How to inject insulin

Insulin, Insulin and Insulin

Once you are diagnosed with diabetes,there is a high likelihood that you will have to be administeredinsulin daily throughout the rest of your life. Moreover, this will,most probably, have to be done by you yourself, by either usingsyringes or insulin pens. Either way, taking into consideration thatthese will have to be jabbed in your skin daily, you have to know howto do it properly, so as to avoid any problems or complications inthe long run. Thus, the reminder of this article will give its bestto shed more light on the subject, helping you by teaching you how toadminister insulin shots regularly and adequately.

Means of Precaution

First of all, you will have to choosethe right spot, or spots for your insulin shots. Namely, you are notadvised to jab the needle in the same spot each time, or thefollowing one. Rather, you should choose different spots where youwill administer insulin and, once all other spots have been used,return to the initial one. As for the adequate places, those whereyou have muscles will react to insulin much more than those coveredin fat. This is due to the fact that fat absorbs much of the insulinfaster and has less nerve endings present. Also, more fat means lesspain, thus many people opt for body parts like hips or tummy, when itcomes to insulin shots. However, once you find a spot, you can usethe same body part continually, but jabbing the needle in differentplaces upon that skin surface. For example, if you chose your arm,stick to it. This way, you will have a greater insight in yourinsulin shot tolerance. Finally, there are alternative treatmentslike orally taken insulin, but not all diabetic patients can benefitfrom taking these. Also, once you are giving shots, do not do it overclothes, but remove it out of the way.

The Shot Procedure

Before you even take the insulin deviceyou are using, wash your hands meticulously, by using anantibacterial soap. Then, remove the cap from the insulin bottle andmake sure the insulin itself is not cold since this can make theprocess more painful. If you are using insulin pens, shake thembefore injecting.

Disinfect the bottle cap with alcoholbefore inserting the needle in. Once the needle is in, insert the airin the bottle through it. Then, turn the bottle upside down andinsert the insulin into the syringe. Remove any bubbles in thesyringe by striking it with your fingernail lightly. Before actuallyadministering the insulin, make sure you clean the skin spot withalcohol applied with cotton and pinch the spot with your fingers.Then, by pressing the plunger and jabbing the needle under a 90degrees angle, insert the insulin gently.