If you suffer from diabetes, you may have been ordered by your doctor to administer insulin injections. This is to enhance the amount of insulin your body naturally produces, which is especially necessary if your body hardly produces any on its own. If you are going to be completing these injections on your own, you will need to purchase syringe and needle combinations so you can give yourself the injections you need to stay healthy and alive.
Choosing Your Needle
For most people, the needle is one of the most critical parts of giving yourself the proper injections. The syringe and needle combination you choose should be thin and short. There’s no need to inject the insulin deep into your skin tissue. However, it is important to talk to your doctor, especially if you are overweight, because in some cases, you may need a longer needle to gain the effect you need from the insulin injections.
Choosing the Location of the Injection
Once you are sure the syringe and needle you have chosen is the proper size to administer the right amount of insulin, you need to choose the area of your body in which you will administer the injection. This can be one of the most difficult aspects for people, especially those who are afraid of needles. Some of the most common areas include the thighs, backs of the arms and stomach. Rotate the location to keep pain to a minimum.
Checking the Insulin
Before you draw the fresh insulin into your syringe and needle, you need to know how to check your insulin. Over time, insulin can break down, making it ineffective. Therefore, you need to know just what your insulin looks like so you can be sure it is safe to use. Insulin should be clear in most cases but can be slightly cloudy for longer-acting insulin. It should also be free of any floating debris or color.
Those who are diabetic and require insulin injections on a regular basis need to learn to administer the injections to themselves. This means being able to choose the correct syringe and needle, as well as decide where to administer the injection and check the insulin for quality. Once you have completed a few injections, you will feel as though you have been doing it your whole life. When you can do your own injections safely, you will enjoy greater independence.
