Nowadays, there are more choices to take insulin (Insulin injecting products), even the choices make us confusing to choose the best.
Different ways to take Insulin
What are the modes of administration of insulin? At present, you cannot take insulin orally like other medications, because your digestive system will break down insulin (a protein) before absorption. Researchers are going on for an oral insulin medication, hope for an earlier outcome that helps stop puncturing your skin.
Usually diabetes injects insulin into their subcutaneously by a syringe, insulin pen, auto-injector, or insulin pump. Patients who like to avoid repeated skin punctures prefer to use an injection port in conjunction with syringes.
- Taking insulin shots by syringes, it has a needle attached to a hollow tube filled with insulin, and it is press or injects into the skin by a plunger. This is the oldest and cheapest insulin injecting system.
- An insulin pen is a pen-like device with a needle and a cartridge of insulin. It is convenient and accurate insulin injecting system than syringes.
- An insulin infuser uses a small tube, which need to insert just beneath the skin and remains in place for several days. Insulin is injected into the end of the tube instead of through the skin. So that we can avoid piercing the skin, many times.
- Jet injectors are useful to deliver the dose of insulin, but they do it without using a needle to make a tiny hole. Jet injectors are useful to deliver trans-dermally. Jet injector uses micro jet (needle-less injection) to deliver insulin into your body. Jet of insulin is forces through the skin with pressure.
- Insulin auto injector has a special design for those who have difficulty injecting themselves; it automatically inserts the needle and injects the contents.
- An insulin pump is a small device, worn on a belt or in a pocket, which holds insulin. The pump connects to a needle through a plastic tube. The needle is inserts under the skin and stays in for several days. Pump automatically drips insulin through the needle under the skin.
Insulin treatment strategy
If you are a diabetes type 1, then you require a base level of insulin called basal insulin to cover a daylong insulin requirement and insulin to cover meals called bolus insulin. Managing the basal and bolus insulin is a continuous process for effective blood-glucose control in type 1 diabetes patients.
Long acting insulin is useful for your basal insulin requirement and short-acting insulin is for your bolus insulin requirement.