While many good habits help minimize the effects of diabetes, these three can make diabetes worse.
Smoking isn’t good for anyone. It is even riskier for people dealing with diabetes. Nicotine is one of the many chemicals in cigarettes and e-cigarettes, hookahs, and other tobacco products that make diabetes worse. Aside from being extremely addictive, nicotine (even in secondhand smoke) has been linked to heart disease, pancreatic, esophageal, and oral cancer, kidney disease, stroke, and heart disease.
One of the adverse effects of nicotine on the heart is your blood vessels.
This addictive chemical narrows blood vessels. It makes them more rigid and more dense. This means your blood doesn’t flow as naturally as it should. Diabetes makes you more likely to develop some type of heart disease. Nicotine makes it even harder for your heart to do its job. The two together unnecessarily raise your risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke.
Looking at the big picture, not just concerning diabetes, smoking has been proven as a cause of the following health concerns:
• A host of cancers
• Diabetes
• Erectile dysfunction
• Heart disease
• Pregnancy problems
• Loss of vision
• Tuberculosis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• A weak immune system
• Prematurely aged skin and hair
• Sleep problems
• Weakened bones, less bone density
• Hearing loss
• Poor circulation
• Psoriasis
• Crohn’s disease
• Acid reflux
• Premature or sudden death
Is your smoking habit worth it? Look at this partial list of the serious health problems caused by smoking. Are your cigarettes worth experiencing these issues? Did you know smokers live ten years less than non-smokers, on average? The final years of a smoker’s life are painful and full of doctors, numerous ailments, and health problems.
Smokers run up $289 million in healthcare costs annually in the US alone. Exposure to secondhand smoke kills hundreds of thousands of people worldwide every year. Since it hurts your immune system, you are more likely to get sick from any illness or disease. The average smoker spends a little less than $2,000 on his habit annually. Cigarette smoke smells terrible and permeates your clothes and furniture, and smokers are more prone to overeat than non-smokers.
If you are trying to prevent diabetes, treat it, or hopefully reverse it, stop smoking. The payoff is a healthier body inside and out and a fatter checkbook.
Additionally, every other person who smokes will die from a smoking-related illness, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). That’s 1 in every 2 smokers.
That last stat should scare you right out of smoking. Hey, it is tough to stop smoking. There is no doubt about it. It is easier to end your relationship with tobacco when you consider how many ways your health benefits when you do.
The long term effects of vaping have yet to be fully studied, but it too should be avoided for the best interest of your health.
Drink Only Moderate Levels of Alcohol
There are many good reasons for drinking alcohol responsibly, whether you have diabetes or not. The American Diabetes Association says women who drink alcohol should have no more than one drink a day. They recommend that men should have no more than two. Chronic drinking can lead to short and long-term memory loss, neurological disorders and diseases, unhealthy weight gain, liver disease, high blood pressure, and several cancers.
Illegal & Recreational Drug Use
Do we need to mention this one? First off, even good drugs can interact with other good medicines. If you’re regularly using non-prescription drugs, you should inform your doctor. If you’re enjoying some recreational drugs, also tell your doctor for the same reasons. Best scenario? Don’t use.
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