How To Give A Painless Injection
How to give a painless injection? Theres a simple technique to make injecting yourself with insulin easy and pain-free. The basic steps are to locate a fatty site so that you can inject the insulin into a layer of fat under the skin hold the needle like a dart and pierce the skin rapidly speed is key!
If you have Type 2 diabetes, sooner or later you may require insulin injections, either temporarily or permanently. This is nothing to be afraid of, even though many people with long-standing Type 2 diabetes literally spend years worrying about it. I usually teach all my patients how to inject themselves at our first or second meeting, before theres any urgency. Once they give themselves a sample injection of sterile saline , they find out how easy and painless it can be, and they are spared years of anxiety.
If youre anxious about injections, after you read this section, please ask your physician or diabetes educator to allow you to try a self-administered injection.
Insulin is usually injected subcutaneously.
To show you how painless a shot can be, your teacher should give himself or herself a shot and leave the syringe dangling in place, illustrating that no pain is felt. Your teacher should next give you a shot of saline to prove the point.
Now its time for you to give yourself an injection, using a syringe thats been partly filled for you with about 5 units of saline.
How to give a painless injection step by step
Administering The Insulin Shot
How To Get An Injection Without It Hurting
This article was co-authored by Chris M. Matsko, MD. Dr. Chris M. Matsko is a retired physician based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. With over 25 years of medical research experience, Dr. Matsko was awarded the Pittsburgh Cornell University Leadership Award for Excellence. He holds a BS in Nutritional Science from Cornell University and an MD from the Temple University School of Medicine in 2007. Dr. Matsko earned a Research Writing Certification from the American Medical Writers Association in 2016 and a Medical Writing & Editing Certification from the University of Chicago in 2017.There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 20 testimonials and 83% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 440,877 times.
Getting an injection also known as a shot is an inevitable part of a healthy lifestyle. A variety of medications, blood work, and vaccines require an injection. Fear of needles and the pain they cause is a source of anxiety for many. Taking certain steps can lessen pain during an injection.
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Common Insulin Injection Sites
When learning how to take insulin, you will be taught which areas of the body are appropriate sites to give an insulin injection, and the importance of rotating these sites. You should be able to pinch a fold of skin at the insulin injection site, and take care that you are not injecting insulin into the muscle.
Depending on the type of insulin you use, the area of your body that you inject insulin may affect how quickly its absorbed. The American Diabetes Association states that insulin is most quickly absorbed when injected in the abdomen, followed by the upper arms, and more slowly when injected into the legs or buttocks/lower back area.
Below is an insulin injection site diagram and list of common sites:
General Tips For Administering An Insulin Shot
- Allow the insulin to come to room temperature before injecting, to avoid pain.
- Always use a new syringe and needle or pen needle.
- Always remove the needle before storing your insulin pen.
- Keep your insulin away from extreme hot or cold temperatures and store according to the manufacturers recommendations.
- Check your insulin vial for particles or anything that doesnt look right.
- Dispose of used needles safely.
- Create a plan for rotating injection sites.
Dont:
- Inject close to your belly button, near bony areas, or where you have a mole, scar, or wound.
- Use the same exact spot repeatedly to inject insulin.
- Let yourself run out of supplies. Always bring extra when traveling.
- Try to use expired insulin, as it may not work effectively.
- Forget to wear a medic alert ID in case you have a hypoglycemic event and cant speak for yourself.
- Forget to carry a rapid source of glucose.
Since insulin is a glucose-lowering medication, you should always be prepared in the event you need to treat a low blood sugar by carrying a rapid acting source of glucose with you, like a juice box, glucose tabs, or hard candy.
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Other Common Insulin Injection Issues
Bruising is not the only concern that those with diabetes have when it comes to injecting insulin.
In fact, there are many common issues that you can experience. If you are on multiple daily injections and have found yourself experiencing some issues, please read below to determine how to prevent these issues from occurring and how to handle them when they do.
