When do diabetics need insulin

To keep your skin from thickening, try not to inject the insulin in the same place over and over. Instead, rotate injection places. Rapid-acting insulin begins to work very quickly. So while you and your doctor are working to find the right dosage of this insulin, you may have some insulin reactions. Hypoglycemia is the name for a condition in which the level of sugar in your blood is too low. Most people who take insulin have insulin reactions at some time.

Signs of an insulin reaction and hypoglycemia include the following:. People who have diabetes should carry at least 15 grams of a fast-acting carbohydrate with them at all times in case of hypoglycemia or an insulin reaction.

The following are examples of quick sources of energy that can relieve the symptoms of an insulin reaction:. Teach your friends, work colleagues, and family members how to treat hypoglycemia, because sometimes you may need their help. Also, keep a supply of glucagon on hand. Glucagon comes in a kit with a powder and a liquid that you must mix together and then inject.

It will raise your blood sugar level. Talk to your doctor to learn when and how to use glucagon. You need to check your blood sugar level regularly using a blood glucose monitor.

Your doctor or his or her office staff can teach you how to use the monitor. He or she will use this information to decide how much insulin is right for you. Blood sugar measurements can vary depending on your lifestyle. Stress levels, how often you exercise, and how fast your body absorbs food can affect measurements. Hormonal changes related to puberty, menstrual cycles, and pregnancy can, too. Illness, traveling, or a change in your routine may mean that you have to monitor your blood sugar level more often.

Last Updated: August 17, This information provides a general overview and may not apply to everyone. Talk to your family doctor to find out if this information applies to you and to get more information on this subject. Exercise can help people who have diabetes. It can help control your weight, lower your blood sugar level, and…. What you eat is closely connected to the amount of sugar in your blood.

The right food choices will…. There are 3 tools that…. Visit The Symptom Checker. Read More. Prescription Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Medicines. Naltrexone for Alcoholism. Rapid-acting 15 min 1 hour 2 to 4 hours Taken with meals, typically right before a meal. Commonly used along with longer-acting insulin. Rapid-acting inhaled 10 to 15 min 30 min 3 hours Taken with meals, typically right before a meal.

Commonly used with injectable long-acting insulin. Regular or short-acting 30 min 2 to 3 hours 3 to 6 hours Taken with meals, typically 30 to 60 minutes before a meal. Intermediate acting 2 to 4 hours 4 to 12 hours 12 to 18 hours Taken once or twice a day. Covers your insulin needs for half a day or overnight. Commonly used with rapid- or short-acting insulin.

Can be used with rapid- or short-acting insulin if needed. Premixed 5 to 60 min varied peaks 10 to 16 hours Taken twice a day, commonly 10 to 30 minutes before breakfast and dinner.

This type is a combination of intermediate- and short-acting insulin. Administration and dosage. How should I store my insulin? Side effects and reactions. Alternative medications for people with type 2 diabetes. Ways to manage blood glucose levels. Read this next. Medically reviewed by Elaine K. Luo, M. Diabetes: Facts, Statistics, and You. Griffith, MD. The Effects of Insulin on the Body.

Medically reviewed by Kevin Martinez, M. Is Type 1 Diabetes Genetic? Medically reviewed by Marina Basina, M. Insulin Pumps. For regularly updated information on a variety of health topics, please visit familydoctor. Insulin is a hormone that controls the level of blood sugar also called glucose in your body.

People with diabetes may not have enough insulin or may not be able to use it properly. The sugar builds up in the blood and overflows into the urine, passing out of your body unused. Over time, high blood sugar levels can cause serious health problems. All people with type 1 diabetes, and some people with type 2 diabetes, need to take insulin to help control their blood sugar levels.

The box below lists the different types of insulin. The goal in treating diabetes is to keep the blood sugar level within a normal range. You need to check your blood sugar level regularly using a blood glucose monitor. Your doctor or the office staff can teach you how to use the monitor. You'll need to write down each measurement and show this record to your doctor, so your doctor can tell you how much insulin to take. Your doctor will give you a schedule. Most people with diabetes need at least 2 insulin shots a day.

Some people need 3 or 4 shots for good blood sugar control. If you take Regular insulin or a longer-acting insulin, you should generally take it 15 to 30 minutes before a meal.

If you take insulin lispro brand name: Humalog , which works very quickly, you should generally take it less than 15 minutes before you eat. Insulin lispro is a new type of insulin. It starts working sooner than other insulin types. It also reaches peak activity faster and goes away sooner. Insulin lispro helps keep your blood sugar level from going too high after you eat.

To keep your blood sugar level steady, your doctor will probably prescribe either a longer-acting insulin or another drug for you to take each day in addition to the insulin lispro.

If you need to mix insulin lispro with a longer-acting insulin, it's best that you mix insulin lispro only with Humulin U or Humulin N, which are brand names for certain longer-acting insulins. Insulin lispro should always be drawn into the syringe first.

This will keep the longer-acting insulin from getting into the insulin lispro bottle. Quick-acting, such as insulin lispro Humalog , begins to work very quickly 5 to 15 minutes and lasts for 3 to 4 hours.

Insulin pumps are attached to your body and can be programmed to administer rapid-acting insulin throughout the day, to cover both basal and prandial insulin needs. Inhaled insulin is ultra-rapid acting insulin and can replace insulin used for mealtime and corrections of high glucose. It is taken through an inhaler and works similarly to injected prandial insulin. The only approved inhaled insulin on the market is the ultra-rapid-acting mealtime insulin Afrezza.

Your insulin regimen should be tailored to fit your needs and lifestyle. Adjusting your basal insulin dosage and timing will require conversations and frequent follow-up with your healthcare team. When initiating insulin therapy, you may be advised to start with a low dose and increase the dose in small amounts once or twice a week, based on your fasting glucose levels.

Insulin may be used alone or in combination with oral glucose-lowering medications, such as metformin, SGLT-2 inhibitors, or GLP-1 agonists.

One of the most important things to consider is the characteristics of different insulin types. In order to dose insulin to cover meals or snacks, you have to take a few factors into consideration.

Your healthcare team should help you determine what to consider when calculating an insulin dose. Prandial insulin doses will usually be adjusted based on:. Current blood sugar levels.

Insulin sensitivity factor ISF or correction factor: how much one unit of insulin is expected to lower blood sugar. Your ISF may change throughout the day — for example, many people are more insulin resistant in the morning, which requires a stronger correction factor. Carbohydrate intake. Insulin to carb ratios represent how many grams of carbohydrates are covered by one unit of insulin.

You should calculate your carbohydrate consumptions for each meal. For example, a insulin to carbohydrate ratio means one unit of insulin will cover every 10 grams of carbohydrates that you eat.

For a meal with 30 grams of carbohydrates, a bolus calculator will recommend three units of insulin. Physical activity. Adjust insulin doses before, and possibly after, exercise — learn more about managing glucose levels during exercise here. Learning to adjust your own insulin doses may be overwhelming at first, especially given the many factors that affect your glucose levels.