Smoking and Diabetic Wounds: The Deadly Combination Nobody Talks About
Smoking destroys diabetic wound healing through multiple deadly mechanisms. Nicotine constricts blood vessels, reducing already-poor circulation even more. Carbon monoxide replaces oxygen in blood, starving wounds of the oxygen they desperately need. Smoking makes blood thicker and more likely to clot, further reducing flow to extremities. It weakens immune function, making infections harder to fight. Diabetic smokers develop wounds twice as often and take three times longer to heal than non-smokers. Every cigarette delays healing by hours. Quitting smoking is as important as any medicine for diabetic wound recovery.