Unfortunately, at the moment, diabetes is a very dangerous disease, often leading to death. Every year, death statistics are increasing more and more. According to scientists, by 2030, diabetes will be a pathology that most often takes human lives.
Many people think that diabetes is a sentence. However, this is not the case. Of course, you will have to radically change your lifestyle and take medications daily. However, one can survive for ten years without such a disease.
This article discusses how to calculate basal insulin, what it is and why it is needed. Carefully read the information provided in order to be in maximum armament.
What is diabetes
This pathology is a hormonal disease that occurs due to an excessively increased level of glucose in the blood. This phenomenon leads to malfunction of the pancreas. It partially or completely ceases to produce the hormone - insulin. The main purpose of this substance is to control sugar levels. If the body cannot cope with glucose on its own, it begins to use proteins and fats for its vital functions. And this leads to significant disruptions throughout the body.
Why use insulin for patients with diabetes
As mentioned above, in the presence of this pathology, the pancreas either completely stops producing the hormone insulin, or it does not produce enough. However, the body needs it anyway. Therefore, if your own hormone is not enough, it must come from outside. In this case, basal insulins serve as a background for normal human activity. Therefore, each patient with diabetes should administer injections of this medication. The calculation of basal insulin is a very important ritual for the patient, as his daily condition and life expectancy will depend on this. It is very important to understand how to correctly calculate the level of this hormone in order to control the level of your life.
What is prolonged insulin?
This type of insulin is called not only basal, but also background or prolonged. Such a medication can have a medium or long-term effect, depending on the individual characteristics of each organism. Its main goal is to compensate for insulin in a patient with diabetes. Since the pancreas does not function properly in a diabetic, he must receive insulin from the outside. For this, such medicines were invented.
About basal insulin
In the modern pharmaceutical market, there are a large number of different drugs that are safer for the human body than it was before. They have a positive effect on the health of the patient, and at the same time lead to a minimum of side effects. Just ten years ago, basal insulins were made from components of animal origin. Now they have a human or synthetic basis.
Types of exposure duration
Today, there are a large number of different types of insulin. Their selection depends on the basal level of insulin. For example, drugs with an average exposure will affect the body for twelve to sixteen hours.
There are also medications and long term exposure. One dosage of the drug is enough for twenty-four hours, so you need to enter the medication only once a day.
Scientists have also invented a sustained-release injection. Its effect lasts about forty-eight hours. However, the medication that is right for you should be prescribed by your doctor.
All optimal basal insulins have a smooth effect on the body, which can not be said about drugs that have a short-term effect. Such injections are usually taken before meals to control sugar levels directly with food. Long-acting drugs are usually of synthetic origin, as well as an additional ingredient - the protein protamine.
How to make a calculation
The properties of optimal basal insulin are to support fasting glucose levels, as well as directly during sleep. That is why the body is very important to take it for normal life.
And so, consider how to make the calculations correctly:
- first you need to know the mass of your body;
- now multiply the result by the number 0.3 or 0.5 (the first coefficient is for type 2 diabetes, the second for the first);
- if type 1 diabetes has been present for more than ten years, then the coefficient should be increased to 0.7;
- find thirty percent of the result, and break out what happened, into two applications (this will be the evening and morning administration of the medication).
However, there are drugs that can be administered once a day or once every two days. Consult your doctor about this and find out if you can use prolonged medications.
Status check
If the basal secretion of insulin is impaired, and you have calculated the dosage of drugs simulating it, then it is very important to determine whether this amount is suitable for you. To do this, you need to do a special check, which lasts for three days. Refuse breakfast on the first day, skip lunch on the second day, and deprive yourself of dinner on the third. If you do not feel any special jumps during the day, then the dosage has been chosen correctly.
Where to stab
Patients with diabetes need to learn how to inject themselves on their own, because this disease is lifelong and requires daily support. Be sure to pay attention to the fact that drugs containing insulin are intended specifically for subcutaneous administration. In no case do injections into the muscles, and even more so - into the veins.
The first thing you need to do before injecting is to choose the most optimal place for it. For this purpose, the stomach, shoulders, buttocks and hips are best suited. Be sure to examine your skin condition. In no case do not insert the needle into moles, as well as into the wen, and other skin imperfections. Move away from the navel by at least five centimeters. Also give an injection, backing off at least a couple of centimeters from the mole.
Doctors recommend injecting the medicine into a new place each time. So this will not provoke pain. However, keep in mind that the most effective is the introduction of the drug into the stomach. In this case, the active substances can quickly spread throughout the body.
How to make an injection
Once you have decided on a place, it is very important to make an injection correctly. Before inserting a needle under the skin, thoroughly treat your chosen area with ethanol. Now squeeze the skin, and quickly insert the needle into it. But at the same time, enter the medicine itself very slowly. Count to yourself up to ten, then stick out the needle. Do it also fast. If you see blood, it means you have pierced a blood vessel. In this case, remove the needle and insert it into another area of the skin. The administration of insulin should be painless. If you feel pain, try to push the needle a little deeper.
Short acting insulins
Bolus and basal insulins play an important role for a person with diabetes. The goal of insulin bolus is to lower sugar during meals. It has a short term effect. Basal insulin is designed to control glucose levels during sleep, as well as before meals.
Determining the need for bolus insulin
Each patient with diabetes should be able to independently determine the dosage of short-term insulin. To do this, you need to familiarize yourself with such a concept as a bread unit (XE). One such unit is equal to twelve grams of carbohydrates. For example, one XE contains a small slice of bread, or half a bun, or half a serving of vermicelli.
Each product has a certain amount of XE. You will have to calculate them, taking into account the volume of your portion, as well as the variety of the product. To do this, use a special table and scales. However, soon you will learn how to determine the required amount of food by eye, so the need for scales and a table will simply disappear.
The most popular drugs
Today, there is simply a huge number of drugs made on the basis of synthetic insulin, designed to provide an average and long-lasting effect. Consider the most popular of them:
- Drugs such as Protafan and InsumanBazal are prescribed by doctors to patients who need medications of medium duration of exposure. Their actions last for about ten to eighteen hours, so the injection must be administered twice a day.
- "Humulin", "Biosulin" and "Levemir" are able to have a longer effect. One injection is enough for about eighteen to twenty-four hours.
- But a drug like Tresiba has a prolonged effect. Its effect lasts about forty-eight hours, so you can use the medication once every two days. That is why this drug is so popular among patients with diabetes.
As you can see, a large number of different drugs with a different exposure period refers to basal insulin. However, what kind of insulin-containing medication is suitable in your case you need to find out from a specialist. In no case do not engage in amateur activity, as an improperly selected drug or an error in the dosage of the medicine will lead to negative consequences, up to a coma.
conclusions
Diabetes mellitus is a very dangerous disease that can significantly change your lifestyle. However, you should definitely not despair, because you can still be a happy person. The main thing is to change your lifestyle, and take the necessary medicines on time. According to doctors, patients who do not forget to take basal insulin live much longer than those who forget to do it.
The use of basal insulin is an integral part of the life of patients with diabetes. This disease can not be cured, but you can control your condition.
Exercise your health from a young age. Eat right, do physical exercises, and also skillfully alternate work and rest. Take care of your health and you will notice how it takes care of you. Take care of yourself and be healthy.