What You Should Know About Diabetes and Smoking
If you smoke cigarettes, you are far more prone to develop chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes.
According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people who smoke cigarettes are 30% to 40% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than people who do not smoke. And the more cigarettes you smoke, the more likely you are to develop type 2 diabetes. How so? According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the chemicals in cigarettes damage the body’s cells and impair their natural function, creating inflammation throughout the body. Smoking can aggravate diabetes in people who already have it. Here’s why scientists think the two don’t go together, and how quitting smoking can help.
Smoking Increases Several Risk Factors
Aside from the increase in inflammation, smoking, according to one report by the US Surgeon General, can raise the risk of type 2 diabetes in other ways. The nicotine in cigarettes and cigars causes cells to become resistant to insulin, the substance in the body that allows blood sugar to enter cells. As a result, blood sugar levels are elevated. People who smoke are also more likely to develop belly fat, which increases the risk of type 2 diabetes even if they are not overweight.
Smoking has a negative impact on diabetes treatment.
One of the negative impacts of smoking-induced inflammation in the body is that it may make insulin—a drug commonly used to treat type 2 diabetes—less effective. “People with diabetes who continue to smoke tend to have higher glucose values than those with diabetes who are non-smokers,” says Dr. Soumya Hullannavar, Lead Ayurveda Endocrine Specialist at Diabetes Reversal Clinics & EliteAyurveda Clinics. The more insulin you require to regulate your glucose levels, the higher they are. According to the FDA, this can make managing type 2 diabetes more challenging.
Smoking exacerbates the health risks associated with diabetes.
“If you have diabetes and smoke, you’re more likely to have serious health problems from diabetes, including heart disease and kidney disease,” says Dr. Soumya. Smoking can also reduce blood flow in the legs and feet, which is already a problem with diabetes and can lead to infections, ulcers, and amputation. Dr. Soumya adds that another health risk is retinopathy (an eye illness that can lead to blindness) and peripheral neuropathy (damaged nerves in the arms and legs that cause numbness, discomfort, weakness, and poor coordination).
Diabetes and increased smoking prevalence
Despite the aforementioned hazards, the CDC reported that smoking prevalence is high and generally constant among persons with chronic conditions, including diabetes. This is despite the fact that the overall prevalence of cigarette smoking in India is declining. Researchers suggest that a lack of access to smoking cessation treatments within chronic health care services (e.g., pulmonology and cardiology) could be one of the reasons for the slow success in getting persons with chronic conditions like diabetes to quit smoking. According to the CDC, about one-third of adults with chronic diseases do not receive smoking cessation advice.
The Advantages of Quitting
While quitting smoking does not guarantee that type 2 diabetes can be reversed, it can dramatically lessen the severity of the disease, according to Dr. Soumya. “Diabetics are at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (heart attacks and strokes), kidney disease, and eye disease,” he notes. “Smoking cessation can significantly reduce the risk of developing diabetes complications.” Unfortunately, randomised controlled trials on the advantages of stopping smoking for patients with diabetes are lacking. A recent study published in the World Journal of Diabetes underlines this shortfall and recommends for more research to be focused on such a critical topic.
Glycemic control takes time to recover after smoking.
Individuals with type 2 diabetes who quit smoking are likely to have a transient decrease in their glycemic control that can last up to three years, according to research published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. Why so? According to the researchers, this could be because quitting smoking causes increased appetite, calorie intake, and weight gain, which leads to a loss of control. But, according to Dr. Soumya, there are solutions to get over the hump: “By closely monitoring glucose levels, discussing changes with your doctor, and potentially adjusting medications, you can mitigate the potential increase in glucose levels while still reaping all of the benefits of quitting smoking.”
Quit-Smoking Aids Increase Your Chances
According to Dr. Soumya, smoking cessation aids lessen cravings and withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, difficulty focusing, and sleeping. There are numerous solutions available, including nicotine replacement medications like gum, patches, and lozenges. According to the CDC, these can more than double your odds of successfully stopping smoking. Just be aware that nicotine-containing products raise blood sugar levels, so consult your doctor before using them if you have diabetes, advises Dr. Soumya.
Help in Breaking the Habit
When you’ve conquered your cravings and withdrawal symptoms, you may move on to the second challenge: finding out how to get through the day doing all of the activities that were once associated with smoking. Good news once more: “Even brief advice from a healthcare professional can help people try—and succeed—at quitting,” Dr. Soumya explains.
Be Kind to Yourself.
Don’t give up or be too hard on yourself if you can’t stop the first time. Concentrate on the advantages: According to the CDC, the moment you stop smoking, your body begins to heal the damage caused by smoking. The dangerous carbon monoxide in your blood returns to normal in 12 hours, and your risk of heart disease is half that of a current smoker after a year. This is critical because people with diabetes have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease than people who do not have diabetes, and smoking increases that risk even more, according to Dr. Soumya. So, don’t give up on quitting!
Our Outlook –
How are we able to Treat Diabetes Completely?
“Madhumeha” is the term for Diabetes in Ayurveda, which means ‘Sweet urine’. The manifestation of diabetes is through thirst or urination. According to Ayurveda, due to accumulation of Vata Dosha. Vata dosha accumulates in the large intestine and travels to the pancreas, which hampers its functioning.
Sometimes, Pitta Dosha also leads to diabetes. This is when Pitta gets accumulated in the small intestine before moving to the liver and may cause damage to pancreas. As the main constituent of Pitta is Agni, it burns out pancreas leading to Diabetes.
If the above things are taken into consideration, the treatment of Diabetes in Ayurveda starts with proper cleansing of the body and balancing of doshas. The treatment includes herbal combinations that are prepared based on individual Prakruti and Vikruti analysis. Ie. The treatment is based on a person’s body composition & which dosha is dominant. The treatments like Dhara, Udwarthanam, Thalam, etc are followed to reverse diabetes. The treatment also includes Panchakarma & Yoga procedures to address the root cause of disease. We have seen many patients successfully reversing Diabetes and now living a healthy life.
Unlike other treatment procedures that jump straight to symptom management, we address the root-cause of the disease. Our treatment for Diabetes has proved to achieve a near cure and symptom-free state. We focus on diet, use of potent herbs, meditation, massage with herbal oils and yoga. These classical ayurveda practices have proven & shown sustained results in our Diabetes Treatment.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Soumya Hullannavar, Lead Ayurveda Endocrine Specialist at Diabetes Reversal Clinics & EliteAyurveda Clinics. With over 15 years of experience in treating endocrine & diabetes cases
Visit diabetesreversal.clinic for additional details.