Contents:
- Medical Video: A Guide to Using Your Insulin Pen
- What is the function of injecting insulin for diabetics?
- What are the types of insulin injections? Does it have different functions?
- Rapid-acting insulin
- Short-acting insulin
- Long-acting insulin
- Insulin injections are easier to use with a pen
Medical Video: A Guide to Using Your Insulin Pen
For those of you with diabetes, the main thing that must always be done is controlling blood sugar levels. because, diabetes cannot be cured, but can be controlled. One of the controls is injecting insulin. But do all people with diabetes have to be given injections of insulin to make their blood sugar levels normal? Then what types of insulin injections are there?
What is the function of injecting insulin for diabetics?
Blood sugar levels in diabetics can be done by applying a healthy lifestyle and taking drugs to prevent hyperglycemia. However, in people with type 1 diabetes, injecting insulin is a reliable way to control this disease, because basically this type of disease is caused by not producing the hormone insulin in the body.
So, people with type 1 diabetes must be given an injection of insulin so that their blood sugar levels are controlled. Meanwhile, in people with type 2 diabetes, insulin injections are given when the medication given is no longer effective to control their blood sugar.
What are the types of insulin injections? Does it have different functions?
Many types of insulin are used to control blood sugar levels in diabetics. This type of insulin is grouped according to how fast insulin works and how long insulin can maintain blood sugar levels. Here are some types of insulin that you should know:
Rapid-acting insulin
This type of insulin works very fast in reducing the body's blood sugar levels. Therefore, use 15 minutes before eating. Here is an example of rapid-acting insulin:
- Insulin lispro (Humalog), this type of insulin only takes about 15-30 minutes to reach your blood vessels and can reduce blood sugar levels in 30-60 minutes. Can maintain normal blood sugar for 3-5 hours.
- Insulin Asprat (Novolog), only takes 10-20 to enter the blood vessels and can reduce blood sugar levels 40-50 minutes. In addition, this type of insulin can maintain normal blood sugar levels for 3-5 hours.
- Gluisine insulin (Apidra), takes 20-30 minutes to get to the blood vessels, can reduce blood in just 30-90 minutes, and maintain it between 1-2.5 hours.
Short-acting insulin
This type of insulin can also reduce blood sugar levels quickly - though not as fast as rapid-acting. Usually, this insulin will be given 30-60 minutes before eating. Here is an example:
- Regular (R) or novolin, which can reach blood vessels within 30-60 minutes, works quickly by spending 2-5 hours, and maintains blood sugar levels up to 5-8 hours.
Long-acting insulin
This type of insulin can work for a whole day, therefore the use of insulin is more widely used at night and only once per day. Usually, long-acting insulin will be combined with rapid-acting or short-acting insulin. Here is an example:
- Insulin glargine (Lantus, Toujeo), is able to reach blood vessels within 1-1.5 hours and maintain blood sugar levels for approximately 20 hours.
- Insulin detemir (Levemir), reaches blood vessels around 1-2 hours and works for 24 hours.
- Degludec insulin (Tresiba), enters the blood vessels within 30-90 minutes and works for 42 hours.
You can get several different types of insulin injections, this depends on the condition of each patient. The dosage is also different for each person, so you should ask your doctor who handles you regarding the schedule and injection dose of insulin.
Insulin injections are easier to use with a pen
Actually, there are several ways to administer insulin injections, namely using a syringe or with a special pen. However, the most widely used today is a special pen. This is due to the easy way to use it. Some benefits if you use a pen when injecting insulin, namely:
- Easy to use, making it suitable for the elderly and children.
- It's easy to adjust the dose of insulin.
- Easy to carry around and can be used repeatedly.
If you are required to inject insulin every day using a pen, then you should ask clearly how to use, dose, and schedule insulin injections to your doctor.
