Diabetes mellitus is a common pathology. There are two forms of this disease. In diabetes mellitus of the first type, a person needs regular administration of insulin. This procedure is carried out using a specific technology. It must not be violated. Otherwise, serious complications may occur. How and where to inject insulin will be discussed later.
The essence of the problem
Where to inject insulin in diabetes? This question arises in those patients who have recently encountered a similar disease. According to the doctors themselves, diabetes is not a diagnosis, but a way of life. Indeed, people with a similar pathology should get used to the new organization of their diet and lifestyle. Not only well-being, but also the life of a person with diabetes depends on their correct behavior.
In type 1 diabetes, the patient is prescribed insulin therapy. This procedure requires adjustment. It is first carried out under the supervision of a doctor. In this case, the patient passes a number of tests. This allows you to choose the right dose of insulin. Each patient undergoes training, during which he learns the algorithm of drug administration.
Insulin therapy is usually prescribed to young people. It is at this age that the first type of diabetes occurs. However, such therapy can be prescribed not only in the presence of this disease. If a woman has decreased pancreatic function during pregnancy, she may be prescribed this medication. Also, during acute or chronic infectious diseases, during severe stress, and in a number of other diseases, people need temporary insulin administration.
One of the important issues when conducting such therapy is the following: where can I inject insulin? There are clear guidelines for this procedure. With their violation, the development of various deviations is possible. To prevent this, you should know all the ins and outs of insulin therapy. The doctor must familiarize the patient with them.
Features of the injection
Studying where to inject insulin (a photo of one of the options is presented above), several possible zones should be considered. The fact is that they need to be changed periodically. It is undesirable to inject in the same place. There are several reasons for this:
- The absorption rate of the drug in different parts of the body is not the same.
- The introduction of an injection into the same area on the body over time leads to lipodystrophy. The fat layer under the skin in this place disappears.
- Multiple injections can accumulate in the tissues.
Especially dangerous accumulation of insulin "in reserve". He can act suddenly. Moreover, this situation can be observed after a couple of days after the injection. Because of this, the level of glucose in the blood drops sharply and strongly. This entails an attack of hypoglycemia. It manifests itself with certain symptoms. Hands tremble, a person throws into a cold sweat, he feels hunger and weakness.
This situation requires a rapid increase in sugar levels. Otherwise, hypoglycemic coma may occur. You need to drink a sweet warm liquid (sweet tea), and then eat a sandwich, cookie or other carbohydrate product.
To avoid such problems, you should know where to inject insulin. This will avoid serious complications.
Zoning
Where to inject insulin in diabetes? It should immediately be clarified that the drug can be administered subcutaneously, intramuscularly and intravenously. The choice depends on the condition of the person. Most often it is administered subcutaneously. To do this, use special syringes or syringes-pens. They have a very thin and sharp needle. This greatly facilitates the injection procedure.
In order for doctors and patients to better understand each other, the zones into which the drug can be administered have a simple name. However, these areas have clear boundaries. There are the following areas where you can inject insulin:
- Stomach. The upper boundary of this zone runs along the belt, passing to the back. It is also located to the right and left of the navel.
- Arms. Here you can inject insulin into the outer surface in the interval from the elbow to the shoulder. This is rather inconvenient. Therefore, injections in this zone are possible only with a syringe pen. You can also ask someone close to inject insulin into this area.
- Legs. This area is defined from the inguinal to the knee joint. Insulin is injected into the outside of the limbs.
- Shoulder blades. These zones are on the back. An injection is administered under the scapular bone.
Each patient who has been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus should know how these zones differ. It is necessary to choose correctly where to enter this or that type of injection.
Zone Features
Each of these zones has its own specific features. This must be considered when choosing a place for drug administration.
With the introduction of insulin into the stomach, its absorption is 90%. Often, the drug is injected into this area. Choosing where to inject short insulin, you need to choose exactly the abdomen. Here it is absorbed not only almost completely, but also very quickly. Therefore, before eating, during or immediately after a meal, insulin must be injected into the stomach. The drug will begin to act within 15-30 minutes after ingestion. Its peak is observed after about an hour.
If the drug is injected into the hands or feet, it is absorbed by 75%. If you need to determine where to inject long insulin, these areas are chosen more often. The drug, introduced into the arms or legs, begins to act in an hour or even after an hour and a half. Therefore, these zones are suitable for the introduction of a drug of prolonged (prolonged) action.
Insulin is almost never injected into the scapular region. The patient cannot reach here on his own. At the same time, only 30% of insulin is absorbed from the scapular region. This is considered an ineffective method of drug administration. It applies only in exceptional cases.
It is the rate and intensity of absorption of the drug determines where the substance will be introduced. Depending on the regimen of insulin administration, the choice of zone for its administration depends. You can not neglect these recommendations. If you enter the drug incorrectly, you can get an unpredictable result. Well-being will deteriorate sharply, various complications may develop.
Reviews on the introduction of the drug
Knowing where to inject insulin in diabetes mellitus, you should consider feedback on the feelings during the administration of the drug that patients leave. The most painful are injections into the stomach. There are many nerve endings. Therefore, the procedure causes some discomfort.
Doctors advise their patients to lift the skin when the drug is introduced into the stomach so that the needle enters the subcutaneous fold. Also less painful will be an injection, which was placed in the area closer to the sides. Although the procedure causes some pain, you can not ignore this area with the introduction of insulin. If you need to enter a quick-acting drug at the moment, this is only possible in the abdomen.
Where to inject long-acting insulin? This may be the area of the arms or legs. A person can make a choice on his own. However, most patients note that when insulin is injected into the arm, pain is absent altogether. Therefore, many people who have been diagnosed with diabetes put injections in their hands. This is sometimes not very convenient. In this case, it is better to ask for help from loved ones.
