How To Inject Insulin
Tweet When you are injecting insulin, you should aim to inject into the fatty tissue just underneath the skin. If you think you are injecting into the muscle, you may want to change your technique or ask your GP to prescribe shorter needles. The steps below are a broad guide to injecting insulin. If you plan to change your technique, check with your healthcare team, diabetic nurse or consultant for their advice. How to perform an insulin injection Firstly, prepare your kit. You will need: An insulin pen Enough insulin inside to give the required dose A new pen needle Cotton wool or a tissue Make sure you have your kit available at all times and if possible, inform your family as to its location. If you suffer from a hypo, this will allow your family to act quickly. Injecting your insulin shot To perform your insulin injection: Wherever possible, wash your hands with soap and water before injecting Put a new needle onto your pen Perform an ‘air shot’ of at least 2 units to clear any bubbles out of the needle – if you do not get a steady stream, repeat the air shot until you do get a steady stream Dial up your dose – how you do this exactly may depend on which pen you have Pick a soft fatty area to inject – tops of thighs, belly, bum and triceps (not always recommended for children or thinner people) Raise a fold of fatty flesh slightly between your thumb and fingers - leaving plenty of space between to put the needle in Put the needle in – if you are particularly slim, you may need to put the needle in at a 45 degree angle to avoid injecting into the muscle Push the plunger, to inject the dose, relatively slowly After the dose has been injected, hold the needle in for a good 10 seconds to prevent too much insulin from escaping out If any blood or insulin esca Continue reading >>
Why A Change In Location Is Good… For Your Insulin Injections
We all know the health reasons behind changing your lancet and keeping sterile needles for insulin. But why should it matter where on your body you inject? In actuality, where you inject your insulin and how often you inject it there can have some considerable impacts on the rate of insulin absorption and changes in skin texture around the injection site. The best way to avoid complications from over-injecting in the same place is to constantly change where you inject and use a system of injection site rotation. One major motivator for alternating your insulin injection spots is to avoid lipohypertrophy – the accumulation of fat cells under the skin. When the tissue thickens, lumps of fat can form around the injection site and can slow the absorption of insulin into your blood stream by as much as 25%[1]. Another side effect is liposatrophy, where the fat beneath the skin’s surface becomes depleted and can give a dimpled appearance. While these conditions (collectively known as lypodystrophy) are not life threatening, they can result in less stable blood glucose levels since an increase of insulin resistance can occur at the injection site and may require higher doses of insulin over time. Where you inject also matters because different parts of your body intake the insulin differently. The most sensitive and fast absorbing area is your stomach and decreases in the rate of insulin uptake in the arms, then legs, and buttocks. When you are injecting for fast acting or slow release insulin you’ll want to take this into consideration. If you need an insulin dose before you hit the gym or take that evening jog, it is best to avoid injecting in the arm or thigh as the increase in blood flow to these areas can speed up the insulin absorption. Whether you are new to insul Continue reading >>
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Insulin: The Holy Grail Of Diabetes Treatment
Insulin is a hormone made by beta cells in the pancreas. When we eat, insulin is released into the blood stream where it helps to move glucose from the food we have eaten into cells to be used as energy. In people with type 1 diabetes, the body produces little or no insulin as the cells that produce insulin have been destroyed by an autoimmune reaction in the body. Insulin replacement by daily injections is required. In people with type 2 diabetes the body produces insulin but the insulin does not work as well as it should. This is often referred to as insulin resistance. To compensate the body makes more but eventually cannot make enough to keep the balance right. Lifestyle changes can delay the need for tablets and/or insulin to stabilise blood glucose levels. When insulin is required, it is important to understand that this is just the natural progression of the condition. RMIT University have produced a short overview of insulin, a drug that keeps in excess of one million Australians alive. Watch the video to understand why insulin is important and why so many Australians rely on it to stay alive. Copyright © 2015 RMIT University, Prepared by the School of Applied Sciences (Discipline of Chemistry). At this stage, insulin can only be injected. Insulin cannot be given in tablet form as it would be destroyed in the stomach, meaning it would not be available to convert glucose into energy. Insulin is injected through the skin into the fatty tissue known as the subcutaneous layer. You do not inject it into muscle or directly into the blood. Absorption of insulin varies depending on the part of the body into which you inject. The tummy (abdomen) absorbs insulin the fastest and is the site used by most people. The buttocks and thighs are also used by some people. While i Continue reading >>
