According to insulin delivery recommendations agreed upon by experts and published in the September issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings , improperly injecting insulin can affect blood sugar levels and the effectiveness of insulin. Other mistakes or bad practices can also get in the way of your efforts to keep the condition well controlled, says endocrinologist Ava Port, MD , an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore.
Ask your healthcare team for tips and strategies that make the most sense for you and your insulin regimen. And avoid these common insulin mistakes to make sure you're getting the most out of your treatment. Checking your blood sugar levels regularly helps you stay tuned in to how your body responds to your medications, food, and lifestyle habits, Dr.
Port says. It can help you and your doctor determine the right amount of basal and bolus insulin to take. Fasting blood sugar levels reflect how basal insulin is working in the background, whereas pre-meal and evening blood sugar levels are a better barometer of how the bolus insulin dosing is matching up with your food and carbohydrate intake. Or, despite having symptoms of high or low blood sugar, they simply ignore the fact that their diabetes may be out of control, she adds.
It can be a note on your refrigerator, an alarm on your phone, or some other device that prompts you to use it — whatever works for you. You might also be eligible to use a continuous glucose monitor, a special device placed just under the skin that tracks blood sugar readings continuously and sends this information to a reader or to a phone app. Most devices require minimal or no calibration with finger stick blood glucose readings and can typically be worn for up to 7 to 14 days, depending on the brand.
If you have type 2 diabetes and miss a dose of basal or bolus insulin, your blood sugar will rise. It can be tough to always remember to take your insulin, especially when you're busy at work or school. Make it a priority, Port advises. Since basal insulin is generally taken just once a day, pick a time that works for you, such as just upon waking in the morning, and make it part of your routine.
If you take bolus insulin, try keeping an extra set of your insulin supplies at work or in a bag you carry with you, so that medication is always in easy reach when you need it. Set an alarm on your phone, or find some other way to remind yourself to stop and take the insulin the prescribed amount of time before eating, Heide says. Support groups for people with type 2 diabetes can be excellent places to pick up tips on remembering to take your insulin. Sometimes involving another person can also help in building the medication into a routine, says Heide.
There are different types of insulin to treat diabetes. While the strength of insulin varies, its action depends on three characteristics: onset, peak time, and duration. Onset refers to the length of time it takes for the insulin to start lowering the blood sugar level. Peak time refers to the time when the insulin is at its maximum efficacy in lowering blood sugar levels. Lastly, duration refers to how long insulin continues to lower blood sugar levels for. Insulin is not available in pill form because your digestive enzymes can break it down.
Insulin is, after all, a protein. Injecting it under the fat of the skin effectively transports it to the blood. There are several different types of insulin available for people who have diabetes:.
Researchers have pointed out that the behavior of insulin after administration can vary. This means that there is a tendency for insulin not to follow the standard onset for it to start working. There are different factors that influence the absorption of insulin. People with diabetes typically use three regions as the injection sites for their insulin: the upper arm, upper leg, and abdomen.
Out of the three sites, the abdomen results in the most effective and rapid absorption of insulin. The upper leg region results in the slowest. The higher the insulin concentration, the more rapid the diffusion and rate of absorption.
The most common insulin formulation is U, but U and old U, which is no longer manufactured, are also available. Insulin should be injected into the fat layer just underneath the skin, where capillaries are abundant.
Insulin moves sugar glucose from your blood to your cells for energy or storage. If you take insulin, you may need some at mealtime to help lower your blood sugar after you eat. But even between meals, you need insulin in small amounts to help keep blood sugar stable. To control your blood sugar, you need to replace or supplement the normal function of your pancreas with regular insulin injections.
According to the U. This is similar to the action of insulin normally produced by your pancreas to help control blood sugar levels between meals.
Long-acting insulins are also called basal or background insulins. They keep working in the background to keep your blood sugar under control throughout your daily routine. Even though Lantus and Toujeo are both insulin glargine products made by the same manufacturer, the dosing may need to be slightly different.
This is because they have different formula concentrations which causes slight changes in the way they control blood sugar. Usually, you inject long-acting insulin once a day to keep your blood sugar levels steady.
You use a needle or pen device to give yourself the injection. These vary depending on the type of diabetes and any history of insulin use. When a person starts to use new insulin, the doctor will recommend that they begin with a smaller percentage of the target dose. This gives the body time to adapt to the extra insulin.
The doctor will then slowly start to increase the prescription to provide a full dose. Any factors that can affect blood sugar might lead to a change in insulin dosage, as well as negative reactions to the hormone, such as weight gain.
Finding the ideal long-acting insulin regimen is a trial and error process that requires careful monitoring of blood sugar levels. Learn more here about insulin pens, which often come with pre-prepared doses.
According to the American Diabetes Association, long-acting insulin differs from faster-acting insulins in three main ways :. Long-acting insulin cannot stabilize post-meal blood sugar spikes. People with type 1 diabetes will often need to supplement their long-acting insulin regimen with faster-acting insulins when eating. When scientists create long-acting insulin, they change the structure of natural insulin.
This is so that it can be absorbed into the bloodstream more gradually. As an injection, insulin glargine forms clusters in the fatty tissue beneath the skin. These clusters break down slowly, gradually releasing small amounts of insulin into the bloodstream. This type of insulin works by slowing down the rate at which the bloodstream absorbs insulin molecules.
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