“Smoking is injurious to health!” is what we have grown up reading and listening about. The information in this regard is everywhere, be it on the TV, print, internet or billboards. However, what does not get the attention that this bad practice can be even more damaging and dangerous to diabetics. One should, in general, not smoke and if he/she is a diabetic, even more care should be taken in such cases
New studies have shown how smoking can increase the risk of complications amongst diabetics. So, not quitting the bad habit when plagued with diabetes is like ‘deliberately’ intensifying the risk factors and putting the health in jeopardy. Since diabetes can lead to heart problems, stroke and circulation issues, smoking can further increase chances of developing all these things.
Smoking and Risk Factors to Diabetes
Smoking is bad and its harmful effects multiply when diabetics do this. Since this habit can exacerbate the problems diabetes supposedly brings, it’s better to stay away from it and lead a healthy life. After all, you’d not want the positive effects of insulin syringes to be offset by a habit of yours!
Let’s look at how smoking is a risk factor for diabetes –
- Those who suffer from diabetes and do smoke as well are more likely to double the risks of the health issues caused by the lack of regulation of insulin in the body
- Those diabetics who are smokers are as well as more likely to be plagued by kidney issues and erectile dysfunction
- Smoking increases the risk of heart disease in more or less the same manner as diabetes does and when both come together, the patients are bound to be at far greater risks to heart attack or stroke
- High levels of glucose in the blood are known to damage the arterial walls and smoking too does the same thereby letting fatty deposits to go up in the body
- When the levels of fatty deposits rise up in the body, it makes the blood vessels narrow which in turn impacts the smoothness of blood circulation
- Chances of heat attack go up manifold when the blood circulation flow gets impacted to the coronary arteries
- Since smoking may limit blood flow in those suffering from diabetes, it can greatly increase the risks of a stroke, which happens then the brain fails to get enough blood
- In fact, those who not diabetic but are a smoker can develop the disease as smoking is a risk factor for insulin resistance
- With insulin resistance, it becomes problematic for patients to use the body insulin in a proper manner
- Genetics and obesity are not the only risk factors for diabetes as smoking too can cause the disease, so you should be careful
- Any risk factors for insulin resistance may lead to diabetes and since smoking does that, you should take attempts to stay quit the bad habit at the earliest
- Always consult the doctor on a regular basis in case you have diabetes and if you smoke as well, take more care of yourself