Dont Inject The Insulin Too Deep
Insulin is supposed to be injected into the fat layer under the skin using a short needle. This is referred to as a subcutaneous injection.
If you inject the insulin too deep and it enters your muscle, your body may absorb it too quickly. The insulin might not last very long and the injection could be very painful.
Mealtime Insulin Vs Other Types Of Insulin
Mealtime insulin works differently than other types of insulin. The major difference between the different types of insulin is how quickly they start acting in the blood and how long theyre effective. Heres a breakdown:
- Rapid-acting insulin, sometimes called bolus insulin, is designed to quickly act on blood sugar during a meal. The effects of this type of insulin can start in as little as five minutes and peak after about an hour. It works for roughly three hours.
- Regular insulin begins to work 30 minutes after injection, peaks around two hours after the injection, and works for between five and eight hours.
- Long-acting insulin, also called basal or background insulin,works in your body throughout the day to control your blood sugar, even when youre not eating. The effects usually start about two to four hours after injection, and last for between 18 and 42 hours, depending on the exact brand of basal insulin.
- Intermediate-acting insulin is similar to a long-acting insulin, except it doesnt work for quite as long. It reaches the bloodstream about two hours after injection and is effective for about 12 to 16 hours. Youll have to take more doses of an intermediate-acting insulin throughout the day.
- Combination or mixed insulin, also known as basal-bolustherapy, includes both a long-acting insulin and a rapid-acting insulin in the same vial. An injection more closely imitates how the bodys insulin would naturally work throughout a typical day.
Reduces Gas And Bloating
2020 study , moderate daily exercise improves symptoms such as gas and boating in people with irritable bowel syndrome . Their findings suggest that people can decrease their symptoms by 50% when they increase their daily step count from 4,000 to 9,500.
Researchers suggest that as the body moves, it stimulates the digestive system. This aids the passage of food.
It is important to note that this study was done on university students, the majority of whom identify as women. They were all diagnosed with IBS, and they were not taking medication to reduce symptoms. This study also did not look specifically at walking right after eating.
While this study indicates that a person can reduce common digestive issues by increasing their step count, it merely shows an association. Additionally, this was an observational study of people with IBS. This means the observed findings will not apply to all populations.
Different studies have conflicting results. One German study suggests that while walking after a meal meant faster gastric emptying , it does not affect GI symptoms.
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Do Tell Friends And Family That Youre Taking Insulin
Its a good idea to teach your friends, colleagues, and family members about insulin and its potential side effects. If you do end up taking too much insulin and having a hypoglycemic episode, they should know how to help.
If you become unconscious, a friend or family member can give you a shot of glucagon. Talk to your doctor about keeping a supply of glucagon on hand and learning when and how to use it.
When Should One Normally Take Insulin In A Day
Insulin must be taken before meals, as when you are eating, the blood sugar levels in your body tend to rise naturally. Injecting insulin before this spike in blood sugar can happen helps to manage the rise in sugar levels.
Mealtime Insulins are the ones that are taken immediately before a meal and are fast-acting ones.
Regular insulin should be injected before 15 to 30 minutes of a meal. There are various insulin injections available whose time intervals depend on the strength of it. Various brands are made to work comparatively quickly. These insulin injections must be taken less than 15 minutes before a meal.
It is generally advised and recommended by doctors to administer insulin in the body before meals.
What to do if you forgot your daily insulin before food? Can it be taken afterward?
Now, lets say, you missed to take your insulin before your food, it is not very late to correct this mishap. Suppose insulin is introduced to the body within specified time limits after meals. In that case, it can still work the same way and protect your metabolism and blood sugar levels from adverse situations.
Thus, the question arises, that if you have not taken your daily insulin before a meal, can it be taken after you have had your food?
Let us divide the way insulin can be taken post-meal, depending on the varieties of insulin available and might be the ones you use.
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Limiting Yourself To Aerobic Forms Of Exercise
Any and all exercise is good for your health, stresses Port. Aerobic exercise is great for your heart and your waistline, for example. Weight-lifting and other muscle-strengthening exercises have a role to play, too, she says. “Performing resistance exercise regularly helps to build and maintain lean muscle mass, which in turn improves sensitivity to all types of insulin,” Port explains. Luckily, you don’t even have to join a gym or lift heavy weights to get great benefits. Strengthen muscles at home with push-ups, hand weights, or simply walking up and down a flight of stairs repeatedly.
Best Times To Take Mealtime Insulin
When you begin taking insulin, your doctor might check in with you often. They may have you tweak the amount you take or the time you take it based on the results of blood sugar tests. Youll need to fine-tune your dose and schedule until you find one that works best.
Research shows that the best time to take a mealtime insulin is 15 to 20 minutes before you eat a meal. You can also take it after your meal, but this may put you at a higher risk of a hypoglycemic episode.
Dont panic if you forget to take your insulin before your meal. Instead, take it at the end of the meal and keep an eye on your blood glucose.
