Insulin is a protein hormone produced by the pancreas. It is necessary for the absorption and utilization of glucose. With diabetes, it is not produced enough, so the blood sugar level rises, but it does not enter the tissue. All diabetics must provide additional insulin to the body. And this drug can be administered only in the form of injections that are given daily, even several times a day. Therefore, every diabetic needs to know how to inject insulin. Each patient makes an injection on his own, but its absorption and the appearance of possible complications depend on how the drug is administered.
Features of insulin administration
Glucose is produced from carbohydrates, which are constantly ingested with food. It is necessary for the normal functioning of the brain, muscles and internal organs. But it can enter the cells only with the help of insulin. If this hormone is not produced enough in the body, glucose builds up in the blood and does not enter the tissue. This happens with type 1 diabetes, when pancreatic beta cells lose their ability to produce insulin. And with type 2 disease, insulin is produced, but cannot be fully used. Therefore, all the same, glucose does not enter the cells.
Normalization of sugar levels is possible only with the help of insulin injections. They are especially important for type 1 diabetes. But with an insulin-independent form of the disease, you also need to know how to make the injections correctly. Indeed, in some cases, only in this way can sugar levels be normalized. Without this, serious complications can develop, since a high level of glucose in the blood damages the walls of blood vessels and leads to tissue destruction.
Insulin cannot accumulate in the body, therefore, its regular intake is necessary. The level of sugar in the blood depends on the dose in which this hormone is administered. If the dosage of the drug is exceeded, hypoglycemia may develop. Therefore, it is very important to know how to inject insulin correctly. Dosages are calculated by the doctor individually after repeated blood and urine tests. They depend on the age of the patient, the duration of the course of the disease, its severity, the degree of increase in sugar, the weight of the patient and the characteristics of his nutrition. It is necessary to observe the dosages prescribed by the doctor with accuracy. Usually injections are made 4 times a day.
If you need to regularly administer this drug, the patient must first figure out how to inject insulin correctly. Special syringes exist, but young patients and children prefer to use the so-called pen. This device is for convenient and painless administration of the drug. Remembering how to inject insulin with a pen is pretty easy. Such injections are painless, they can be carried out even outside the home.
Different types of insulin
This drug is different. Distinguish between insulin ultrashort, short, medium and prolonged action. What kind of drug is injected to the patient, the doctor determines. Hormones of various actions are usually used during the day. If you want to enter two drugs at the same time, you need to do this with different syringes and in different places. It is not recommended to use ready-made mixtures, since it is not known how they will affect sugar levels.
With the correct compensation for diabetes, it is especially important to understand how to inject long insulin correctly. Such drugs as Levemir, Tutzheo, Lantus, Tresiba are recommended to be introduced into the thigh or abdomen. Such injections are given regardless of the meal. Injections of long insulin are usually prescribed in the morning on an empty stomach and in the evening before bedtime.
But each patient also needs to know how to inject short insulin. It is advisable to enter it half an hour before a meal, as it begins to act quickly and can cause the development of hypoglycemia. And before eating, it is necessary to prick it so that the sugar level does not rise much. Short-acting insulin preparations include Actrapid, NovoRapid, Humalog and others.
How to inject with an insulin syringe
Recently, more modern devices for insulin injections have appeared. Modern insulin syringes are equipped with thin and long needles. They also have a special scale, since insulin is most often measured not in milliliters, but in bread units. It is best to do each injection with a new syringe, since drops of insulin remain in it, which can deteriorate. In addition, it is recommended to choose a syringe with a direct piston, so it will be easier to dose the drug.
In addition to choosing the right dosage, it is very important to choose the length of the needle. There are thin insulin needles with a length of 5 to 14 mm. The smallest are for children. Needles of 6-8 mm give injections to thin people who have almost no subcutaneous tissue. Usually used needles 10-14 mm. But sometimes, with an incorrect injection or a too long needle, blood vessels can be damaged. After this, red spots appear, small bruises may occur.
Where to administer the drug
When patients have a question about how to inject insulin correctly, doctors most often recommend doing this in those parts of the body where there is a lot of subcutaneous fat. It is in such tissues that this drug is better absorbed and acts for a longer time. Intravenous injections are done only in a hospital setting, since after them there is a sharp decrease in sugar levels. When injected into a muscle, insulin is also almost immediately absorbed into the bloodstream, which can lead to hypoglycemia. But at the same time, the hormone is quickly consumed, it is not enough until the next injection. Therefore, before the next injection, the sugar level may increase. And with daily glucose monitoring, insulin should be distributed evenly. Therefore, areas with a large amount of subcutaneous fat are considered the best place for an injection. From it, insulin enters the bloodstream gradually. These are parts of the body:
- in the abdomen at the level of the belt;
- front of the hips;
- outer surface of the shoulder.
Before the injection, you need to examine the place of the alleged administration of the drug. It is necessary to deviate at least 3 cm from the site of the previous injection, from moles and skin lesions. It is advisable not to inject into the area where there are pustules, as this can lead to infection.
How to inject insulin into the stomach
It is in this place that the patient is most easily given an injection on his own. In addition, there is usually a lot of subcutaneous fat in the abdomen. You can stab anywhere in the belt. The main thing is to step back from the navel 4-5 cm. If you know how to correctly inject insulin into the stomach, you can constantly keep the sugar level under control. Any kind of drug is allowed to be introduced into the abdomen; they will all be well absorbed.
In this place it is convenient to give an injection to the patient himself. If there is a lot of subcutaneous fat, you can not even collect the skin fold. But it is very important to ensure that the next injection is not injected into the same area of the abdomen, you need to step back 3-5 cm. With frequent administration of insulin in one place, the development of lipodystrophy is possible. In this case, fatty tissue is thinned and replaced by connective tissue. A red, hardened area of skin appears.
