A Beginners Guide to Insulin Use For Diabetes Patients
>> Wednesday, September 7, 2011
You just received the revelation that your physician is adding insulin to your diabetes treatment plan. The utilisation of insulin to govern your diabetes can be confusing and threatening. 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 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 plenty of different guides on the best way to self administer an insulin injection, so this subject will not be covered in this guide. The basics of using insulin are simple, and need knowledge of how insulin works which your doctor should explain to you. Insulin use also needs awareness of insulin delivery techniques, and insulin supplies that may help make 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 various sizes. The amount of your insulin dose determines the scale of the syringe that you're going to need to use. If you are taking 30 units or less, a 3/10 cc (30 unit) syringe will work. If you're taking 31 to 50 units, 1/2 cc syringe (50 unit) will be needed. If your dose is 51 units or more, a 1 cc (100 unit) syringe will be required. The needle sizes change for each syringe size. Syringes could be purchased from a chemist.
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 stored in the chiller till use, and are discarded after the insulin is employed up, or after 28 days, whichever comes first. Vials hold varied amounts of insulin depending on the brand. Insulin is drawn up into the syringe from the vial and can be injected into 1 or 2 areas of the body, usually the thigh or stomach. Most types 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 small stream of insulin thru the skin by employing a mechanism that creates high pressure air. The injector doesn't use a needle. After the insulin dose is loaded into the injector, the injector is placed against the skin and a button is pushed to release the insulin into the skin. Jet injectors are not very popular among insulin users due to bruising and other things.
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 is important for insulin users to carry a meter and glucose capsules at all points. Insulin could cause "lows" which can cause unconsciousness if not treated swiftly. 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 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 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 plenty of different guides on the best way to self administer an insulin injection, so this subject will not be covered in this guide. The basics of using insulin are simple, and need knowledge of how insulin works which your doctor should explain to you. Insulin use also needs awareness of insulin delivery techniques, and insulin supplies that may help make 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 various sizes. The amount of your insulin dose determines the scale of the syringe that you're going to need to use. If you are taking 30 units or less, a 3/10 cc (30 unit) syringe will work. If you're taking 31 to 50 units, 1/2 cc syringe (50 unit) will be needed. If your dose is 51 units or more, a 1 cc (100 unit) syringe will be required. The needle sizes change for each syringe size. Syringes could be purchased from a chemist.
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 stored in the chiller till use, and are discarded after the insulin is employed up, or after 28 days, whichever comes first. Vials hold varied amounts of insulin depending on the brand. Insulin is drawn up into the syringe from the vial and can be injected into 1 or 2 areas of the body, usually the thigh or stomach. Most types 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 small stream of insulin thru the skin by employing a mechanism that creates high pressure air. The injector doesn't use a needle. After the insulin dose is loaded into the injector, the injector is placed against the skin and a button is pushed to release the insulin into the skin. Jet injectors are not very popular among insulin users due to bruising and other things.
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 is important for insulin users to carry a meter and glucose capsules at all points. Insulin could cause "lows" which can cause unconsciousness if not treated swiftly. 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.
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment