A Beginners Guide to Insulin Use For Diabetes Patients
You just received the news that your health practitioner is adding insulin to your diabetes treatment plan. The use of insulin to control your diabetes can often be a little puzzling and menacing. It doesn't have to be. Using insulin is a positive experience as it helps you to control your diabetes.
The very first thing to recollect is that insulin is not a punishment in any form. If you're using insulin, it is because insulin is absent from your body, or your body still makes insulin but it's not enough. Occasionally oral meds are now not working, so insulin is added to your treatment plan. Your GP will debate your dosing requirements with you.
Insulin injections are zip to be scared of, even for folks that are fearful of needles. Modern technology has made the needles so tiny and thin the insulin injection is rarely felt. Used properly together with your meal plan and exercise, insulin can provide you with excellent control.
There are several different guides on how to self administer an insulin injection, so this topic won't be covered in this guide. The fundamentals of using insulin are easy, and require understanding of how insulin works which your GP should explain to you. Insulin use also requires understanding of insulin delivery systems, and insulin supplies which will help in making your life with insulin a breeze.
Insulin delivery
Insulin delivery methods are a matter of need and choice. Insulin users that have insulin pumps as their delivery method have much different axioms that will not be covered here. The focus of insulin delivery techniques for this paper will be on syringes, insulin pens, jet injectors and breathed insulin.
Dose amount and syringe size
Insulin syringes and needles come in different sizes. The quantity of your insulin dose establishes the size of the syringe that you are going to need to use. If you're taking 30 units or less, a 3/10 cc (30 unit) syringe will work. If you are taking 31 to 50 units, 1/2 cc syringe (50 unit) will be required. If your dose is 51 units or even more, a 1 cc (100 unit) syringe will be obligatory. The needle sizes vary for each syringe size. Syringes may be bought from a drugstore.
Insulin syringes are disposable, and will be dropped after one use. A bio dangerous container like a sharps container will be needed to hold discarded syringes. These boxes can be acquired from some waste disposal services, and may bought from any dispensary. Disposal of sharps containers needs special handling. Your doctor, diabetes teacher, or pharmacy should be well placed to tell you where sharps can be discarded in your area.
Insulin Vials
Liquid insulin comes in vials and insulin pens. Vials are placed in the fridge till use, and are discarded after the insulin is utilized up, or after 28 days, whichever comes first. Vials hold assorted amounts of insulin depending on the brand. Insulin is drawn up into the syringe from the vial and can be injected into one or two areas of the body, customarily the thigh or stomach. Most sorts of insulin require a prescription.
Insulin pens
Insulin pens are an effective way to administer insulin. An insulin pen looks rather like an outsized ink pen, and uses dispensable needles. There are 2 different types of pens. One type is prefilled with 300 units of insulin. The prefilled pen is dropped after the insulin is employed up or after 28 days, the same as for vials. The other type uses insulin cartridges, and the cartridges are changed employing the same schedule that is utilised for prefilled pens. Insulin pens aren't cooled after the first use.
Needles for the insulin pens come in several sizes. Insulin doses are dialed on the pen in one-half and one unit increments depending on the sort of pen used. The results of dosing by pen is less dosing mess ups. Insulin pens are handy, and permit easy dosing for people on a busy schedule. Pens are also discreet. It isn't recommended that pen needles be used more than once for the same reasons that syringes should not be reused; bacteria and possible infection. Pen needles should be dropped in a sharps container.
Another insulin delivery device which falls into the insulin pen category is named the InnoLet. This device looks like a kitchen timer with a big dial. The InnoLet holds 300 units of insulin and is very handy for folk with visual problems.
Jet Injectors
Jet injectors release a tiny stream of insulin through the skin by using a mechanism that creates high-pressure air. The injector does not utilise a needle. After the insulin dose is loaded into the injector, the injector is placed against the skin and a button is pressed to release the insulin into the skin. Jet injectors aren't highly regarded among insulin users due to bruising and other considerations.
Breathed Insulin
Exubera, the sole insulin that is breathed, received approval for use by the FDA in January of 2006. Your doctor will advise you if inhaled insulin is an alternative for you to use to treat your diabetes. Exubera comes packaged as a dry powder in blister packs, and the packs are loaded into an inhaler. The insulin is breathed into the lungs. This method of insulin delivery has some limitations that should be debated with your GP.
Diabetes supplies
After you decide which insulin delivery system you'll be using, a carrying case will be wanted to carry your insulin, meter and other necessary items, such as sharps containers. A great number of diabetes products are on the market to accommodate your wishes. Choosing the right products will make the time that you spend on diabetes management more productive. The best way to locate diabetes products is to hunt for them online, or look in diabetes mags.
It's very important for insulin users to carry a meter and glucose tablets at all times. Insulin may cause "lows" which can end up in unconsciousness if not treated speedily. Insulin users also need to test more frequently than non-insulin users.
Now you have the insulin basics, you should be assured you can use insulin proficiently and painlessly as a part of your treatment plan. Debate with your physician which insulin delivery methodology is the best for you, and start on the road to better diabetes control.