Injections to other parts of the body
The effectiveness of insulin depends heavily on where to inject. In addition to the abdomen, the most common places are the hip and shoulder. In the buttock, you can also do an injection, it is there that they inject insulin into the children. But it’s difficult for a diabetic to inject himself into this place. The most inefficient injection site is the area under the scapula. Only 30% of the injected insulin is absorbed from this place. Therefore, such injections are not done here.
Since the abdomen is considered the most painful injection site, many diabetics prefer to do it in the arm or leg. Moreover, it is recommended to alternate injection sites. Therefore, each patient needs to know how to inject insulin in the hand correctly. This place is considered the most painless, but not everyone can give an injection here on their own. Short-acting insulin is recommended in the hand. Injection is done in the upper third of the shoulder.
You must also know how to stab insulin in the leg. The front surface of the thigh is suitable for injection. It is necessary to retreat 8-10 cm from the knee and from the inguinal fold. Traces of injections often remain on the legs. Since there is a lot of muscle and little fat, it is recommended to inject a drug of prolonged action, for example, Levemir insulin. Not all diabetics know how to correctly inject such funds into the thigh, but this must be learned. After all, when injected into the thigh, the drug can enter the muscle, so it will act differently.
Injection preparation
Insulin is available in glass vials with a rubber stopper. The drug is enough for several injections. After opening the bottle can be stored in the refrigerator for 4 weeks, you can not only allow it to freeze. The cork from the bottle does not need to be removed, the drug is dialed directly through it. But it is recommended that you first pierce the cork with a thicker needle so as not to damage the insulin, otherwise the injection may become painful.
It is advisable to get the bottle half an hour before the injection so that the contents are warmed to room temperature. This is to prevent discomfort and faster absorption of insulin. If you need to urgently make an injection, you need to roll a couple of minutes a bottle between your palms.
Shake the drug is not necessary. Typically, short and medium-acting insulin is clear and free of impurities. Sometimes a long-acting drug is a suspension that needs to be mixed. But in this case, the bottle is not shaken, but rolled between the palms or turned over several times.
It is very important to properly draw the right amount of fluid into the syringe. The main thing is that air does not get there. Although with a subcutaneous injection it is not as dangerous as with an intravenous one, but this can lead to an incorrect dosage of the drug. Before you take insulin into a syringe, you need to draw as much air into it. Then the needle must be inserted into the vial with the drug through a rubber stopper and release air there. This will help to avoid the formation of a vacuum after a dose has been set. After this, the vial and syringe are turned over vertically and slowly moving the piston, they collect insulin. It is recommended to score a little more than the desired dose. After all, then it will be necessary to release air, a little preparation will also leave.
Introduction technique
Even a child can remember how to correctly inject insulin with a pen. Usually, such a procedure does not require preparation, and it does not matter where the injection is made. It is only necessary to observe the correct dosage and time of injection. Therefore, most often in patients, the question arises of how to correctly inject insulin with a syringe. Typically, doctors will teach a patient an injection technique after making a diagnosis. But there are certain subtleties, and you need to know the correct procedure. This algorithm should be studied by every patient.
- Wash hands with soap.
- Wash the injection site or wipe with alcohol. But in the latter case, it is necessary to wait for the alcohol to evaporate, since insulin is destroyed by contact with it.
- Put the right amount of drug into the syringe.
- Take the syringe with one hand, like a dart for a dart - a thumb on one side, the rest on the other, the needle pointing towards the little finger.
- With the second hand, grab a fold of skin without greatly compressing it. If there is a lot of subcutaneous fatty tissue in the area of the body chosen for injection, this can not be done.
- The needle must be inserted sharply, quickly, at a right angle, and for thin people - at an angle of 45 degrees.
- Release the drug under the skin by gently pressing the syringe plunger.
- Then wait 5-7 seconds and only after that pull out the needle with a quick movement.
- It is not necessary to lubricate the injection site, massage too, as this can affect the rate of insulin absorption.
Possible complications
Most often, with such treatment, the wrong dosage of insulin occurs. This can be even after the introduction of the desired dose. Indeed, sometimes after an injection, part of the drug flows back. This can happen due to a too short needle or improper injection. If this happens, do not need to do a second injection. The next time insulin is administered no earlier than 4 hours. But it should be noted in the diary that there was a leak. This will help explain the possible increase in sugar levels before the next injection.
Often a question also arises in patients about how to inject insulin correctly - before meals or after. Typically, a short-acting drug is administered half an hour before a meal. It begins to act after 10-15 minutes, the injected insulin processes glucose and its additional intake with food is required. With improper administration of insulin or exceeding the recommended dosage, hypoglycemia may develop. This condition can be detected by feelings of weakness, nausea, dizziness. It is recommended that you immediately eat any source of fast carbohydrates: a glucose tablet, candy, a spoonful of honey, juice.
Injection Rules
Many patients who have just been diagnosed with diabetes are very afraid of injections. But if you know how to inject insulin correctly, you can avoid pain and other uncomfortable sensations. An injection can become painful if it is not carried out correctly. The first rule of a painless injection is that you need to inject the needle as quickly as possible. If you first bring it to the skin, and then inject it, then pain will occur.
Be sure to change the injection site every time, this will help to avoid the accumulation of insulin and the development of lipodystrophy. You can inject the drug at the same place only after 3 days. You can not massage the injection site, lubricate with any warming ointments. It is also not recommended to perform physical exercises after the injection. All this leads to faster absorption of insulin and lower sugar levels.