Insulin Injection Sites: Where And How To Inject
Insulin is a hormone that helps cells use glucose (sugar) for energy. It works as a “key,” allowing the sugar to go from the blood and into the cell. In type 1 diabetes, the body doesn’t make insulin. In type 2 diabetes, the body doesn’t use insulin correctly, which can lead to the pancreas not being able to produce enough — or any, depending on the progression of the disease —insulin to meet your body’s needs. Diabetes is normally managed with diet and exercise, with medications, including insulin, added as needed. If you have type 1 diabetes, insulin is required for life. This may seem difficult at first, but you can learn to successfully administer insulin with the support of your healthcare team, determination, and a little practice. There are different ways to take insulin, including syringes, insulin pens, insulin pumps, and jet injectors. Your doctor will help you decide which technique is best for you. Syringes remain a common method of insulin delivery. They’re the least expensive option, and most insurance companies cover them. Syringes Syringes vary by the amount of insulin they hold and the size of the needle. They’re made of plastic and should be discarded after one use. Traditionally, needles used in insulin therapy were 12.7 millimeters (mm) in length. Recent research shows that smaller 8 mm, 6 mm, and 4 mm needles are just as effective, regardless of body mass. This means insulin injection is less painful than it was in the past. Insulin is injected subcutaneously, which means into the fat layer under the skin. In this type of injection, a short needle is used to inject insulin into the fatty layer between the skin and the muscle. Insulin should be injected into the fatty tissue just below your skin. If you inject the insulin deeper int Continue reading >>
insulin Injection: How To
Insulin injections help to control blood sugar in the body. Get advice on insulin injections from the Department of Endocrinology at Singapore General Hospital. Diabetes: all you need to know about insulin injections The insulin preparations currently available in Singapore are mostly from human origin; pork or bovine insulin preparations are hardly used nowadays. Because insulin is digested and destroyed by the stomach, it cannot be taken orally. Currently, the only way to receive insulin is by injection. Insulin should only be used when prescribed by a doctor and dose adjustments should be supervised. Types of preparations There are several types of insulin preparations available: They differ mainly in their onset and duration of action. The rapid and short-acting ones are used mainly to control high blood sugar levels after each meal whilst the intermediate and long-acting ones provide the patients with a smoother day long glucose control. Types of Insulin Preparations Onset of Action Duration of Action Rapid-acting 15 min 4 hours Short-acting 1/2 - 1 hour 6 - 8 hours Intermediate-acting 2-4 hours 16 - 18 hours Long-acting 4 - 8 hours 24 hours Premixed insulin 1/2 - 1 hour 16 - 18 hours Insulin should be given as instructed by the nurse or the pharmacist. The insulin preparations are available in vials, cartridges or penfills and disposable pens. The main precaution the patient needs to be aware of is the risk of developing low blood sugar levels. Low blood sugar levels may happen when the patient is not eating well, taking alcohol on an empty stomach or due to some drug interactions. How to draw a single type of insulin Wash and dry your hands. Clean the rubber stopper on the insulin vial with an alcohol swab. Roll the insulin vial gently between the palms your hand Continue reading >>
Insulin Injection
Insulin injection is used to control blood sugar in people who have type 1 diabetes (condition in which the body does not make insulin and therefore cannot control the amount of sugar in the blood) or in people who have type 2 diabetes (condition in which the blood sugar is too high because the body does not produce or use insulin normally) that cannot be controlled with oral medications alone. Insulin injection is in a class of medications called hormones. Insulin injection is used to take the place of insulin that is normally produced by the body. It works by helping move sugar from the blood into other body tissues where it is used for energy. It also stops the liver from producing more sugar. All of the types of insulin that are available work in this way. The types of insulin differ only in how quickly they begin to work and how long they continue to control blood sugar. Over time, people who have diabetes and high blood sugar can develop serious or life-threatening complications, including heart