Contents:
- Medical Video: How to Inject Insulin Using a Syringe | Nucleus Health
- Why do diabetics need insulin injections?
- Injection of insulin
- Where should I inject insulin?
- So, which body parts for injecting insulin are most commonly used for injection?
- Abdomen
- Upper arm
- Thigh
- Lower back or hip
- Change the injection point
- Tips for comfortable and effective insulin injection
Medical Video: How to Inject Insulin Using a Syringe | Nucleus Health
As diabetics who are no longer able to control blood sugar levels with diet and medication alone, insulin injections are the best choice to help control blood sugar. Insulin is a hormone produced by beta cells in the pancreas. His job is to help blood sugar enter the body to be converted into energy. So where is the best part of your body for injecting insulin?
Why do diabetics need insulin injections?
In people with diabetes, insulin produced is not enough or even none at all (as in people with type 1 diabetes) to meet the body's insulin needs so that it can enter sugar in the bloodstream to the body's cells. As a result, glucose, which should be broken down into energy, continues to flow freely in the bloodstream. Another thing that causes free glucose to flow throughout the body in the bloodstream is because the body is unable to respond to the presence of produced insulin. This condition is called insulin resistance.
Actually, diabetics (people with diabetes) don't always need insulin injections to meet their insulin needs. If a diet and blood sugar exercise program can be controlled, people with diabetes do not need insulin injections, even diabetes drugs. The recommendation of self-administered insulin injections is only given if the diet and exercise program and oral diabetes treatment are no longer able to manage blood sugar levels.
When you first use insulin injections, you might be wondering how to do it? You may find it difficult at the beginning because you have to do it independently at home. Moreover, you do not know how to properly inject insulin into your body and which parts of the body to inject insulin are the best. Always consult the difficulties you experience in undergoing this treatment with your doctor or nurse. They will help you provide an understanding of the proper injection of insulin, including body parts for proper insulin injections.
Injection of insulin
Injecting insulin into the body can be done by several methods, namely using a syringe (which you usually see in a hospital, but in a smaller form), an insulin pen, an insulin pump, and injector jet. The first method of administering insulin is to use a syringe. However, the development of the world of health makes the use of insulin pens now becoming more popular for administering insulin injections.
Consult your doctor about the best method you should use by considering the type of insulin and the dose you use. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages.
Where should I inject insulin?
When you first inject insulin, you may be confused, where do you have to inject insulin? Which body parts for injecting insulin are the best? Which areas are allowed? Insulin is injected subcutaneously. What is subcutaneous? Subcutaneous is a layer or tissue under the skin which is fat tissue. Fat tissue is characterized by a softer texture.
Fat or subcutaneous tissue is tissue that is between the skin and muscles. You must inject insulin into this tissue, not too deep to penetrate the muscles. For that, in giving insulin, the needle used is usually a short and thin needle so that the needle penetrates into the subcutaneous tissue.
When you want to administer insulin injections, do not inject them into the muscles or blood vessels. In addition to causing pain, your body will absorb insulin too quickly so that the risk of drastic decline in blood sugar levels aka hypoglycemia.
So, which body parts for injecting insulin are most commonly used for injection?
Abdomen
The most recommended body part for injecting insulin is the abdomen. The abdomen is the part of the stomach that usually stores enough fat tissue. You certainly often see people with bloated stomachs right? Most causes of bloating in the stomach are fatty tissue that accumulates.
In this section insulin is absorbed faster and fat tissue is easily found. In addition, the abdominal area is the area that you can easily reach. You can give injections of insulin without the need to ask for help from others. Pinch the fat tissue between your waist and your hip bone. Give a distance of at least 5 cm from the navel.
Level of absorption by the body: insulin can be absorbed by the body and enter the bloodstream quickly. Insulin absorption occurs most rapidly in this area.
Upper arm
In addition to the abdomen, aka the abdomen, you can also inject insulin into the upper arm, precisely at the back of the upper arm (where the triceps muscle is located). Inject the part that is parallel to your shoulder and elbow right in the middle. That's where fat tissue is usually located.
The disadvantage of this injection point is the level of difficulty. It could be that you have to ask for help from someone else to give insulin. It would be more convenient if administration of insulin was done on the more inactive arm. That is, if you choose your upper arm as the injection point, you should inject it on your left arm if you are actively using your right hand, or vice versa - inject it in your right hand if you are left-handed.
Level of absorption by the body: Absorption of insulin injected in the upper arm is fast enough, but not as fast as if injected in the abdominal area.
Thigh
This part is also the easiest part to do injection independently because it is easy to reach. Make an injection on the outer thigh. The injection area that you can use when choosing a thigh as an injection point is the outer side.
Remember to pinch a little skin with the fat tissue you want to inject (about 2-5 cm). Even though it is easy to make an injection in this section, injections carried out routinely on the thighs can sometimes give rise to discomfort when walking or running.
Level of absorption by the body: insulin is absorbed most slowly in this part of the body.
Lower back or hip
The last part that can be used for injecting insulin is the lower back or hip. If you choose this area for injection, make sure you choose the injection point that is between the upper limit of your buttocks and hips. Insulin injection must also be given below the waist but between the spine and the side of the body.
Injection in this part is also difficult if you do it yourself. You might need help from others to do it.
Level of absorption by the body: insulin is absorbed most slowly in this part of the body.
Giving insulin rapid acting best done in the abdominal area after eating because this is the part that absorbs insulin the fastest. Meanwhile, for long acting and intermediate acting insulin you can give to other injection points.
Change the injection point
It is important to change the injection point when you give insulin. Don't use the same point over and over again. This will cause your skin to irritate and damage fat tissue under the skin.
Injecting insulin at the same point many times can cause other complications, such as lumps or fat buildup in the area that is the point of injection so that insulin absorption will be disrupted. This is called lipodystrophy.
Changing the injection point does not mean you change the injection area. You can still inject the same injection area, but make sure it's not at the same point as you injected before. Give a distance of about 2 centimeters from the point of your previous injection. You may use the same point as long as it's not within two consecutive days.
Tips for comfortable and effective insulin injection
- You can compress the area around the injection point using ice for a few minutes before cleaning it with alcoholic tissue
- After using alcoholic tissue to clean the injection area, let your skin dry before making the injection. This will make the sensation sting when the needle is injected more not felt
- Avoid injecting into the roots of the hair
- Do not inject in the area around the wound, mole, or inflamed skin
- Consult your doctor about the exact injection point and the best way to inject insulin