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Bleeding at Injection Site
Its somewhat normal for a little bit of blood to appear when you do an injection. This is usually because the needle has punctured one of the tiny, capillary blood vessels under the skin. You can stop the bleeding when this occurs by putting a small amount of pressure on the site. Also, its important to:
- Never Rub the site
- If you do develop a bruise do not use this site again until the bruise has faded
- Keep light pressure on the site to try and prevent bruising
If you notice that you bleed quite frequently when you inject your insulin, you may not be injecting properly or may have an underlying issue. You should speak with your medical provider if this does occur.
Insulin Leaking From The Needle After Injection
When you see this happen for the first time you may fear that you havent received your full dose of insulin. Thats not the case.
If it leaks after you remove it, you might just not be keeping the needle in the skin long enough. Its a good idea to count to 10 before you remove the needle from the skin. Even after doing this, you may still notice a little bit of leaking after, this is normal. Before you remove the needle, try pinching up the skin as well to ensure the insulin goes directly into the skin and not out of the needle.
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How To Take An Insulin Injection
When your healthcare provider or diabetes educator teaches you how to give yourself an insulin injection, they may have you give yourself an injection in order to observe your technique and provide support. Once you get home and its time to give yourself an injection, you can follow these steps as a reminder. If your healthcare provider has given you individualized instructions, always follow them.
In general, the following steps cover how to take an insulin injection:
Before you begin, wash your hands and gather supplies, including your insulin vial or pen, a new pen needle or syringe, an alcohol swab, sharps container, and a magnifier if needed.
How to inject insulin using an insulin pen:
How to inject insulin with a syringe:
A note about mixing insulin: Some people mix two types of insulin in one syringe. Mixing insulin in a syringe requires specific steps, and you will want to meet with your healthcare provider or diabetes educator to ensure that that you are accurate in dosing your insulin.
Storage and disposal tips:
Dispose of used pen or syringe needles safely so that no one gets an unwanted stick. Pick up a sharps container at the pharmacy, or make your own with a sturdy detergent container or similar plastic jug. Once the container is ¾ full, tape the top back on securely and contact your town to see if they have a sharps program for proper disposal. For more information on sharps disposal follow these guidelines from the FDA.
Important Safety Information For Lantus Solostar
Lantus SoloSTAR is a disposable single-patient-use prefilled insulin pen. Please talk to your healthcare provider about proper injection technique and follow instructions in the Instruction Leaflet that accompanies the pen.
for Full Prescribing Information for Lantus.
for information on Sharps Medical Waste Disposal.
to learn more about Sanofis commitment to fighting counterfeit drugs.
*Eligibility Restrictions & Offer Terms:
Insulins Valyou Savings Program: Sanofi insulins included in this program are: ADMELOG® 100 Units/mL, TOUJEO® 300 Units/mL, LANTUS® 100 Units/mL, and APIDRA® 100 units/mL.
Sanofi Copay Program: This offer is not valid for prescriptions covered by or submitted for reimbursement under Medicare, Medicaid, VA, DOD, TRICARE, or similar federal or state programs including any state pharmaceutical assistance program. If you have an Affordable Care plan, you may still be qualified to receive and use this savings card. Please note: The Federal Employees Health Benefits Program is not a federal or state government healthcare program for purposes of the savings program. Void where prohibited by law.
- LANTUS: Pay as low as $0 up to $99 for a 30-day supply, depending on insurance coverage. Maximum savings apply. Valid up to 10 packs per fill offer valid for 1 fill per month per 30-day supply
for Full Prescribing Information for Lantus.
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Caring For The Injection Site Afterwards
What Happens When You Inject Insulin Into Your Muscle
If you inject the insulin deeper into your muscle, your body will absorb it too quickly, it might not last as long, and the injection is usually more painful. This can lead to low blood glucose levels. People who take insulin daily should rotate their injection sites.
