Insulin Injections

If you need to inject yourself with insulin, you will normally use a syringe or an injector pen.

Another alternative is an insulin jet system, which injects the insulin without a needle – instead a very narrow stream of insulin is forced under high pressure through your skin into your muscle that way.

Your healthcare professional will be able to provide advice on the dosage and how often you should take your insulin.

There are some precautions you should take:

• Routine: Your healthcare team will help you to find an injection routine to treat your diabetes and to fit your life-style. Type 1 diabetics usually begin with injections twice a day, and can eventually move to four injections a day. Some Type 2 diabetics don't need insulin injections: those who do can usually manage with a single injection a dat, or perhaps two; again they may eventually move to four injections a day.

• Storage: Normally you should store your insulin in a refrigerator. Do not freeze it or put it direct sunlight – you can damage it that way. You can keep the bottle you are using at room temperature provided you use within two days. If you have to use it straight from the refrigerator it can be very painful when injected (simply because it is cold) – try rolling the bottle between your hands to warm it a little before you fill your syringe.

• Condition: insulin should be perfectly clear and colourless – there should be nothing floating in it, no cloudiness, no colour (although NPH or lente should be cloudy – basically just make sure your insulin looks like it always does).