disease, stroke, kidney problems, nerve damage, and eye problems. Using medication(s), making lifestyle changes (e.g., diet, exercise, quitting smoking), and regularly checking your blood sugar may help to manage your diabetes and improve your health. This therapy may also decrease your chances of having a heart attack, stroke, or other diabetes-related complications such as kidney failure, nerve damage (numb, cold legs or feet; decreased sexual ability in men and women), eye problems, including changes or loss of vision, or gum disease. Your doctor and other healthcare providers will talk to you about the best way to manage your diabetes. Insulin comes as a solution (liquid) and a suspension (liquid with particles that will settle on standing) to be injected subcutaneousl Continue reading >>
Insulin Injection: Two Bottle Injection Instructions
Wash your hands. Pick up the CLOUDY bottle and turn it upside down. Roll the bottle gently between your hands to mix the insulin. Wipe the top of both (clear and cloudy) bottles with alcohol. Remove the caps from the top and bottom of the syringe. Pull the plunger down to the correct unit mark for your CLOUDY insulin dose as ordered. Insert the needle into the CLOUDY bottle. Push the plunger down to inject air into the CLOUDY bottle. Withdraw the empty syringe from the bottle. Set the bottle aside. Pull the plunger down to the correct unit mark for the CLEAR insulin dose as ordered. Insert the needle into the CLEAR bottle. Push the plunger down to inject air into the CLEAR bottle. Leave the needle in the bottle. Turn the bottle upside down with the needle in it. Pull the plunger down to the correct unit mark for the CLEAR insulin dose. Look for air bubbles in the syringe. If you see air bubbles in the syringe, push the insulin back into the bottle, and repeat steps 17 and 18. Pull the bottle away from the needle, and set aside the CLEAR bottle. Pick up the CLOUDY bottle of insulin. Turn the CLOUDY bottle upside down and push the needle into the bottle. Be very careful not to move the plunger. Pull the plunger down and withdraw the correct number of units for the CLOUDY insulin. The plunger should now be on the unit mark showing the total units of both the CLEAR and CLOUDY types of insulin. For example, 6 units of CLEAR insulin are already in the syringe. Add 14 units of CLOUDY insulin for a total of 20 units in the syringe. Pull the bottle away from the needle. Set both bottles on the table. Look for air bubbles in the syringe. If you see air bubbles, discard the dose and begin again. Set the syringe down. Do not let the needle touch anything. Pinch or spread the skin a Continue reading >>
Type 1 Diabetes And Insulin
It’s necessary to take insulin when you have type 1 diabetes. Your body doesn’t produce the hormone insulin, and without that, your body can’t properly get the energy and fuel it needs from glucose. Because people with type 1 diabetes rely on insulin, it was formerly called insulin-dependent diabetes. To learn about how the hormone insulin works, we have an article that explains the role of insulin. As soon as you are (or your child is) diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, you will be immersed in the world of insulin, and it may feel overwhelming at first. There are doses to calculate, different types of insulin to consider, and the pressure of needing to keep blood glucose in a normal range to prevent short- and long-term complications. Your diabetes treatment team is there to help you. They can walk you through the basics of insulin dosing, answer any questions, and help you figure out how to balance food, exercise, and insulin. You will learn to take care of your diabetes with your diabetes team. If you are a parent of a child with type 1 diabetes, we also encourage you to visit our Patients' Guide to Managing Your Child's Type 1 Diabetes. It's often comforting to hear stories about others who are also going through the same things you are. Jay Cutler, quarterback for the Chicago Bears, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2008, and he is still getting used to regular blood sugar testing and insulin injections. To learn more about his journey with type 1 diabetes, read Jay Cutler's interview with EndocrineWeb. This article will provide basic details on insulin treatment. You can also visit our Patients' Guide to Insulin for more details. Types of Insulin With type 1 diabetes, you will need to take insulin on a daily basis, and there are several types of insulin you Continue reading >>
- Relative contribution of type 1 and type 2 diabetes loci to the genetic etiology of adult-onset, non-insulin-requiring autoimmune diabetes
- Relative effectiveness of insulin pump treatment over multiple daily injections and structured education during flexible intensive insulin treatment for type 1 diabetes: cluster randomised trial (REPOSE)
- Prevalence of and Risk Factors for Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy in Youth With Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes: SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study
Why Is Insulin Injected Instead Of Taken By Mouth?