If you forget to take your insulin and its already time for another meal, your blood glucose level will probably be higher than it normally is before a meal. If this happens, measure your blood glucose and then dose for the meal, plus a correction dose to cover the higher glucose level.
If you forget to take your mealtime insulin often, talk with your doctor and they may prescribe a different type of insulin for you.
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Where On The Body Do I Inject With The Insulin Pen
Recommended injection sites include the abdomen, front and side of the thighs, upper and outer arms and buttocks. Do not inject near joints, the groin area, the navel, the middle of the abdomen, or scar tissue.
You will also need to rotate, or switch, your injection sites. If you use the same injection site over and over again, you may develop hardened areas under your skin that keep the insulin from working properly. Rotating your injection sites will make your injections easier, safer and more comfortable.
Follow these guidelines:
- Ask your healthcare provider which sites on your body you should use for injections.
- The injection site is about two inches of skin. Clean this area with an alcohol wipe in a circular motion.
- Move the site of each injection. Inject at least one-and-a-half inches away from the last spot where you injected.
- Try to inject in the same general area of your body at the same time each day.
- Keep a record of which injection sites you have used. Every time you give yourself an injection, write down the date, time and site.
Depending on which type of insulin you are taking, different parts of the body may absorb the insulin differently.
Sometimes I Forget To Take My Insulin Before I Eat Should I Go Ahead And Take My Shot After I Eat
A: You can take your insulin after your meal, but the dose may need to be adjusted depending on how much time has elapsed betweem your meal and the time you remembered to take the insulin. If little time has passed and you remember to take the insulin right after you have eaten, it is usually safe to take your pre-meal dose. If, however, you remember 1 to 2 hours after your meal, the dose will usually need to be adjusted to a lower amount to protect you from unwanted low blood glucose levels 3 to 4 hours after the meal. How much of an adjustment you make is something that should be discussed with your primary care provider, your endocrinologist or your diabetes educator.Continue reading > >
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What Happens To Insulin When You Have Diabetes
If you have type 2 diabetes, your body either cant produce any or enough insulin, or is resistant to its presence. That means glucose is not able to get into your bodys cells effectively.
The inability for the cells to absorb the glucose in the blood causes elevated blood sugar levels. Blood sugar levels will be high after meals, and even between meals, since the liver makes glucose when we are between meals or sleeping. People who have type 2 diabetes often take diabetes pills or insulin shots to improve their blood sugar levels.
Insulin exists in suspension form. It comes in different strengths. The standard strength used in the United States is U-100. This means that it contains 100 units of insulin per milliliter of liquid.
While the strength of insulin varies, its action depends on three characteristics: onset, peak time, and duration.
Onset refers to the length of time it takes for the insulin to start lowering the blood sugar level. Peak time refers to the time when the insulin is at its maximum efficacy in lowering blood sugar levels. Lastly, duration refers to how long insulin continues to lower blood sugar levels for.
How Food Affects Blood Sugar
When you eat food, your body breaks it down into essential parts:
- Carbohydrates
- Fats
- Vitamins and minerals
All parts are necessary in a healthy diet, but the three types of carbohydrates are particularly important when it comes to your blood glucose level. While the general rule is that the more carbohydrates you eat, the higher your blood sugar level, not all three types of carbohydrates convert to blood sugar at the same rate.
The foods that fit into each carb category include:
- Starches, or complex carbohydrates: Starchy vegetables, dried beans, and grains
- Sugars: Fruits, baked goods, beverages, and processed food items like cereals or granola bars
- Fiber: Whole wheat products, chickpeas, lentils, berries, pears, and brussels sprouts
The glycemic index helps you find out which foods can increase or help decrease blood sugar levels. Based on a scale ranging from 0 to 100, high-indexed foods are rapidly digested, absorbed, and metabolized, resulting in marked fluctuations in blood sugar levels, while low-indexed foods produce smaller fluctuations in your blood glucose.
The American Diabetes Association advises adding lean sources of protein and heart-healthy fats to help reduce the overall glycemic impact of a meal or snack.
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How Is Diabetes Treated
There’s no cure for diabetes, but it can be managed and controlled. The goals of managing diabetes are to:
- Keep your blood sugar levels as near to normal as possible by balancing food intake with medication and activity.
- Maintain your blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels as near their normal ranges as possible by avoiding added sugars and processed starches and by reducing saturated fat and cholesterol.
- Control your blood pressure. Your blood pressure should not go over 130/80.
- Slow or possibly prevent the development of diabetes-related health problems.
You hold the key to managing your diabetes by:
- Planning what you eat and following a balanced meal plan
- Taking medicine, if prescribed, and closely following the guidelines on how and when to take it
- Monitoring your blood sugar and blood pressure levels at home
- Keeping your appointments with your health care providers and having laboratory tests as ordered by your doctor
Remember: What you do at home every day affects your blood sugar more than what your doctor can do every few months during your checkups.
