How to Inject Insulin
Proper injection technique is important for optimum effect of insulin and the regulation of blood sugar.
Who needs insulin?
In type 1 diabetes, the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas damaged. Anyone who suffers from this type of diabetes therefore need insulin treatment.
Type 2 diabetes because the body’s insulin work for the poor, or the pancreas does not produce enough. Not everyone who suffers from this type of need insulin treatment, but if the change of diet and use of the tablets do not provide good enough results, it is necessary.
What types of insulin are available?
- Extra fast-acting
- Fast-acting
- Intermediate-acting
- Mixture of fast-acting and intermediate-acting
- Long-acting
Where on the body is insulin?
- Fast-acting insulin is put on the stomach
- Long-acting put on thigh (middle or outside) or on the butt (top)
- Medium-term action is put on the thigh or butt
- Mixture of fast-acting and long-acting insulin is put on the stomach in the morning, and on the thigh in the evening
In children, you can set rapid-acting insulin on the behind. This is to spread the injection sites and to avoid the development of fat pads (lipohypertrofier). Also pregnant women with abdominal outplayed can pop on the behind instead of the stomach.
Put in under the skin
Insulin to be subcutaneously, in the subcutaneous fat – not muscle tissue. The setting of insulin that is taken up in the blood, should be fast and equal each time.
Lift a fold of skin using only index and long finger. Lift the whole hand is more likely that muscle mass is included. There is usually no more painful to slip into a muscle, but insulin will be sucked up quickly.
Vary the injection site
Vary the injection site so that the tissue has time to full after each stab. By sticking in different locations also reduces the risk of fat cushions. Injection of these fat pads can make insulin uptake irregular and cause unstable blood sugar.
Reuse of needles?
In principle, one should replace the needle after each injection. It provides the most gentle and safe supply of insulin.
Take an “air shot”
To be sure you get the right amount of insulin, you should check that there is insulin out of the needle before you set the dose. You may want to do this ‘air shot’ before every injection, to see that there is no leak insulin, or that the needle is clogged.
Storage of insulin
Insulin is not in use, shall be stored in the refrigerator. Once opened, shelf life is typically four weeks at room temperature.
The effect of insulin can be reduced by direct sunlight, frost or temperatures over 30 degrees.
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