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Updates from July, 2011 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  iControlDiabetes 6:58 am on October 23, 2012 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Absorption ( 2 ), Belly Button, Bicep Curls, Cold Temperatures, Elbow, Fatty Tissue ( 2 ), Good Reason, Injecting Insulin ( 2 ), Period Of Time, Physical Activity ( 2 ), Scars, Smoking, Stomach, Time Of Day ( 2 ), Two Areas, Wallet   

  Tips for Injecting Insulin 

  

  Stomach:
  Stay at least two inches away from the belly button, or any scars or moles.

  Thigh:
  Inject at least 4 inches (or approximately one hand-width) above the knee and at least 4 inches down from the top of the leg. The best area on the leg is the top and outer area of the thigh.

  Arm:
  Inject into the fatty tissue in the back (not the side) of the arm between the shoulder and the elbow.

  Buttock:
  Inject into the hip or “wallet area” and not into the lower buttock area.

  A few additional points

  To make sure that your insulin is absorbed consistently, it may be best to give all injections in one or two areas of the body and rotate where you inject the insulin within that site for a period of time.
  Use a different site for each time of day. For example, inject your morning insulin in your stomach and your evening insulin in your thigh. Be sure to rotate within the site.
  Physical activity may increase insulin absorption. It’s best not to inject in your arm or thigh if you have just exercised or plan to exercise (your arms would absorb insulin quickly if you were doing a set of bicep curls, for instance). So your stomach may be the best site choice if you will be physically active.
  Hot temperatures tend to increase insulin absorption, while cold temperatures can decrease absorption. Be careful about injecting insulin after taking a hot shower, a bath or being out in the cold.
  Smoking may decrease insulin absorption, which is another good reason to quit!

  source:

   

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  iControlDiabetes 3:10 am on July 25, 2011 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Abdomen, Absorption ( 2 ), Accurate Records, Ample Amounts, Blood Vessel, Buttock, Cleveland Clinic, Consistency, Diabetes ( 17 ), Fatty Tissue ( 2 ), Injecting Insulin ( 2 ), Insulin Injections ( 2 ), Navel, Nerve, New Location, Thigh Area, Thighs, TYPE 1 DIABETES ( 5 ), Upper Arm, Way Of Life   

  WHERE CAN I INJECT INSULIN? 

  

  Multiple insulin injections each day are a way of life for those with type 1 diabetes. But did you know that where you inject the insulin makes a big difference in the absorption level and effectiveness of the insulin?

  
  Here are 5 tips that will help ensure that your injections are working hard for you.

  
  1. Give injections in the abdomen, thighs and back of the upper arm whenever possible.

  
  Insulin is most rapidly absorbed when injected in the abdomen, followed by the upper arm and thigh area. Injections in your hip and buttock areas are more slowly absorbed. Never inject within two inches of your navel.

  
  2. Choose a slightly new location for each injection.

  
  This is called site rotation. For example, if you give all of your injections in the abdomen, note of where your last injection was given and move the next one about an inch to one side or the other. Continue to move the injection site until you’ve covered all the available sites before starting a new area.

  
  3. Always inject insulin into fatty tissue instead of muscle.

  
  That’s why the abdomen, upper back of the arms and outer thigh are preferred. These areas are easy to reach and have ample amounts of have fatty tissue (called subcutaneous fat). These areas also reduce the risk of injecting insulin too close to a large blood vessel or nerve.

  
  4. Give your injections in the same general area at the same time each day.

  
  For example, take your morning insulin in your abdomen and your afternoon or evening insulin in your arm. This consistency helps your body better absorb the insulin over random injections.

  
  5. Keep accurate records of your site rotation.

  
  This will help you avoid injecting the same area repeatedly. Doing so is likely to result in the development fat deposits that can make your skin look lumpy and delay the absorption of insulin. The Cleveland Clinic offers a helpful site rotation map for each area of the body that you can print and use to check off where you last injected.

   
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  iControlDiabetes 3:08 am on July 25, 2011 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Acids, Acting, Acts, Beta Cell, Beta Cells, Blood Glucose ( 3 ), Clumps, Insulin ( 5 ), Lock And Key, Metabolism, Pancreas, WHAT IS INSULIN?   

  WHAT IS INSULIN? 

  

  
  Insulin is a hormone (a chemical that circulates in the blood and affects many cells in many parts of the body). It is made by special cells in our pancreas called beta cells, which are located in clumps of cells called islets. After manufacture and release by the beta cell, insulin circulates in the blood, going to all cells and acting where it is needed.

  
  What does Insulin Do?

  
  Insulin acts with a mechanism that has been compared to a lock and key. On each cell is a “door” that can allow glucose to enter. However, this door stays locked until insulin comes around. Insulin is the key that opens the door. When insulin is present, and the “door is unlocked”, glucose can enter the cell and be used as fuel. As glucose leaves the blood to enter the cell, the amount remaining in the blood goes down. Therefore, the main effect that we see from insulin is to lower the blood glucose.

  
  Insulin is necessary for life. Cells cannot function without glucose, and many cells cannot get glucose without insulin. Furthermore, insulin controls other aspects of metabolism, and without it, acids build up in the blood, causing death.