If no one can help with the introduction of insulin, you should purchase a syringe pen. With it, you can easily enter the drug, even in the hand. Periodically, it is required to use the foot zones. This avoids the effect of stagnation of the drug in the tissues.
To make the procedure less painful, only special syringes with thin, very sharp needles should be used. In this case, even with the introduction of the drug into the stomach, pain is absent.
Where should you do injections?
Knowing where it is better to inject insulin, you should consider places where the drug can not be entered. With self-administration of the drug, you need to get into the subcutaneous fat layer. If the drug enters the muscle tissue, this is not the best way affects the human condition. This is quite painful, can lead to various complications.
In the area where the drug is planned to be administered, there should be no seals of any nature. Also, there should be no redness, rashes, scars or abrasions. There should not be any mechanical damage to the skin at the injection site. Bruises are also unacceptable here. If the previous administration of the drug was unsuccessful, which led to its occurrence, you need to choose a different area of the skin.
It is also worth noting that the gap between the place of the previous and current injection should be at least 3 cm. Close to this point, an injection can be made only after 3 days. Previously, you should choose another place.
It is also worth noting that at least 5 cm should be retreated from the navel. If there are moles on the body (especially bulky ones), at least 2 cm must be retreated from them. If you neglect these rules, you can harm yourself. Seals must pass if it is planned to introduce the drug here. Otherwise, insulin will not be absorbed by the body. Any damage, formation on the skin does not allow the introduction of the drug in close proximity to them.
Syringe selection
Knowing where to inject insulin in diabetes mellitus, attention should be paid to the correct choice of syringe. It depends on whether the injection will be painful. Insulin is administered using a pen syringe or a special disposable syringe. The second option is most often used by people aged. They are used to disposable insulin syringes.
The younger generation prefers to use pen syringes. The advantage of this device is comfort in use. The drug can be administered quickly and easily. In this case, the syringe pen can be taken with you in your purse.
When using this device, you must adhere to certain rules. Before using it, you need to check whether the working syringe pen. Sometimes this appliance breaks. This can cause an incorrect dose of the drug or an unsuccessful administration under the skin.
It is better to give preference to a plastic device with a built-in needle. After the injection, there is no insulin left in them.
All conventional insulin syringes are disposable. Their volume is usually 1 ml (100 IU). Such an instrument has 20 divisions. Each of them corresponds to 2 IU. If a syringe pen is used, in it each division of the scale corresponds to 1 IU.
The needle should be very sharp and short. If it is dull, a bruise and tightness will appear at the injection site. This, of course, is not fatal, but causes considerable discomfort.
How to make an injection?
Having considered where to correctly inject insulin, you should pay attention to the algorithm for this procedure. It is impossible to retreat from it. All actions must be carried out clearly according to the established scheme.
First you need to prepare the skin area where the drug will be administered. It must be clean. However, rubbing the skin with alcohol is not necessary. It destroys insulin. Therefore, you just need to wash the area of the body where you want to enter the drug. It is enough to take a bath once a day. If you need to give an injection immediately after hygiene procedures, the water should not be made too hot. She must be warm. Otherwise, the effect of the drug may be unpredictable.
After that, you need to prepare insulin. The medicine needs to be rolled between the palms. This procedure is performed for 30 seconds. The drug, which is introduced into the body, must be warm and well mixed. Then he is drawn into a syringe. It is necessary to clearly monitor its quantity on a scale on the case.
With the left hand, a skin fold is made. A needle is inserted into it. If a person is normal or overweight, it should enter the skin directly. For thin people, you need to enter the needle at an angle of 45-60º. Next, the drug is administered under the skin. Next, you need to wait a few seconds. If you get the needle right away, some insulin will leak out.
A few words about the technique
Studying how and where to inject insulin, one should take into account several nuances of the injection technique. So that the body's sensitivity to insulin does not decrease, the drug administration zones must be alternated. First, the drug is injected into the stomach, then into the arm. Then again to the stomach, and next time to the leg, etc.
You need to learn how to properly grab the skin to form a crease. If you squeeze it strongly, muscle fibers will also rise. It is unacceptable. Therefore, the skin is squeezed gently, using only two fingers of the left hand (right for left-handed people).
The needle must be inserted vigorously. After that, the piston must be slightly retracted in the opposite direction. It happens that the needle enters a small blood vessel (rarely). As a result, blood enters the syringe. In this case, you need to get the needle and move the injection site 3 cm from this place.
However, too close insulin administration from the skin surface is not welcome. This will immediately be felt with the introduction of the drug. In this case, the piston will move with difficulty. A seal appears under the skin. Soreness appears. Be sure to push the needle a little deeper.
You need to get the needle sharply, as well as insert it. If you do this slowly, pain appears.
Rules for the use of drugs and tools
Having considered how and where to inject insulin, you should study several rules for using this substance. The drug acts faster if the ambient temperature rises. To do this, you can take a warm shower or make a light massage at the injection site of insulin. In this case, the skin needs only to be lightly stroked. You do not need to press it hard.
Before using the drug, you need to look at its expiration date. If it is released, insulin cannot be used for injection. Also, its concentration should correspond to the dose calculated by the doctor.
Keep insulin in the refrigerator. However, freezing it is unacceptable. The optimum temperature for storage of the drug is + 2 ... + 8º. In this case, the pen or disposable syringe may be at room temperature. After the procedure, they must be disposed of correctly. To do this, put the syringes in a special container. When it is full, it is handed over to the company for the processing of medical disposable instruments. Keep the container out of the reach of children.
Having considered where to inject insulin, you can perform regular procedures correctly. This will avoid the development of serious complications, pain and discomfort.