When you take insulin to handle your diabetes, you could possibly be taking wherever from 1 to 10 injections per day.
And the place you inject your insulin issues — not solely as a result of sure areas of the physique are extra splendid than others, but in addition as a result of it’s vital to make use of a wide range of areas.
On this article, we’ll talk about all the things it’s worthwhile to find out about insulin injection websites.
Why it issues the place you inject your insulin
Insulin is designed to be injected (or delivered by way of an insulin pump) into physique fats — often known as “subcutaneous tissue.”
The speed at which your insulin is absorbed is basically primarily based on the idea that it’s being injected into fats, moderately than muscle.
When a pharmaceutical firm tells you that the “onset” of your Novolog or Humalog insulin is quarter-hour, for instance, that’s primarily based on when it’s injected into physique fats. The “peak” of its efficacy and the “period” of it staying in your bloodstream additionally relies on it being injected into physique fats — not muscle.
What are one of the best injection websites for insulin?
The perfect injection websites for insulin are a wide range of areas in your physique which are each simple to achieve and include sufficient physique fats. (The leaner you’re, the extra it’s possible you’ll have to “pinch” your layer of fats so as to keep away from injecting into muscle.
- Stomach fats
- Aspect-torso fats (“love deal with” space)
- Decrease again fats
- Thigh fats (on the outer or inside sides of your leg)
- Butt fats (higher, center, sides, and many others.)
- Arm (again or sides)
These areas are the probably to have sufficient physique fats to comfortably inject insulin into utilizing a pen or syringe.
UPDATE: I recorded this YouTube video to point out you the place I inject my insulin:
Why you need to rotate your insulin injections
Each time you inject insulin right into a sure space of your physique, that location of pores and skin and physique fats is “injured” and has to heal. Over the course of years injecting insulin into your physique, scar tissue will develop.
It’s possible you’ll not see proof of that scar tissue on the skin of your physique, but it surely’s there on the within.
The extra you inject insulin into the again of your arm, the extra scar tissue will develop there. As folks with diabetes, it’s very simple to get into the behavior of injecting into the identical spot again and again as a result of it’s simple to achieve and comfy to entry in the midst of a restaurant, for instance.
However scar tissue will considerably have an effect on your physique’s potential to soak up the insulin from that final injection, and you could possibly find yourself needing extra insulin to do the identical job though your insulin wants didn’t change. As an alternative, it’s simply scar tissue constructed up and interfering with the absorption of your insulin dose.
Rotating your injection websites is crucial.
- When you used your left arm to your lunchtime injection, you need to use your proper arm to your dinnertime injection.
- When you used the left aspect of your bum to your long-acting insulin injection final evening, you need to use your proper aspect for tonight’s injection.
The extra you’ll be able to rotate the areas of your physique and the precise spots on every space, the much less scar tissue will construct up and the extra simply your physique will take in that insulin.
How I rotate my insulin injection websites
Whereas I take advantage of my stomach and arms for my rapid-acting injections, I take advantage of my glutes and decrease again for all of my basal (long-acting insulin) injections.
I’ve a really selfmade but in addition very efficient method of holding monitor of my injections so I bear in mind to rotate them.
To be sure that I do correct injection rotation, I’ve a chunk of paper the place I word down my injections (see picture beneath). I often swap from proper to left aspect every day and can begin with injecting proper above the bikini line, then swap to beneath the bikini line, and lastly inject alongside the bikini line.
This rotation sample takes me a few month to get by earlier than I begin over again. Up to now, that has labored rather well for me. I’ve no lumps and my insulin absorption continues to be actually good after 20 years with diabetes.
Lipodystrophy: a side-effect of not rotating injection websites
Lipodystrophy (LD) is a situation affecting physique fats tissue and it’s quite common in individuals who take a number of every day insulin injections. Different variations embrace “lipohypertrophy” (LH) or “lipoatrophy” (LA). All of which concern injury, scar tissue, or onerous lumps within the fatty tissue the place you’ve been injecting insulin.
The easiest way to stop LD from creating in your pores and skin tissue is by ensuring you rotate your injection websites and don’t repeatedly inject insulin into the identical space of tissue.
If you have already got indicators of LD, you’ll be able to discuss to your main care and ask for a referral to a dermatologist for additional steerage on lowering it.
By no means inject two kinds of insulin in the identical space on the similar time
You must also remember the fact that you don’t want to inject two various kinds of insulin in the identical space on the similar time.
When you’re taking a long-acting insulin dose and a rapid-acting insulin dose at 7 a.m., you need to be sure that they’re injected into two fully completely different areas of your physique.
Some insulins can have an effect on the efficiency, absorption, and efficacy of different insulins in the event that they “meet” one another in that subcutaneous tissue.
Are you able to inject insulin into muscle?
The quick reply is sure, however you shouldn’t inject insulin into muscle except it’s very intentional and also you perceive the implications and dangers.
Injecting insulin instantly into muscle goes to fully change how shortly it’s absorbed into your bloodstream and the way shortly it begins affecting your blood sugar ranges.
The “onset,” “peak,” and “period” will all change when insulin is injected instantly into muscle tissue.
(It’s additionally going to be a bit extra painful!)
Study extra: Injecting Insulin into Muscle: Do’s and Don’ts
By no means inject long-acting insulin into muscle.
Lengthy-acting insulin (Tresiba, Lantus, Toujeo, Basalgar, NPH, Levemir) wants to remain energetic in your physique for the meant period of time.
Injecting it into muscle means it’s going to be out of your bloodstream far sooner and thus put you at a excessive threat for severely excessive blood sugars and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).
Think about injecting rapid-acting insulin into muscle if…
When treating a excessive blood sugar with a correction dose of insulin, the quantity of insulin you utilize must be finely tuned to make sure your blood sugar doesn’t severely plummet.
The purpose is to deliver your blood sugar again down right into a secure vary — that requires an correct “correction issue” and a few persistence.
You’ll be able to take into account injecting insulin into muscle if:
- Your blood sugar is extraordinarily excessive, over 250 mg/dL. Injecting your correction dose of insulin into muscle might assist it come down sooner.
- Your insulin pump failed and it’s worthwhile to get insulin energetic in your system as shortly as potential.
- You’re combating sudden extreme stress that’s going to (or has already) spiked your blood sugar.
- You are taking steroids for a situation like Addison’s illness. Think about injecting the insulin dose you utilize to compensate for that steroid dose into muscle.
- Your blood sugar is excessive since you’re severely dehydrated and probably producing ketones.
- Your blood sugar is excessive previous to an vital exercise that requires a decrease blood sugar degree (like an athletic occasion or surgical procedure).
- You forgot to take insulin together with your meal. Injecting instantly into muscle can assist get the insulin on board sooner and forestall that post-meal spike.
Understand that you need to all the time discuss to your physician prior to creating adjustments in how you are taking your insulin.
Correct and secure insulin injection approach
Nicely, that is easy. Each time you inject insulin into physique fats or muscle, it’s vital to make sure that the realm is clear and that you’re utilizing a clear syringe or insulin pen.
Insulin syringes and pen needles are designed for use as soon as.
And you need to sanitize the meant injection website with an alcohol swab earlier than each injection.
Is that this realistically all the time potential? Not likely — not in the actual lifetime of diabetes once you’re taking many injections a day. However the purpose is to inject insulin into the cleanest location potential to forestall infections.
Having to inject insulin into your physique each day is not enjoyable, but it surely retains us alive. The extra thought and consideration you place into the place you inject your insulin, the higher off you’ll be.