Insulin cannot be taken orally because it would break down in the digestive process. Insulin is a poly-peptide protein, which can be broken down by enzymes in the digestive system. By the time it reaches the small intestine, where it is absorbed, it is only a single peptide and can no longer function as insulin. Besides the chemical reasons for not ingesting insulin, there are other reasons that have more to do with the management of diabetes. Why Injection Is Better Blood sugar levels are subject to great change throughout the day. What foods were consumed, exercise, stress, illness, even time of day – all of these impact glucose levels. If this were not so, there would be no need to monitor levels with a finger prick multiple times each day. Insulin is needed to ensure that glucose is properly utilized and that levels of glucose remain stable. In order to work properly, insulin must enter the bloodstream intact. By injecting it into the subcutaneous tissue in our bodies, it is designed to be absorbed into the bloodstream without changing its properties and within a proscribed amount of time. Insulin should not be injected directly into muscle or into the bloodstream, as both will increase the speed of absorption. How fast absorption happens is also a function of what type of insulin is being used: rapid-acting, short-acting, intermediate-acting, long-acting or a mix of some of these. Each is designed to be absorbed and active over certain time frames, in order to cope with different glucose control needs, like consuming a meal or sleeping all night. Possible New Alternatives There is active research to develop alternatives to injections. One of the most promising is inhaled insulin. There was an inhaled insulin product, Exubera, on the market for about a year betwee Continue reading >>
Insulins
Insulin is a hormone made naturally in the body by the pancreas. This hormone controls the level of sugar (glucose) in the blood. People who have type 1 diabetes need to have regular insulin injections. In type 1 diabetes, the body stops making insulin and the blood sugar level goes very high. Some people who have type 2 diabetes may also need to have insulin injections to help control blood sugar levels. Insulin is usually injected under the skin between 2-4 times a day. There are different types of insulin available which are classified according to how quickly and for how long they work. Your doctor or diabetes nurse will discuss the various preparations and devices available and help you choose a regimen that is right for you. Treatment with insulin is usually lifelong. What is insulin and how does it work? What does insulin do? Play VideoPlayMute0:00/0:00Loaded: 0%Progress: 0%Stream TypeLIVE0:00Playback Rate1xChapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off, selected Subtitles undefined settings, opens undefined settings dialog captions and subtitles off, selected Audio TrackFullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. TextColorWhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentBackgroundColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentTransparentWindowColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyTransparentSemi-TransparentOpaqueFont Size50%75%100%125%150%175%200%300%400%Text Edge StyleNoneRaisedDepressedUniformDropshadowFont FamilyProportional Sans-SerifMonospace Sans-SerifProportional SerifMonospace SerifCasualScriptSmall CapsReset restore all settings to the default valuesDoneClose Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Insulin is a hormone that is Continue reading >>
Injecting Insulin
Injecting insulin at home is done subcutaneously, under the skin, but not into muscle or vein. See also Syringe and Insulin pen. It's best to pull up some loose skin into a tent[1][2], then insert the needle firmly, bevel side up[3][4] for comfort[5]. {C BD has animations with narrations to help you learn how to draw insulin properly[6]. One can select from drawing one insulin or combining two insulins in the same syringe. Selecting this and the style of syringe you use personalizes the demo for your needs. The presentation is very clear and unhurried. BD also has a slideshow which shows how to inject your dog[7] or cat[8]. Injecting any insulin at the same site repeatedly over time or blunting a needle with re-use[10] can cause a lipodystrophy: either lipoatrophy[11] or lipohypertrophy. Either makes absorption unreliable. But varying the injection site can cause variability in action profile, too. This page illustrates[12] illustrates the most common areas humans with diabetes inject insulin and explains how absorption differs in various areas of the human body. This is true for ALL insulins. The new shot area needn't be very far from where the last shot was given--the distance of the width of 2 fingers will do fine as a measure[13]. Most of us dealing with pet diabetes vary the side we give the injections in--right side mornings and left side evenings, for example. This is another help in avoiding giving shots in the same areas[14]. Many people give insulin shots in the scruff of the pet's neck, which is now considered to be a less than optimum choice. The neck area provides poor insulin Absorption, due to it not having many capillaries, veins. etc. (vascularization). Other sites suggested by Dr. Greco include the flank and armpit[15]. Intervet recommends giving injec Continue reading >>
- Man Accused Of Injecting Illegal Drugs At Bus Stop Wants To Raise Greater Awareness Of Diabetes
- Relative effectiveness of insulin pump treatment over multiple daily injections and structured education during flexible intensive insulin treatment for type 1 diabetes: cluster randomised trial (REPOSE)
- Calculating Insulin Dose
Why Is Insulin Injected, Instead Of Taken By Mouth?
