Smoking and Diabetes: Stopping Smoking to Reduce Your Risks
Even If you are an infrequent smoker, or do not think you are addicted to cigarettes, everyone knows that smoking is bad for your overall health. Not only can smoking contribute to higher risks for certain diseases, harming certain parts of your body, and effect the overall quality of your life by making you feel better, smell better, and have fewer wrinkles. This article will discuss the connection between smoking and diabetes, why to quit smoking if you are already struggling with diabetes, and a few tips on how to quit:
The Connection between Smoking and Diabetes
Just like obesity, genetics, and family history, smoking has also been linked to Type II Diabetes. If you smoke between 16 and 25 cigarettes per day, you may be 300% more likely to develop Type II Diabetes than a nonsmoker, even if you otherwise believe you are in great health. Mostly, this connection is thought to be between nicotine and the spike in hemoglobin and glucose that is an indicator of blood sugar. Smoking, combined with other risk factors, certainly makes you much more likely to have future health complications. Also, patients with diabetes who continue to smoke may also have further health complications, outlined below.
Why to Quit Smoking if you Have Diabetes
Even if you do not have diabetes, you should still quit smoking. However, if you have already been diagnosed with diabetes, it is especially important that you stop smoking now. To continue smoking may mean that you have a harder time managing your diabetes because smoking raises your blood sugar levels. Researchers believe this is because of nicotine present. This means that those with diabetes may not be able to use nicotine patches, gum, or electronic cigarettes to help quit smoking. Smoking may also put you at greater risk for developing heart, eye, vascular, and kidney diseases. You are also increasing the possibility of nerve damage, blindness, foot problems, and stroke.
Tips on Quitting Smoking
- Talk to your doctor about options that are right for you. They may be able to prescribe a drug to help you quit.
- Seek out a local support group or therapy session.
- Try acupuncture or hypnosis.
- If you do not have diabetes, nicotine replacements such as patches, gun, or electronic cigarettes may help you quit smoking.
- Try to gradually cut down on the number of cigarettes your smoke per day until you have quit.
- Quit smoking all at once by going cold turkey.
- Decide when to quit, stick to that date, let others know, and try to keep your stress levels low.
- Try to get another friend or family member to quit with you. This way, you can help to support one another.
- Keep a list of reasons you are quitting. Make this list visible so you can see it on a daily basis
- Throw away all the things in your home that tempt you. These things include cigarettes, rolling papers, tobacco, lighters, matches, and ashtrays.