Smoking

Smoking is bad news for everyone, but for those with diabetes, smoking is especially harmful. The risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke is increased both by smoking and by diabetes. For people with diabetes who smoke, the risk is increased many times.

Giving up

By giving up smoking you can significantly reduce your risk of acquiring these and many of the other complications associated with diabetes, including kidney diseases, circulation problems and retinopathy (eye problems). Once you have made the decision to stop smoking, your healthcare professional will be able to support and encourage you through any difficult times as you give up the habit. You may be afraid of putting on weight. This is a natural concern, particularly for anyone who is already overweight or has type II diabetes, but the long-term benefits of giving up smoking should far outweigh any adverse effects from early weight gain.

A few tips

Giving up is never easy, but you can help yourself by avoiding those things that you associate with having a cigarette:

• Keep your hands busy
• Chew gum
• Change your routine
• Go places where you know you can't smoke
• Avoid places where lots of people smoke - in fact, do anything that will break the ritual of smoking

Set yourself some small goals. You could promise yourself a holiday or some new clothes with the money you save by giving up.

 

Asking for help with quitting

There are all sorts of ways your healthcare professional can assist you. Regular follow up and advice sessions should help. Nicotine replacement therapy doubles the chance of success, but must be used with caution in people with diabetes. This is because nicotine increases blood pressure and heart rate, and constricts blood vessels. Your healthcare professional will need to consider your individual circumstances to advise you on this approach. There are other therapies that may suit you, your doctor can advise you on these.

The most important thing is not to get discouraged. If you don't manage to give up at the first attempt, think about why you failed. Then, armed with this knowledge, try again and use the experience to succeed.
 

Where to find help

There are a number of organisations in the UK where you can find help and advice. Information can be found from freephone helplines or from websites:

NHS Smoking Helpline
0800 1690169

QUIT
0800 00 22 00
www.quit.org.uk

ASH (Action on Smoking and Health)
www.ash.org.uk
 

Quitting smoking and glucose testing

You will need to test your glucose levels more often:

• Smoking has been shown to make you less sensitive to insulin so stopping can reduce your insulin requirement. Only by regular testing can you discover if this is the case for you
• If testing shows that the pattern of your blood glucose levels has changed, your treatment (whether insulin or tablets) may need adjusting
• Stopping is also likely to make you feel hungrier, but leaving this hunger unsatisfied increases the risk of relapse. Suitable snacks can help, but check your glucose levels regularly, and watch your weight