Smoking & Diabetes
Tobacco has many bad health effects, particularly for people
with diabetes. No matter how long you've smoked, your health
will improve when you quit.
Smoking doubles the damage to the body caused by diabetes
by causing hardening of the arteries. This particularly affects
the body's larger arteries to the legs and brain, making amputation
and strokes more likely.
The harmful effect does not depend on whether you smoke cigarettes,
a pipe, or cigars, but is more dependent on the amount you
smoke.
Smoking 5 cigarettes a day is much safer than 20 a day, so
cutting down (if you are unable to stop) is still very helpful.
How to stop ( from Health Educ Auth leaflet)
Prepare to stop
Be sure you want to stop, know why you want to, be ready,
have a plan. You can stop, although it can be very hard trying.
Most smokers go through a cycle preparing-stopping-relapsing
before finally stopping.
Think of the reasons the reasons you want to continue, and
the reasons why you want to stop.
Problems or excuses
Stress, weight, 'too late', will power, withdrawal symptoms,
stop suddenly or gradually. Understand your habits.
The day before you want to
stop throw away any cigarettes you have
Stock up on sugar-free gum, raw vegetables, or fruit to munch
instead.
Set a date, and think of all the reasons you want to stop,
and write them down.
Keep thinking of these over the next few weeks.
Join yoga tai chi or other relaxation classes, or read how
to relax in the library.
Exercise,
such as walking, swimming, or dancing may help some people
.. but start gently.
Tell your friends you want to stop and ask for their support..
so they do not keep offering you cigarettes.
If you think you are addicted to cigarettes, and especially
if you started age 14 or less, patches or other nicotine replacements
may help.
Ask your doctor for advice.
How will you cope?
Think about how you will cope in the pub or with friends
or at work.
Recent research has
identified factors that help people be happy:
exercise, learning new things, music and comedy, and making
new friends participating in new activities.
A new hobby can help .. what are your interests.. a holiday
with the savings?
Once you've quit, the next step is not to start smoking again.
The first three months or so after quitting are the hardest
time. Most people who return to smoking do so then. During
those first three months, they've broken the physical addiction
but not yet shaken their psychological dependence on cigarettes.
It only takes one cigarette to put you back on the smoking
treadmill. So have some ideas up your sleeve to fight temptation.
For example, plan to take a bath, chew sugarless gum, sip
some water, find something to do with your hands, or step
outside for some fresh air when the urge to smoke hits you.
If you know you are going to be around smokers, be prepared.
Practice an answer for when you're offered a cigarette. Seek
out nonsmokers in the group. Don't apologize for not smoking.
If you do smoke a cigarette, then you need to renew your
decision to quit. Focus on learning from your slip, not on
berating yourself for it. Figure out why you slipped up and
how you might avoid doing so again.
Once your body's metabolism returns to normal, you may put
on a little weight. The average is only 7 pounds. If you are
worried about gaining weight, talk to your dietitian about
changing your meal and exercise plans.
You also need to stay in touch with your doctor after you
quit. Your diabetes control will probably improve. If so,
your doctor may want to change your insulin dose or diabetes
pill schedule. Similarly, if you are being treated for high
blood pressure or high cholesterol levels, your condition
may improve so much that your doctor may want to change your
treatment.
Additional resources:
www.quitnet.org
www.no-smoking-day.org.uk
www.iquitonline.com
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