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Why Do I Need To Take Insulin
All people who have type 1 diabetes and some people who have type 2 diabetes need to take insulin to help control their blood sugar levels. The goal of taking insulin is to keep your blood sugar level in a normal range as much as possible. Keeping blood sugar in check helps you stay healthy. Insulin cant be taken by mouth. It is usually taken by injection . It can also be taken using an insulin pen or an insulin pump.
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Diabetics Can Eat Right After Using Insulin: Study
By Andrew M. Seaman, Reuters Health
4 Min Read
NEW YORK – People with type 2 diabetes are sometimes told to wait after using insulin for the drug to work its way into the body before they can begin eating, but a new study from Germany says thats not necessary.
In a group of about 100 diabetics, researchers found that blood sugar levels remained steady regardless of whether or not participants left a 20 to 30-minute gap between using insulin and eating a meal. The diabetics overwhelmingly preferred being able to eat right away, too.
Its a very promising result. It will lead to better adherence and satisfaction, said Dr. Aaron Cypess, a staff endocrinologist in the clinic of the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston who was not involved in the study.
Insulin gives glucose – or blood sugar – access to the bodys cells to be used as fuel. But in type 2 diabetes cells are resistant to insulin or the body doesnt make enough of the hormone, so glucose remains in the bloodstream and can climb to dangerously high levels.
Injectable insulin is available for diabetics in a newer fast-acting form, but its expensive and many still use human insulin, which takes some time to become active in the body. So doctors often recommend waiting to eat after using human insulin to prevent blood sugar spikes.
Cypess said people should talk with their doctors before making any sort of change to their insulin routine.
Talk to your doctor, he said.
Is Your Insulin Doing All It Can
For many people with type 2 diabetes, insulin therapy is a must. The pancreas either doesnt make enough insulin, or the body doesnt respond well to the insulin it does produce. Injecting insulin can help the body better use glucose in the blood or store it for later use, keeping your blood sugar in a healthy range and helping to prevent serious health problems.
Generally, as the disease progresses, most patients with type 2 diabetes will end up on insulin at some point, explains Jesse Vander Heide, a certified diabetes educator at the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland. Factors that contribute to the decision to start insulin include how a person cares for their diabetes, their particular genetic makeup, and the course of their own disease.
If your doctor prescribes insulin to help you manage type 2 diabetes, he or she will work with you to determine the type of insulin and insulin delivery method thats best for you. There are different types of insulin available and they vary in how fast they start to work, when they peak, and how long they last.
Generally, people with type 2 diabetes need half their insulin as basal insulin, which helps control blood glucose levels overnight and between meals, and half as bolus insulin, which helps prevent a rise in blood sugar following meals.
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Blood Sugar After Eating How To Manage It Better
Hi. My name is Christina and I am a nurse specialized in diabetes and also one of the co-founders of Hedia. Let me give you my advice on how to manage blood sugar after eating in this short video or check out my more detailed advice below the video.
As a nurse, and as a family member of a person with diabetes, I have seen first-hand how much must be considered with managing blood sugar after eating.
From that experience, I also know that diabetes doesnt need to take over your life. I have studied the importance of taking a positive approach to diabetes I want you to know that everything with diabetes can be tackled.
This includes blood sugar after eating. Understanding why you might have high blood glucose/sugar after eating is a hurdle that others without diabetes might not need to think about.
However, once you have that knowledge under your belt, you will have the confidence to know that you control your diabetes not the other way round!
To get control of that blood sugar level after eating, we should first look at what happens with the body. From this we can get an understanding of different approaches to handling that after-meal spike, as well as some often overlooked aspects.
Timing Of Meals And Snacks
A sliding scale is what you will use to determine how much insulin you need to give to correct an elevated blood sugar and/or for food. There are two parts: correction factor and insulin to carb ratio. In our example, the correction factor is half a unit to lower blood sugar 25 points, and insulin to carb ratio is half a unit will cover 10 grams of carbohydrate.
Its all about timing. Because short-acting insulin lasts about two to three hours, it is best to spread out meals and snacks. If youre taking insulin less than three hours apart, do not correct for high blood sugar. Only give insulin for the carbs you will eat. This is a false-high blood sugar and over correcting can result in stacking insulin and causing a low blood sugar. If you are taking insulin three hours or more apart, you can correct for high blood sugar and give insulin for the carbs youll eat.
There may be a special occasion where you eat a meal and one hour later, you are having dessert. In this case, its OK to give another insulin shot to cover the carbs you are going to eat in the dessert. Do not check blood sugar at dessert time, it will be high and should not be corrected.
If you have breakfast at 7, you would check your blood sugar, give insulin if needed to correct, and give insulin for food. Theres a classroom snack at 9:15, you will only give insulin for the carbs you are going to eat. If you check your blood sugar, it will look high, but that is not a true high.
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