Written By: Bhavyajyoti Chilukoti | Published : November 21, 2017 5:41 PM IST
If you are diabetic and using insulin injections or pens, it is important to know how to use it rightly. Injecting insulin in the same place every day or using it right after removing it from the refrigerator is not the right thing to do. Here are few simple tips you need to know if using insulin injections. Dr Pradeep Gadge, Diabetologist, Gadge Diabetes Centre, Mumbai shares tips on how to use insulin the right way and the common mistake most of us commit while using it. Also read about insulin for diabetes A detailed guide.
#1. Unfortunately, most people using insulin inject it at the same place. This is the reason, why you suffer from pain or abscess as you are putting pressure on the same area, again and again, increasing the risk of inflammation. It also causes lipodystrophy or hardening of the fat in that particular area. When you inject repeatedly in the same place it causes a lump or dent in the skin, which further makes it difficult to inject insulin. So please avoid this mistake for your own sake. Instead, inject it around the stomach.
#2. Here is the technique you need to follow when injecting insulin in the stomach. Leave around four fingers around your navel and start injecting on circular motions around the navel starting from on one point. So you need to inject in circular motions around the stomach starting from Monday till Sunday and so on, till you return the first point of injection. This way you will inject the insulin at different places and reach the first place of injection only after 28 days approximately. It means that you inject at the same spot after 28 days.
#3. Every one of us knows that insulin is stored in a refrigerator. When we want to use it, we take it directly out of the refrigerator and use it. This is so wrong. Remember insulin should be taken out of fridge 30 minutes before injecting. This is because many times we take it out and it is so cold that it causes a burning sensation while injecting. Hence, always keep it at room temperature and then inject. Here are insulin myths busted!
Follow these three simple tips to use insulin the right way.
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