At this point, many of you should already know that smoking isn’t good for you. For those who don’t, well now you know. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that smoking can lead to a variety of smoking-related illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung disease, diabetes, immune system conditions, and more. We want to examine the link between tobacco and diabetes and how tobacco contributes to getting diabetes or complications with diabetes if you have it already. Read on to learn about the negative effects associated with smoking.
- Smoking leads to reduced oxygen
Smoking leads to less oxygen reaching the tissues in your body. Smoking does this by raising your blood pressure which stresses your heart. In doing so, the heart is able to pump less blood to other parts of the body. Carbon monoxide from the cigarette also contributes to this lack of oxygen. This leads to poor circulation which in diabetics who also struggle with reduced oxygen levels can lead to numbness, tingling, nerve damage, and tissue damage in your extremities.
- Smoking leads to raised blood sugars
Smoking raises your blood sugar which can lead to getting diabetes or making it harder for you to control your diabetes if you have it. This is due to the effect nicotine has on the body. Nicotine changes cells so that they don’t respond to insulin, resulting in increased blood sugar levels. In addition, chemicals in cigarettes also cause inflammation and can cause your cells to stop responding to insulin.
- Smoking increases the chance of amputation in diabetics
One study suggests that diabetics who smoke are more likely to undergo amputation than non-smokers. In the study, some of these reasons for amputation were neuropathy or infections. Given that smoking can lead to neuropathy, it can be assumed that this would be one of the factors as to why smoking increases the chance of amputation.
- Smokers have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration states that smokers are 30-40% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than nonsmokers. Thus, if you do not have diabetes but are a smoker, quitting now can help you reduce your chance of getting diabetes and struggling with this chronic illness.
In short, smoking has many negative effects not only in general but in relation to diabetes. Not only can it result in type 2 diabetes, but it can lead to some devastating complications such as amputation. To find a community that can help you through your diabetes journey, join TDA – The Diabetes App today! It’s never too late to quit smoking. Do something that your future self will thank you for.
