Why is insulin given for diabetes?

 

Insulin may be recommended to you based on the type of diabetes you have and your current situation. Your doctor may try other oral medications first to see how you fare with them. When even a combination of oral medications fails or if your condition is such that it requires insulin treatment, your doctor will recommend you to take insulin injections. Insulin is the hormone that helps the body to utilize sugar in the blood for energy making.

 

When the sugar metabolism in your body fails, high blood sugar is the result and the sugar then causes damage to your blood vessels, your kidneys, your eyes, etc. This leads to the complications of diabetes. The insulin you are given today is to protect all these organs and not just to make you feel better now.

 

If you are the kind of person who keeps your medications on the back burner and goes on with your daily life, the treatment will not be effective and you will be likely to suffer from long-term complications. If you hope to make any changes to your dosage, always make sure to take your doctor’s opinion.

 

How can you stay on top of your insulin injections and dosage?

 

1. Learn clearly from your doctor how and where to take insulin injections - The absorption of your injection will depend on the site at which you injected it and your dosage and frequency finally depend on the rate of absorption of the insulin into your bloodstream.
2. Keep a tracker for insulin injections - A tracker helps you notice any missing doses and helps you correlate them with your sugar levels.
3. Keep a tracker for your blood sugar levels and do regular testing at a frequency recommended by your doctor. This will help your doctor adjust your dosage
4. Write down any symptoms or difficulties you face daily and communicate with your doctor. He may detect problems due to your sugar levels dropping too low or not dropping enough.
5. Setup an injection schedule for yourself with the help of your doctor and set reminders on your phone or ask someone in your family to remind you
6. Keep a diary of your food intake and follow your diet strictly - This can help you adjust nutrition and perhaps bring down the need for insulin later. The insulin you take should be also matched with your diet so that your sugar levels stay normal
7. Do not miss out on scheduled dosages of insulin
8. Stay hydrated - Dehydration is your enemy. Elevated sugar levels cause sugar to be excreted in your urine and increase the loss of fluids. It is important to make sure you stay hydrated throughout the day. Staying hydrated also reduces your hunger.
9. Maintain healthy habits like regular exercise, maintaining activity levels, and ensuring you do not engage in smoking or alcohol.
10. Keep your doctor regularly updated and adjust doses in consultation with him based on your current results.