As everyone knows, smoking is detrimental to your health. It has been linked to many diseases, including cancers and heart disease. Diabetics who smoke are at an increased risk for heart disease and other related problems.
Smoking can:
- Decrease the amount of oxygen reaching tissue, which can lead to heart attacks, strokes, miscarriages or stillbirth
- Increase cholesterol levels and levels of some other fats in your blood, which put you at higher risk for a heart attack
- Damage and constrict blood vessels. This damage can worsen foot ulcers and lead to blood vessel disease, as well as leg and foot infections
- Raise your blood sugar level, making it harder to control your diabetes
Smokers with diabetes are:
- More likely to develop nerve damage and kidney disease
- Three times as likely to die of cardiovascular disease than other diabetics
If you are a smoker and would like to quit, it is never too late. It doesn’t matter how long you have smoked, quitting can improve your health. Our Wellness Center offers a Stop Smoking Program. The program focuses on helping you understand and change behavior that leads to smoking. You will also learn techniques to develop a personalized plan for quitting, permanently. The program talks about how you can stick to your smoke-free lifestyle. Topics such as diet, exercise, and positive life-style changes will also be covered. To learn more, call the Wellness Center at (717) 544-3138.
For more information about quitting smoking, check out:
Pennsylvania’s Department of Health also has a free quitline, which can be reached anytime 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A clinically trained counselor is waiting to talk to you. You can also visit their Web site, www.tobaccofreelancaster.org.