Hugo D. If you have Type 2 diabetes, you will need to make lifestyle changes, eat a healthy diet, exercise, and take the medicines prescribed by your doctor. If your blood sugar levels remain elevated, the doctor may prescribe insulin to manage your diabetes better. There are quite a few things to know about insulin therapy to maximize its benefits. A few insights:
Address Your Concerns
You should meet with your caregivers to know how much insulin you should take, how to take the injections, and address all your worries and need for information regarding diabetes treatment and taking care of your overall health. There are several methods of taking insulin, and your doctor will help you to decide which one among the syringes, pens, and pumps is ideal for you.
The doctor may prescribe long-term insulin you need to take once daily or recommend injecting insulin at mealtimes for effective blood sugar control. You should learn about the different aspects of insulin and typical side effects to be better prepared.
Monitoring Your Blood Sugar Level
An important part of insulin therapy for type 2 diabetes management is periodically checking your blood sugar level. You should find out from your doctor how frequently you should check your blood sugar and at what times. You should also know how to adjust your insulin dose depending on your blood sugar level readings. You can test your blood for sugar at a lab or use a handy home device.
Your doctor will fix your insulin dose depending on need, age, weight, level of physical activity, etc. You should keep a detailed record of your blood sugar levels, especially your fasting and post-meal readings. You can ask for prescription delivery of insulin by any of the leading online pharmacies.
Know the Symptoms of Low and High Blood Sugar
Low blood sugar, also known as hypoglycemia, occurs when too much insulin in your blood causes the sugar level to dip. With inadequate sugar reaching your brain and muscles, you can start feeling cold and shaky; have a rapid heartbeat, and experience dizziness, hunger, nausea, confusion, and irritability. You can address low blood sugar by consuming a quick-acting source of carbohydrates like fruit juice, hard candy, glucose tablets, etc. You can also wear Circufiber socks to alleviate the symptoms by increasing blood circulation in your lower legs.
In case you have high blood sugar, you are liable to feel weak, be thirstier, need to urinate more frequently, experience nausea, difficulty in breathing, and even vomit. You should learn from your doctor how to tackle low or high blood sugar. According to American Family Physician, the best time to take insulin is 15-30 minutes before meals, as recommended by your doctor.
Conclusion
You do not need to be scared of starting insulin therapy. However, you do need to learn how to inject insulin properly. The correct way is to inject it into the fat under the skin, not the muscles. You also need to keep rotating the injection site to prevent soreness. You must store insulin as directed by the manufacturer. Most importantly, you should focus on regular monitoring of your blood sugar levels and adopt a healthy lifestyle.
