Smoking is widely known to be a health hazard, but for diabetics who smoke or are at high risk of developing the disease, it is much worse. However, e-cigarettes do have some benefits for people with diabetes.
For a long time, doctors knew that smoking made diabetes worse, but they weren't sure what caused it, the more than 4,000 chemicals in cigarettes. That was until a professor did a study exposing human blood samples to nicotine . He found that nicotine raised hemoglobin A1c levels (a measure of blood sugar control). Normal HbA1c levels are 4.5-6%. The study found that nicotine caused HbA1c levels to rise dramatically, by about 34% in a smoker with diabetes.
Now that we know that nicotine causes problems with blood sugar control, let’s take a closer look at the risks of serious complications. Researchers have learned that people with diabetes who smoke tend to have higher blood sugar levels and their condition is harder to control. Symptoms include blindness, heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, and nerve damage.
Some doctors even warn patients about using e-cigarettes. The reason is, it is considered a nicotine delivery system using a solution containing a mixture of nicotine, propylene glycol , vegetable glycerin and flavorings. This solution is called e-liquid . However, many people do not know that e-liquid does not always contain nicotine. In fact, there are many people who use e-cigarettes without addiction or nicotine but continue to use them. E-cigarette users, also known as vapers, often call themselves “no-nic vapers”, short for people who use e-cigarettes like everyone else but they use e-liquid without nicotine.
Cigarettes are not safe for anyone. However, if a person already smokes, has diabetes or not, then using e-cigarettes is a little safer for them. Yes, they still get nicotine but they don’t get carbon monoxide or most of the carcinogens found in cigarettes. While it would be better to not smoke at all, e-cigarettes can be a relatively safer alternative to cigarettes.
E-cigarettes are battery -powered devices that vaporize liquids, a way to simulate the behavior of smoking. People often think that nicotine is the cause of cigarette addiction, but in reality, it is a combination of chemicals and actions that cause addiction. There are over 4,000 chemicals in a cigarette, and the actions are few but repetitive, which are easy to get addicted to. Actions that stop smoking include repeatedly inhaling the smoke, holding the cigarette, putting your hand to your mouth, and more.
With e-cigarettes, users can simulate the act of smoking a cigarette but with or without nicotine. And of course, e-cigarette users will also eliminate the 4000 harmful chemicals contained in cigarettes. Users can still continue to repeat the action of bringing their hand to their mouth, holding the cigarette, and many other actions such as inhaling and exhaling smoke (in this case, vapor).
The great thing about e-cigarettes is the control they have when using them, what some call “ vaping ”. Users have the ability to control the power output of the device, depending on the type of e-cigarette they use. Additionally, users can control the draw and the capacity of a puff, thus increasing or decreasing the amount of vapor produced. With this control, e-cigarette users can continue to maintain the satisfaction that they are enjoying smoking again.
The benefits of e-cigarettes for people with diabetes are that they can still get the satisfaction and enjoyment of what they are used to but without the dangers of smoking. Diabetics who have once enjoyed the act of smoking can continue but with a “no-nic” (no nicotine) option.
Please vote for us
In this live poll, I would like to know how many current diabetics who smoke would like to continue to experience the satisfaction of smoking, but without the toxicity of smoking. Perhaps the results will encourage diabetics to try e-cigarettes once and show them that other diabetics are willing to do the same.
