Wednesday, September 7, 2011
A Beginners Guide to Insulin Use For Diabetes Patients
You simply received the announcement that your doctor is adding insulin to your diabetes treatment plan. The utilising of insulin to manage your diabetes can cause confusion and intimidating. It does not have to be. Using insulin is a positive experience because it helps you to manage your diabetes.
The first thing to remember is that insulin isn't a punishment in any form. If you are using insulin, it's often because insulin is absent from your body, or your body still makes insulin but it is not enough. Often oral meds are no longer working, so insulin is added to your treatment plan. Your doctor will discuss your dosing wants with you.
Insulin injections are nada to be terrified of, even for people that are alarmed of needles. Leading edge technology has made the needles so small and thin that the insulin injection is never felt. Used correctly in conjunction with your meal plan and exercise, insulin can give you wonderful 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 techniques are a matter of need and choice. Insulin users that have insulin pumps as their delivery system have very different guidelines that won't be covered here. The focus of insulin delivery systems for this article will be on syringes, insulin pens, jet injectors and inhaled 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 throwaway, and should be discarded after one use. A bio hazardous container such as a sharps container will be wanted to hold dropped syringes. These containers can be had from some waste disposal services, and may acquired from any pharmacy. Disposal of sharps containers requires special handling. Your GP, diabetes educator, or drugstore should be able to tell you where sharps can be disposed of in your neighborhood.
Insulin Vials
Liquid insulin comes in vials and insulin pens. Vials are stockpiled in the refrigerator until use, and are dropped after the insulin is used up, or after 28 days, whichever comes first. Vials hold various amounts of insulin dependent on the brand. Insulin is drawn up into the syringe from the vial and can be injected into several areas of the body, typically the thigh or abdomen. Most varieties of insulin need a prescription.
Insulin pens
Insulin pens are a convenient way to administer insulin. An insulin pen seems like an oversized ink pen, and uses disposable needles. There are two different sorts of pens. One type is prefilled with 300 units of insulin. The prefilled pen is discarded after the insulin is used up or after 28 days, the same as for vials. The other type uses insulin cartridges, and the cartridges are modified utilizing the same schedule that is employed for prefilled pens. Insulin pens are not chilled after the 1st use.
Needles for the insulin pens come in different sizes. Insulin dosages are dialed on the pen in 1/2 and one unit increments dependent on the kind of pen used. The result of dosing by pen is fewer dosing mistakes. Insulin pens are convenient, and allow simple dosing for folk on the go. Pens are also subtle. It's not endorsed that pen needles be used several times for a similar reasons that syringes shouldn't be reused; bacteria and possible infection. Pen needles should be discarded 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 choose which insulin delivery method you will be using, a carry case will be needed to carry your insulin, meter and other mandatory items, for example sharps containers. A mess of diabetes products are on the market to accommodate your requirements. Choosing the best products will make the time that you spend on diabetes management more profitable. The simplest way to find diabetes products is to search for them online, or look in diabetes magazines.
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 an element of your treatment plan. Debate with your GP which insulin delivery method is the best for you, and start on the way to better diabetes control.
The first thing to remember is that insulin isn't a punishment in any form. If you are using insulin, it's often because insulin is absent from your body, or your body still makes insulin but it is not enough. Often oral meds are no longer working, so insulin is added to your treatment plan. Your doctor will discuss your dosing wants with you.
Insulin injections are nada to be terrified of, even for people that are alarmed of needles. Leading edge technology has made the needles so small and thin that the insulin injection is never felt. Used correctly in conjunction with your meal plan and exercise, insulin can give you wonderful 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 techniques are a matter of need and choice. Insulin users that have insulin pumps as their delivery system have very different guidelines that won't be covered here. The focus of insulin delivery systems for this article will be on syringes, insulin pens, jet injectors and inhaled 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 throwaway, and should be discarded after one use. A bio hazardous container such as a sharps container will be wanted to hold dropped syringes. These containers can be had from some waste disposal services, and may acquired from any pharmacy. Disposal of sharps containers requires special handling. Your GP, diabetes educator, or drugstore should be able to tell you where sharps can be disposed of in your neighborhood.
Insulin Vials
Liquid insulin comes in vials and insulin pens. Vials are stockpiled in the refrigerator until use, and are dropped after the insulin is used up, or after 28 days, whichever comes first. Vials hold various amounts of insulin dependent on the brand. Insulin is drawn up into the syringe from the vial and can be injected into several areas of the body, typically the thigh or abdomen. Most varieties of insulin need a prescription.
Insulin pens
Insulin pens are a convenient way to administer insulin. An insulin pen seems like an oversized ink pen, and uses disposable needles. There are two different sorts of pens. One type is prefilled with 300 units of insulin. The prefilled pen is discarded after the insulin is used up or after 28 days, the same as for vials. The other type uses insulin cartridges, and the cartridges are modified utilizing the same schedule that is employed for prefilled pens. Insulin pens are not chilled after the 1st use.
Needles for the insulin pens come in different sizes. Insulin dosages are dialed on the pen in 1/2 and one unit increments dependent on the kind of pen used. The result of dosing by pen is fewer dosing mistakes. Insulin pens are convenient, and allow simple dosing for folk on the go. Pens are also subtle. It's not endorsed that pen needles be used several times for a similar reasons that syringes shouldn't be reused; bacteria and possible infection. Pen needles should be discarded 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 choose which insulin delivery method you will be using, a carry case will be needed to carry your insulin, meter and other mandatory items, for example sharps containers. A mess of diabetes products are on the market to accommodate your requirements. Choosing the best products will make the time that you spend on diabetes management more profitable. The simplest way to find diabetes products is to search for them online, or look in diabetes magazines.
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 an element of your treatment plan. Debate with your GP which insulin delivery method is the best for you, and start on the way 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 professionals and individuals. Post Medical offers answers to guarantee that patients with diabetes have a secure way of diabetic needle disposal to help answer the growing pandemic of needles as a community health hazard.
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