Needle technology for insulin injection has become much better in recent years, meaning that the injection process, although not pain-free, does not hurt as much as it used to. Many patients still find injecting insulin to manage their diabetes an unpleasant process, however. Is injecting insulin and having diabetes going to change my life?
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Syringes used to be made of glass, had to be sterilized between uses, and had long, thick, steel surgical needles that could be resharpened on a kitchen whetstone. But syringes have come a long way since then. Syringes are now disposable, the barrels are made of plastic, and the needles are thin, high-tech, multi-beveled, and coated with lubricants to make them enter the skin smoothly. In the old days, the needle and the syringe were separate components. Nowadays most insulin syringes come with the needle attached.
People who use syringes almost always purchase insulin in vials. Vials are glass bottles that generally hold 1,000 units of insulin.
How To Give An Insulin Injection
We all grew up with some dread about those occasional visits to the doctor and usually it was that fear of getting a shot.
Now that youre the one commissioned to give the shot, we know you may have reservations and a heightened fear at pricking your loved one. Remember though, that insulin injections are subcutaneous, meaning the area between the skin and the muscle, so the needles are usually smaller and shorter than youre imagining.
We also know that you want it to be as pain-free as possible, so its important to keep in mind that confidence may also be faked in order to help put your loved one at ease. If you are cringing every time you give a shot, this will also increase anxiety and fear in the person receiving the injection. So try to relax!
Talking to your loved one and asking them questions may also help reduce anxiety. This communication helps to distract the person receiving it. Before you both know it, itll all be over for both of you.
Speed is another key way to decrease discomfort. And the more you do it, the faster youll become. You arent going to be a pro at the start, so dont expect to be. With a little bit of practice though, youll be able to administer insulin in your sleep .
Note: This information is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. For specific guidance on giving an insulin injection, please talk with your doctor.
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How To Avoid Injection Site Bruising
People with insulin-dependent diabetes take injections, lots of them.
Management of insulin-dependent diabetes inescapably requires injections, whether, with multiple daily insulin shots, the use of a continuous glucose monitor , or even an insulin pump.
Injection site bruising, while not inevitable, can frequently occur. This article will outline strategies that you can employ to help avoid the nuisance, pain, and unsightliness of bruising at injection sites.
How To Give Injection Without Pain Or Discomfort To Patient
Here comes the experience part, give injection by stretching the skin apart, so that nerve endings are spread apart, so when you prick needle, less number of nerve endings are damaged, making it less painful, even you can apply local anesthesia over part where you are giving injection.
Never do following things
Never touch needle by cotton, as seen in films, wiping it in outward fashion, it contaminates needle with microbes.
Never keep air bubbles in medication while giving intravascular injections, however , small air is beneficial in giving intramuscular injections.
Never reuse the needle
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Get Everything You Need
- Syringe, with needle.
- Alcohol swabs Youll want to wipe off the top of the bottle as well as the skin around the injection spot.
- A sharps container, which is basically any sturdy box with a lid where you can keep the used needles and syringes. There are rules about how and where you can dispose of these, so check in your area for what is most convenient for you. Keep in mind that you may need a specific type of container depending on which disposal option you choose.
How To Give Yourself An Insulin Injection
We all grew up with some dread about those occasional visits to the doctor and usually, it was that fear of getting a shot. And now that youre faced with giving yourself an insulin injection, dont think that youre unusual or especially cowardly if this appears to be *the worst* element of having diabetes. One consolation, however, is that insulin injections are subcutaneous, meaning the area between the skin and the muscle, so the needles are usually smaller and shorter than youre imagining.
Actually, after the novelty wears off and you have some practice, youll find that it can be a simple and pain-free process. One key to minimizing discomfort is to be quick and confident with your movements, and you will absolutely get better with practice but thats not much consolation when youre first starting out, so lets walk through it step by step, with some helpful tips along the way.
Note: This information is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. For specific guidance on giving an insulin injection, please talk with your doctor.
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