Smoking is a cause of type 2 diabetes
Diabetes is a long-term condition where sugar levels in the blood are not properly controlled. Insulin is the hormone that controls sugar levels in your blood. If you have diabetes, your body is unable to produce or use insulin properly.
Type 2 diabetes is caused by lifestyle and inherited factors. One of those causes is smoking. The more cigarettes you smoke, or the more years that you smoke for, the higher your risk of type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes, the type that can be caused by smoking, usually starts in adults. Type 1 diabetes usually starts in children or adolescents.
Use this online calculator to check your risk of type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes develops over a long period of time. You may already have the early signs. Some of the signs that you may have type 2 diabetes include:
- being thirsty
- passing more urine (pee)
- having cuts that heal slowly
- often feeling hungry but also gaining weight
- blurred vision
- leg cramps.
If you have any of these issues, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor. Finding out about type 2 diabetes early can help save you from complications such as blindness and stroke.
You can learn more about diabetes from Diabetes Australia.
Living with type 2 diabetes can be difficult
Diabetes can lead to serious health problems, including:
- heart disease
- stroke
- kidney disease
- blindness
- problems with pregnancy and childbirth.
Living with type 2 diabetes often means you will have:
- regular blood sugar tests
- regular medications to take
- insulin injections (for some people)
- a low-calorie diet for weight-loss
- vision problems
- poor healing of wounds
- health problems that get worse as you get older.
People with type 2 diabetes often feel tired and hungry. This happens because not enough sugar is moving from the bloodstream into the body’s cells. To reduce the chances of more serious health problems, a strict diet that restricts energy intake is recommended.
Too much sugar in the blood can damage the blood vessels in the eyes. This leads to blurry vision and may lead to blindness if untreated.
Too much sugar in the blood also damages the nerves and blood vessels. This reduces blood circulation. Small wounds therefore take a long time to heal and there is an increased risk of infection.
Learn more about living with diabetes.
Smokers with type 2 diabetes are more likely to have severe problems
If you are a smoker with type 2 diabetes, you are more likely to have serious health problems:
- Blood vessel problems – people with diabetes who smoke are more likely to suffer problems with their blood vessels. This can lead to kidney problems, blindness, amputations or stroke.
- Risk of broken bones – post-menopausal women with diabetes who smoke are 3 times more likely to break their hip than non-smokers.
- Higher risk of cancer – if you have diabetes and smoke, your risk of getting pancreatic cancer is quite high. People with diabetes who smoke and have a family history of pancreatic cancer have a 10-fold higher risk of getting this cancer compared to those without these 3 risk factors. Pancreatic cancer is difficult to treat and has a low survival rate.
Quitting smoking reduces your risk of type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes can be prevented in most people by changes to their lifestyle.
Quitting smoking may reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes compared to those who keep smoking. Quitting can also reduce your risk of serious health problems if you get type 2 diabetes.
If you already have type 2 diabetes, quitting smoking reduces your risk of:
- blood vessel disease
- losing your sight
- kidney disease
- needing a foot amputated.
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