Paediatric Diabetes – Smoking and Diabetes

There are not many things that diabetes should stop you doing but smoking and/or vaping is one of them! Try not to start smoking or vaping at all.

People usually start smoking because their friends do, whether this be cigarettes or e-cigarettes (also known as vapes), they think it is a grown-up thing to do or it looks cool – how wrong they are! Once they’ve started, it is very difficult to quit as people very easily become hooked on the nicotine in cigarettes/e-cigarettes.

Short Term Effects

• Smelly breath
• Smokers cough
• Shortness of breath
• Decreased blood flow to the skin, therefore insulin absorption could be decreased too
• The side effects of taking the contraceptive pill are increased.

Long Term Effects

• High blood pressure
• Narrowing of the arteries causing a quicker onset of diabetic complications
• Heart attacks
• Lung cancer

As a teenager, these long-term effects may seem light years away but remember if you have diabetes and smoke your chances of developing complications from diabetes increase dramatically.

Some people with diabetes develop unhealthy blood vessels. This is usually caused by long-term poor lifestyle choices such as lack of exercise, poor diet and regularly having high blood glucose levels. Smoking adds to these factors as tobacco smoke is packed with chemicals that can damage the heart and narrow blood vessels even more.

E-Cigarettes and Vaping
This is becoming very popular. They are known to be less harmful than cigarettes; however, they are not risk free and are not recommended – the long-term effects of vaping are not well understood as of yet. Some research has shown that vaping can increase glucose levels.

Where to get help to stop smoking
If you want to stop smoking, you can get help from your General Practitioner (GP) or your Practice Nurse by making an appointment to talk through what kind of help may suit you best.

You can do it – Stop Smoking Now!

If your symptoms or condition worsens, or if you are concerned about anything, please call your GP, 111, or 999.

Patient Experience
We know that being admitted to hospital can be a difficult and unsettling time for you and your loved ones. If you have any questions or concerns, please do speak with a member of staff on the ward or in the relevant department who will do their best to answer your questions and reassure you. 

Feedback
Feedback is really important and useful to us – it can tell us where we are working well and where improvements can be made. There are lots of ways you can share your experience with us including completing our Friends and Family Test – cards are available and can be posted on all wards, departments and clinics at our hospitals. We value your comments and feedback and thank you for taking the time to share this with us.

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
If you have any concerns or questions about your care, we advise you to talk with the nurse in charge or the department manager in the first instance as they are best placed to answer any questions or resolve concerns quickly. If the relevant member of staff is unable to help resolve your concern, you can contact the PALS Team. We offer informal help, advice or support about any aspect of hospital services & experiences.

Our PALS team will liaise with the various departments in our hospitals on your behalf, if you feel unable to do so, to resolve your problems and where appropriate refer to outside help.

If you are still unhappy you can contact the Complaints Department, who can investigate your concerns. You can make a complaint orally, electronically or in writing and we can advise and guide you through the complaints procedure.

How to contact PALS:
Telephone Patient Services: 0300 123 1732 or via email at: wah-tr.PALS@nhs.net

Opening times:
The PALS telephone lines are open Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 4.00pm. Please be aware that you may need to leave a voicemail message, but we aim to return your call within one working day.

If you are unable to understand this leaflet, please communicate with a member of staff.

Version 4