The very first thing to recollect is that insulin is not a punishment in any form. If you're using insulin, it is because insulin is absent from your body, or your body still makes insulin but it's not enough. Occasionally oral meds are now not working, so insulin is added to your treatment plan. Your GP will debate your dosing requirements with you.
Insulin injections are zip to be scared of, even for folks that are fearful of needles. Modern technology has made the needles so tiny and thin the insulin injection is rarely felt. Used properly together with your meal plan and exercise, insulin can provide you with excellent control.
There are several different guides on how to self administer an insulin injection, so this topic won't be covered in this guide. The fundamentals of using insulin are easy, and require understanding of how insulin works which your GP should explain to you. Insulin use also requires understanding of insulin delivery systems, and insulin supplies which will help in making your life with insulin a breeze.
Insulin delivery
Insulin delivery methods are a matter of need and choice. Insulin users that have insulin pumps as their delivery method have much different axioms that will not be covered here. The focus of insulin delivery techniques for this paper will be on syringes, insulin pens, jet injectors and breathed insulin.
Dose amount and syringe size
Insulin syringes and needles come in different sizes. The quantity of your insulin dose establishes the size of the syringe that you are going to need to use. If you're taking 30 units or less, a 3/10 cc (30 unit) syringe will work. If you are taking 31 to 50 units, 1/2 cc syringe (50 unit) will be required. If your dose is 51 units or even more, a 1 cc (100 unit) syringe will be obligatory. The needle sizes vary for each syringe size. Syringes may be bought from a drugstore.
Insulin syringes are disposable, and will be dropped after one use. A bio dangerous container like a sharps container will be needed to hold discarded syringes. These boxes can be acquired from some waste disposal services, and may bought from any dispensary. Disposal of sharps containers needs special handling. Your doctor, diabetes teacher, or pharmacy should be well placed to tell you where sharps can be discarded in your area.
Insulin Vials
Liquid insulin comes in vials and insulin pens. Vials are placed in the fridge till use, and are discarded after the insulin is utilized up, or after 28 days, whichever comes first. Vials hold assorted amounts of insulin depending on the brand. Insulin is drawn up into the syringe from the vial and can be injected into one or two areas of the body, customarily the thigh or stomach. Most sorts of insulin require a prescription.
Insulin pens
Insulin pens are an effective way to administer insulin. An insulin pen looks rather like an outsized ink pen, and uses dispensable needles. There are 2 different types of pens. One type is prefilled with 300 units of insulin. The prefilled pen is dropped after the insulin is employed up or after 28 days, the same as for vials. The other type uses insulin cartridges, and the cartridges are changed employing the same schedule that is utilised for prefilled pens. Insulin pens aren't cooled after the first use.
Needles for the insulin pens come in several sizes. Insulin doses are dialed on the pen in one-half and one unit increments depending on the sort of pen used. The results of dosing by pen is less dosing mess ups. Insulin pens are handy, and permit easy dosing for people on a busy schedule. Pens are also discreet. It isn't recommended that pen needles be used more than once for the same reasons that syringes should not be reused; bacteria and possible infection. Pen needles should be dropped in a sharps container.
Another insulin delivery device which falls into the insulin pen category is named the InnoLet. This device looks like a kitchen timer with a big dial. The InnoLet holds 300 units of insulin and is very handy for folk with visual problems.
Jet Injectors
Jet injectors release a tiny stream of insulin through the skin by using a mechanism that creates high-pressure air. The injector does not utilise a needle. After the insulin dose is loaded into the injector, the injector is placed against the skin and a button is pressed to release the insulin into the skin. Jet injectors aren't highly regarded among insulin users due to bruising and other considerations.
Breathed Insulin
Exubera, the sole insulin that is breathed, received approval for use by the FDA in January of 2006. Your doctor will advise you if inhaled insulin is an alternative for you to use to treat your diabetes. Exubera comes packaged as a dry powder in blister packs, and the packs are loaded into an inhaler. The insulin is breathed into the lungs. This method of insulin delivery has some limitations that should be debated with your GP.
Diabetes supplies
After you decide which insulin delivery system you'll be using, a carrying case will be wanted to carry your insulin, meter and other necessary items, such as sharps containers. A great number of diabetes products are on the market to accommodate your wishes. Choosing the right products will make the time that you spend on diabetes management more productive. The best way to locate diabetes products is to hunt for them online, or look in diabetes mags.
It's very important for insulin users to carry a meter and glucose tablets at all times. Insulin may cause "lows" which can end up in unconsciousness if not treated speedily. Insulin users also need to test more frequently than non-insulin users.
Now you have the insulin basics, you should be assured you can use insulin proficiently and painlessly as a part of your treatment plan. Debate with your physician which insulin delivery methodology is the best for you, and start on the road to better diabetes control.
About the Author:
Post Medical has been serving patients and the medical 1 since 1982. The firm provides safe and cutting edge sharps containers and solutions for the disposal of sharps for execs and people. Post Medical offers solutions to ensure that patients with diabetes have a secure way of diabetic needle disposal to help answer the growing epidemic of needles as a community health danger.
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