Are
you a diabetic? Do you smoke? Do people around you smoke? We all know
smoking is a direct cause of cancer but if you have diabetes smoking -
including passive smoking - leads to other health problems...
Here are 7 reasons why mixing diabetes with smoking is a very bad idea:
1) You are more likely to get nerve damage (neuropathy). This is
because smoking affects your blood circulation and that in turn means
your nerve endings are not getting the nutrients they need. If this
happens to the nerves in your feet it could lead to sores and
infections and, if not taken care of properly, even amputation.
2) There is an increased risk – double in fact -of you getting limited
mobility in your joints. It's no fun trying to bend, climb stairs or
lift something when you have a painful joint.
3) Because of smoking you could develop kidney disease.
4) When you smoke your blood pressure increases. Increased blood pressure creates a real risk of heart disease.
5) Research has shown that diabetics who smoke increase, 3-fold, the risk of dying of heart (cardiovascular) disease.
6) By smoking you increase your blood-sugar levels. This makes it more
difficult to control your diabetes because your glucose levels could be
fluctuating quite dramatically. This, in turn, leads to other problems.
7) And it also increases your cholesterol levels, which increases the risk of a heart attack.
In fact smoking - and passive smoking - have a seriously detrimental effect on the ABC's of diabetes management:
A1C - the measurement of your blood glucose over a 3-month period
B - your blood pressure, which should be below 130/80
C - your cholesterol levels. Cholesterol levels include LDL, HDL
and triglycerides. Your LDL should be below 100. HDL levels should be
above 40 (for men) and above 50 (for women). Tryglycerides should be
below 150.
And, of course, on top of all that there's the proven risk of cancer!
