All You Need To Know About Insulin

Whenever we talk about heart disease, we always list diabetes mellitus as one of the risk factors. With the mention of diabetes, it is unlikely that we can ignore the involvement of insulin.

So, what is insulin? It is a hormone produced by beta cells, which lie inside the pancreas. For people with type 1 diabetes, the destroyed pancreas can no longer produce insulin. These people need insulin to utilize glucose from meals. People with type 2 diabetes have their insulin made by pancreas but the body does not respond to the insulin properly. Such people will require pills or injections to use glucose for energy.

Insulin fits into special receptors on body’s cells causing the tiny transport channels to open. This then allows the body cells to absorb the glucose to be used for energy. In type 2 diabetes, body cannot utilize insulin properly. As such, glucose does not enter into the body’s cells and builds up in the blood stream.

Insulin hormone cannot be taken orally as a pill because it is a protein that can easily be broken down. Once it is rapidly digested, it is no longer effective. Hence, insulin has to be injected into the fat beneath your skin so that it enters your blood slowly and remains there for a longer period of time.

There are different types of insulin according to their preparation, action in body and price. Long-acting insulin takes long time to reach blood and then stays there for up to 24 hours while rapidly-acting insulin swiftly reaches the blood and its effect lasts for only short duration. However, some insulin comes in mixed preparations. For example, you can use short term and long term insulin together in one bottle making it convenient to inject two kinds of insulin simultaneously.

Insulin can be easily destroyed by extremes of temperature so do not place the insulin bottle in the freezer or in sunlight. When more than one bottle of insulin is bought, it is advisable to store them in the refrigerator.

Once bottle has been opened, it must be utilized within a month or 30 days to ensure its efficacy. Before using insulin, do check the bottle carefully. If there is any floating crystals or change in color, then you should discard the insulin and do not use it any more. Do take note that cold insulin is more painful to inject. Try to warm the bottle by gently rolling your hands or leaving it for some time at room temperature before injection.

Your blood sugar levels will be affected by the area where you inject insulin. The best location to inject insulin is abdomen as insulin absorption is more rapidly from abdomen as compared to arms or thighs. However, do not inject in the same place each time. Instead, you should move around the same area.

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