Insulin is a peptide hormone, meaning it is essentially a protein. If you were to take it orally, your stomach enzymes would break it down into amino acids, causing it to lose its functional capacity. This is the reason it is injected, so that it directly enters the blood stream, thus bypassing the stomach and the entire gastrointestinal tract, thereby avoiding digestion by enzymes. It is noteworthy however, that since injectable insulin is inconvenient for the patients, oral preparations of insulin are currently under development and trial. Continue reading >>
Should I Inject Insulin Into A Vein?
I am 20 years old and have type 1 diabetes. When I am off the insulin pump, my blood sugar gets unstable and can take more than 48 hours to go down. Two friends told me that to handle this, they just inject a very small amount of insulin directly into the bloodstream. I know it sounds crazy, but this would save me time and money. Is it safe? Continue reading >>
Can I Inject Insulin Into Muscle?
The latest Q&A from the mailbag of Integrated Diabetes Services. Integrated Diabetes Services provides detailed advice and coaching on diabetes management from certified diabetes educators and dieticians. Each week, the team answers questions from people affected by Type 1 diabetes. Q: Is there any reason not to inject insulin directly into muscle? A: There is really no medical evidence that intramuscular injections are harmful. They hurt more than subcutaneous injections and people need to use sterile syringes to prevent infection, but otherwise this type of injection can speed up insulin action considerably. In fact, absorption occurs twice as fast in most cases. This can be a useful tool for bringing high blood glucose levels down quickly or for avoiding blood sugar spikes when consuming high glycemic meals without a pre-bolus. Have a Question? Insulin-Quiring Minds is a free service of the clinical team at Integrated Diabetes Services LLC. Submit your questions to [email protected]. All questions will be answered, and yours may be chosen to appear in Insulin Nation. For more information on Integrated Diabetes Services, call 1-610-642-6055, go to integrateddiabetes.com or write to [email protected] Thanks for reading this Insulin Nation article. Want more Type 1 news? Subscribe here. Have Type 2 diabetes or know someone who does? Try Type 2 Nation, our sister publication. Continue reading >>
Insulin Treatment
Insulin is a hormone made in your pancreas, which lies just behind your stomach. It helps our bodies use glucose for energy. Everyone with Type 1 diabetes and some people with Type 2 diabetes need to take insulin – either by injection or a pump – to control their blood glucose levels (also called blood sugar levels). Injecting insulin Insulin is injected using a syringe and needle, or an insulin pen or needle. The needles used are very small as the insulin only needs to be injected under the skin (subcutaneously) – not into a muscle or vein. Once it's been injected, it soaks into small blood vessels and is taken into the bloodstream. As your confidence grows and you become more relaxed, injections will get easier and soon become second nature. The most frequently used injection sites are the thighs, buttocks and abdomen. You may be able to inject into your upper arms, but check with your diabetes team first as this isn't always suitable. As all these areas cover a wide skin area, you should inject at different sites within each of them. It is important to rotate injection sites, as injecting into the same place can cause a build up of lumps under the skin (also known as lipohypertrophy), which make it harder for your body to absorb and use the insulin properly. The three groups of insulin There are three groups of insulin – animal, human (not from humans but produced synthetically to match human insulin) and analogues (the insulin molecule is like a string of beads; scientists have managed to alter the position of some of these beads to create 'analogues' of insulin). Nowadays, most people use human insulin and insulin analogues, although a small number of people still use animal insulin because they have some evidence that they otherwise lose their awareness of Continue reading >>
- Relative effectiveness of insulin pump treatment over multiple daily injections and structured education during flexible intensive insulin treatment for type 1 diabetes: cluster randomised trial (REPOSE)
- New diabetes treatment could eliminate need for insulin injections
- Diabetes treatment: THIS new drug could be biggest development since discovery of insulin
