According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), your need for insulin is based on several factors, including the time duration you’ve had diabetes for, your blood glucose level, and other medicines you take. An insulin shot takes care of movement of sugar into body tissues that need the same for generating energy.
If your doctor has prescribed insulin injection, you would be going to the doctor for your injections initially, before having to learn how to do it on your own. Learning how to inject insulin saves up on time and initiates convenience.
Before taking the injection, you must be sure of your blood pressure. You can use your OMRON BP machine, purchased from trusted online medical stores such as Smart Medical Buyer, to check for the same. It is essential to remember that when you’re injecting insulin, you should aim to inject into the fatty tissues, which is just underneath the skin. If, by any chance, you are thinking of injecting into the muscle, you might want to change your technique or ask your general physician to prescribe shorter needles.
Below is a step-by-step guide to safely injecting insulin:
1. Prepare The Kit
The first step is to prepare the kit that you will need. It will include insulin pens, insulin for the required dose, a new pen needle, and cotton wool or a soft tissue. Insulin syringes were the only way of injecting insulin in the earlier parts of the century. However, the advancement in times have seen insulin pens becoming more widely used. It is a good idea to have your kit at the ready at all times, and to inform your family members about its location.
2. Preparing The Insulin Shot
It is a must to wash your hands with soap and water before injecting. Always put a new needle onto your pen. Then, perform an ‘air shot’ of at least 2 units to clear the bubbles out of the needle.
3. Dosage Requirement
Then, it is time to dial up the dose. The way you do this highly depends on the pen you have. Slow and steady is the way of drawing up the dosage needed.
4. The Injecting Process
Pick a soft fatty area for the injection, perhaps, tops of thighs, belly, hip and triceps (though they’re not recommended for thin people or children). Once you have selected and raised an area, put the needle in. If you are very slim, you might have to put the needle in at a 45-degree angle so that you can avoid injecting it in the muscle. Push the plunger to inject the entire dose, but do it slowly.
5. After Injecting
Once the dose has been injected successfully, hold the needle in for a good ten seconds to prevent insulin from escaping. If there is any blood or insulin escapes, wipe them with cotton wool or a soft tissue to clean the area. It is very important to make sure that the used needle is disposed off in a responsible manner to maintain hygiene. You can definitely look at installing a sharps container at home to collect all the disposable needles and syringes.
Many diabetic patients worry about the pain while injecting insulin. However, there are several methods to prevent or minimize pain while injecting. This includes making sure that the muscle above the area you’re injecting in is relaxed as it will allow for better coverage. It is also helpful to use insulin and a needle that is at room temperature. It is best to try and not wiggle while injecting and to push the needle in without much movement. Last, but definitely not the least, always use a brand new needle.
