By John Willen
In the United States, approximately 5% of the population with diabetes has Type 1. Here, your pancreas no longer produces insulin so you must inject it. The rest of the diabetes population, about 95%, has Type 2. Type 2 may require insulin but it also is frequently controlled with diet and exercise and/or pills. If insulin is necessary, insulin pumps are available as well as insulin pens and syringes. You must use insulin needles for any of the above devices. There are different types of needles that meet the needs of certain body types.
The recommendation for those people taking doses over 100 units, or less, at a time is 1 cc. People taking 50 units or less would use the ½ cc and those needing only 30 units or less would use the 3/10 cc syringe. It is important to inject into your fat not your muscle! Injecting into the muscle will hurt! And it may affect the absorption rate of the insulin. The stomach is the most neutral site to inject into. If you inject into an area that you are working - your thigh or arm - the medication will absorb more rapidly and may influence your blood glucose levels.
The length of the needle can vary as well. The standard size for a needle is ½, "5/16 is for thinner people and is a shorter needle and 3/16" is for pediatrics - the shortest needle.
Whether you are taking insulin or not, it is important to test your blood glucose so you are aware of the effect food, exercise, medication and stress have on your body. Diabetic testing supplies are readily available to you at your local pharmacy, online or by mail order.
Some of these supplies include blood glucose monitors, testing strips, control solutions and lancets. Safety lancets are available as a one-time use needle. They come in various sizes to meet the needs of different body types. The lower gauge (25 or 28) would be a thicker needle for those who have a tougher skin and the 31 or 33 gauges would be a finer needle for those with more sensitive skin.
Your education needs to go far beyond simply knowing how to inject insulin or test your glucose. You want the insulin to work its best, absorb well and hurt the least. You need to know what numbers you are striving for. Diabetes educators can assist you with all of those questions.
In the United States, approximately 5% of the population with diabetes has Type 1. Here, your pancreas no longer produces insulin so you must inject it. The rest of the diabetes population, about 95%, has Type 2. Type 2 may require insulin but it also is frequently controlled with diet and exercise and/or pills. If insulin is necessary, insulin pumps are available as well as insulin pens and syringes. You must use insulin needles for any of the above devices. There are different types of needles that meet the needs of certain body types.
The recommendation for those people taking doses over 100 units, or less, at a time is 1 cc. People taking 50 units or less would use the ½ cc and those needing only 30 units or less would use the 3/10 cc syringe. It is important to inject into your fat not your muscle! Injecting into the muscle will hurt! And it may affect the absorption rate of the insulin. The stomach is the most neutral site to inject into. If you inject into an area that you are working - your thigh or arm - the medication will absorb more rapidly and may influence your blood glucose levels.
The length of the needle can vary as well. The standard size for a needle is ½, "5/16 is for thinner people and is a shorter needle and 3/16" is for pediatrics - the shortest needle.
Whether you are taking insulin or not, it is important to test your blood glucose so you are aware of the effect food, exercise, medication and stress have on your body. Diabetic testing supplies are readily available to you at your local pharmacy, online or by mail order.
Some of these supplies include blood glucose monitors, testing strips, control solutions and lancets. Safety lancets are available as a one-time use needle. They come in various sizes to meet the needs of different body types. The lower gauge (25 or 28) would be a thicker needle for those who have a tougher skin and the 31 or 33 gauges would be a finer needle for those with more sensitive skin.
Your education needs to go far beyond simply knowing how to inject insulin or test your glucose. You want the insulin to work its best, absorb well and hurt the least. You need to know what numbers you are striving for. Diabetes educators can assist you with all of those questions.
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