I AM DIABETIC AND WANT TO QUIT SMOKING

DR ASOK CHERIYAN | SPECIALIST DIABETOLOGIST AT AL WAHA CLINIC DIABETES CENTRE, DUBAI.

Q I am 44 and a diabetic for the last five years. I smoke 10 cigarettes a day. My doctor always warns me against smoking. But I can’t quit.

A Smoking will negatively affect your overall health, including your diabetes care. It causes your blood glucose to increase, obstructing your efforts to control your diabetes. In addition, it causes a greater chance of developing diabetes complications, heart and lung diseases, or having a stroke as well as certain forms of cancer.

The best-known effect of smoking is that is causes lung cancer, but smoking is also associated with other aspects of diabetes.

Heart: You are about three times more likely to die of heart disease if you have diabetes and you smoke.

Kidney: Smoking will increase blood pressure, which creates an added strain on your kidneys. Smoking triples the risk of developing diabetes kidney disease (nephropathy).

Nervous system: Smoking will increase the risk of having neuropathy (damage to your nerves), which can affect how your body parts feel, how your bladder and bowel function and how your stomach empties.

Eyes: Smoking can increase problems with retinopathy (an eye disease affecting the retina) as well as macular degeneration.

Feet: Smoking will impair the circulation in small blood vessels present in the feet and legs. This in turn will increase your risk of foot ulcers, lower extremity infections and amputations.

Teeth and breath: Smoking increases your risk of gum disease and damage of teeth. It also causes you to have a harder time breathing upon exertion, since it affects your lung function.

Here are a few tips to quit the habit:

- Find a temporary replacement habit such as chewing gum.

- Change your routine to avoid places, situations, or people you associate with smoking.

- Don’t try cutting down – stop completely.

- Find support from friends and family.

- Keep trying – most smokers can’t give up the first time they try

Usual treatment modalities are:

1. Nicotine replacement therapy (patches, gums, lozenges, inhalers, sprays)

2. Smoking cessation programmes that involve education on benefits of smoking cessation, strategies to deal with withdrawal symptoms (physical and psychological)

3. Counselling and medication

A few benefits of stopping smoking:

1. On the first day, heart rate improves, high blood pressure drops, carbon monoxide levels drop and circulation improves.

2. After one year, the extra risk of heart disease drops to 50 per cent of what it was when you were a smoker.

3. Risk of lung cancer decreases.