Know the Risks

You probably know that smoking causes many health issues, such as cancer and an increased risk of heart disease.  However, smoking can create other serious and life-threatening health problems as well.  If you have diabetes, smoking can further complicate your disease and put your health at serious risk.

Diabetes and Smoking-

A Deadly Combination

Smoking and diabetes can both cause many health problems.  But if you have diabetes- and smoke, you more than double your risk of illness and death from heart attack, stroke and poor circulation.  People who have diabetes and smoke are more likely to suffer from these additional health problems:

• Smoking increases insulin resistance, which can cause HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE.
• Smokers with diabetes can cut the amount of oxygen going to tissues, causing HIGH CHOLESTEROL.
• You could develop eye, KIDNEY DISEASE and even BLINDNESS.
• You could develop cardiovascular complications, such as HEART ATTACK, STROKE and HARDENING OF THE ARTERIES.
• A smoker who has diabetes is three times more likely to die from HEART DISEASE than a non-smoker with diabetes.
• If you have diabetes, smoking DAMAGES BLOOD VESSELS, which can increase your risk for INFECTIONS AND AMPUTATIONS. 
  

Tobacco has many bad health effects, particularly for people with diabetes. No matter how long you've smoked, your health will improve after you quit.

Nicotine, the drug in tobacco, is one of the most addictive substances known. Besides the physical addiction, many smokers also become psychologically hooked on cigarettes. So kicking the habit is hard - but worth the work. There are many methods you can try to help you quit and stay away from smoking for good.

Smoking Hurts Your Health

The best-known effect of smoking is that it causes cancer. Smoking can also aggravate many problems that people with diabetes already face, such as heart and blood vessel disease.

1. Smoking cuts the amount of oxygen reaching tissues. The decrease in oxygen can lead to a heart attack, stroke, miscarriage, or stillbirth.
   
   
2. Smoking increases your cholesterol levels and the levels of some other fats in your blood, raising your risk of a heart attack.
   
   
3. Smoking damages and constricts the blood vessels. This damage can worsen foot ulcers and lead to blood vessel disease and leg and foot infections.
   
   
4. Smokers with diabetes are more likely to get nerve damage and kidney disease.
   
   
5. Smokers get colds and respiratory infections easier.
   
   
6. Smoking increases your risk for limited joint mobility.
   
   
7. Smoking can cause cancer of the mouth, throat, lung, and bladder.
   
   
8. People with diabetes who smoke are three times as likely to die of cardiovascular disease as are other people with diabetes.
   
   
9. Smoking increases your blood pressure.
   
   
10. Smoking raises your blood sugar level, making it harder to control your diabetes.
    
    
11. Smoking can cause impotence.

For more information about Smoking from the American Diabetes Association: