Overview of insulin treatment

People with type 1 diabetes require insulin injections to survive. Without insulin, the body can not use glucose (sugar), it rises in the blood and the cells begin to burn fat for energy. A few days later, developed a condition called diabetic ketoacidosis , which can be fatal if not treated properly.



The type of insulin used varies with the number of injections that the patient receives daily.
© NetDoctor / Geir

On the other hand, too much insulin lowers blood glucose ( blood sugar ), causing a condition known as hypoglycemia . Hypoglycemia is characterized by symptoms such as paleness, tremors, chills, sweating, palpitations, hunger, anxiety and blurred vision. In some cases, the patient may become unconscious (hypoglycaemic coma) or develop seizures.

Approximately 25% of patients with type 2 diabetes also need to inject insulin. In this case, treatment is not necessary to live, but it can improve patient comfort. The longer a person suffering from Type 2 diabetes, the greater the likelihood of needing insulin.

Insulin

There are basically four types of insulin:

Rapid-acting insulin (regular insulin or short-acting): their activity lasts 4 to 6 hours.

Intermediate-acting insulin (NPH) activity takes between 10 and 14 hours.

Long-acting insulin (lente insulin): their activity as long as 24 hours.

Biphasic insulins (regular insulin mixtures and insulin intermediate in different proportions, eg 30/70, 50/50, etc.).

Forms of insulin

The type of insulin used varies with the number of injections that the patient receives daily.

Once a day, slow-acting insulin in the morning, before breakfast.

Twice a day, intermediate (NPH) or biphasic, before breakfast and dinner.

Four times a day short-acting insulin before breakfast, lunch and dinner, and insulin intermediate-acting or slow acting, before going to bed.

Insulin pump: insulin is given continuously through a needle inserted under the skin. Additional doses are also given for meals.

Treatment with one or two daily injections are used primarily in patients with type 2 diabetes and occasionally in children. The treatment with four daily injections are used mainly in patients with type 1 or young people with type 2 diabetes. The infusion pump therapy is used very rarely and mostly in younger patients.

Most diabetics administer insulin with disposable pens or vials which are inserted into refillable injection pens. Needles can be 8, 12 or 16 mm long, the most used are those of 8 mm.



Interest
See our ' Diabetes 'some related articles:

Type 1 Diabetes
Diabetes type 2
Diabetes (general)

Insulin injection

The body quickly absorbs the insulin when injected subcutaneously (under the skin) injections are usually given in the upper arm, thigh, buttocks or abdomen, changing with each dose the injection site .

Insulin should be pricked in the abdomen by rotating the injection site, ie, no pricking twice in the same place. If for any reason can not punctured in the abdomen, you can do in the arms or thighs, but in these places the absorption and insulin action is irregular.

To prick, take a small fold of skin between your fingers clean and disinfect it with alcohol, insert needle at an angle of 45 degrees, and inject the right amount of insulin. Then remove the needle slowly and release the skin fold.

Recent research on inhaled insulin (thus removing the sting), with promising results, but are not yet available.

What can make the patient diabetic?

Learn to mix right from the start, taking manual carefully nurse.

Learn to recognize the warning signs of hypoglycemia and how to treat, taking sugar to raise your blood glucose level (should take about 10 grams of sugar, or glucose tablets).

Measure your blood sugar every day, to know how your body reacts to eating, exercise and changes in insulin doses. It is the only way to get used to control blood glucose.

Pay attention to your doctor to teach you how to adjust insulin doses to their needs. Over time, you yourself know enough about your illness and the reactions of his body to do it himself.

Good advice

Dose should be increased short-acting insulin when the patient:

Eat more than usual.

Exercise less than usual.

Conversely, use less short-acting insulin when the patient:

Eat less.

Get more exercise.

No adjustments must be made within the limits of long-acting insulin by alterations in a single measure of blood sugar (for example, if sugar is high only once), because a change in dose of this type does not alter insulin levels glucose in the body immediately, but exerts its effect on glycemia in the longer term.