in cigarettes can interfere with the proper functioning of the cells and cause inflammation, significantly reducing the effectiveness of insulin in the body.
The chemicals of the cigarette can also meet oxygen in the body and cause damage to the cells. It will cause oxidative stress in the body, increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Smoking also increases the chances of getting abdominal fat. Abdominal or belly fat can increase the production of cortisol, which is known to increase blood sugar levels in the body.

How Does Smoking Affect Your Diabetes Management?

Smoking can interfere with your treatment and reduce the effectiveness of insulin in the body. Therefore, diabetes patients who smoke usually need larger doses of insulin to control their blood sugar levels.

People with diabetes are already prone to many health complications. Smoking can increase the risk of getting these diabetes complications, including:

Heart diseases and strokes
Respiratory diseases
Kidney diseases
Diabetic retinopathy and blindness
Never and blood vessel damage in the feet and legs, which can result in foot complications such as ulcers and amputations.

Tips To Quit Smoking

Instead of quitting gradually, try to quit smoking in one go.
Don’t keep lighters, matchsticks or ashtrays near you. It will help you avoid the urge to smoke.
When you crave cigarettes, take deep breaths or eat nuts or fruits.
Find a new and healthy activity as a substitute for smoking. For example, instead of smoking in the morning, take a short and brisk walk.
Counselling and psychotherapy are highly effective to help you quit smoking and deal with withdrawal symptoms and emotional challenges that you may suffer later.
You may also opt for nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). However, if you are diabetic, you must consult your doctor before trying it.
Certain drugs also help in quitting smoking and dealing with emotional side effects. However, if you have diabetes, you must consult your doctor before using these drugs.
Ask your friends and family members who smoke to quit as well. It will help you get company and support.

Takeaway

Smoking is one of the leading causes of diabetes and can significantly worsen your diabetes health. It can also increase the risk of many diabetes complications such as heart diseases, retinopathy, nerve damage, foot complications, etc. Therefore, quitting smoking is essential if you want to prevent and manage your diabetes well. However, if you have diabetes, you must consult your doctor before quitting smoking. Your doctor will help you steer a healthy path. Otherwise, you may end up struggling with your appetite and blood sugar levels.