Insulin Pump: How to Use?
If you have been detected with diabetes, you might feel overwhelmed by all the new details you have found out and will continue to discover managing your diabetes.
You already understand your primary objective ought to be to obtain your blood glucose (sugar) levels under control in order to increase your possibilities of a complication-free life. Many individuals know this, however have to understand how to attain good diabetes management, while balancing the daily demands of diabetes with other life demands.
An insulin pump can assist you handle your diabetes. By utilizing an insulin pump, you can match your insulin to your lifestyle, instead of getting an insulin injection and matching your life to how the insulin is working.
When you work closely with your diabetes care group, insulin pumps can assist you keep your blood glucose levels within your target varieties.
People of any ages with type 1 diabetes use insulin pumps and people with type 2 diabetes have begun to use them too.
How They Work
Insulin pumps deliver quick- or short-acting insulin 24 hours a day through a catheter put under the skin. Your insulin dosages are separated into:
- Basal rates
- Bolus dosages to cover carbohydrate in meals
- Correction or extra doses
Basal insulin is delivered constantly over 24 hours, and keeps your blood sugar levels in range in between meals and overnight. Typically, you program different amounts of insulin at various times of the day and night.
As soon as set up, altering infusion sites and filling up the pump with insulin are two common jobs you will routinely (every few days or two) need to carry out to keep yourself pumping.
When you eat, you use buttons on the insulin pump to offer extra insulin called a bolus. You take a bolus to cover the carb in each meal or snack. If you eat more than you planned, you can simply program a larger bolus of insulin to cover it.
You likewise take a bolus to treat high blood sugar levels. If you have high blood glucose levels before you eat, you provide a correction or supplemental bolus of insulin to bring it back to your target variety.
Read more about: Basal Rate on an Insulin Pump
Putting the Pump
Understanding how an insulin pump works is one thing. But you may be questioning where you are supposed to put it. You can buy a pump case or it can be connected to a waistband, pocket, bra, garter belt, sock, or underwear. You can also tuck any excess tubing into the waistband of your underwear or trousers.
When you sleep, you could attempt laying the pump beside you on the bed. You might even try wearing it on a waistband, armband, legband, or clip it to the blanket, sheet, pajamas, packed toy, or pillow with a belt clip.
Infusion sites have to be changed every couple of days to enable consistent delivery of insulin. Altering of infusion sites implies taking out old infusion set and changing it with a new infusion set.
Showering and bathing are other circumstances when you ought to understand where to put your insulin pump. Although insulin pumps are water resistant, they need to not be set directly in the water. Rather, you can disconnect it. All insulin pumps have a disconnect port for activities, such as swimming, bathing, or showering. Some pumps can be placed on the side of the tub, in a shower caddy, or in a soap tray. There are likewise diplomatic immunities you can buy. You can hang these cases from your neck or from a shower drape hook.
No matter what you might think, you can still have a good time when you are utilizing an insulin pump. When you exercise or play sports, you can wear a strong elastic waist band with a pump case. You can likewise use it on an armband where it shows up. Women can tape the insulin pump to the front of their sports bra.
Some coaches do not allow any devices to be worn since getting the pump knocked into you or falling on it can be painful. In this case, you might just have to take the insulin pump off.
When the pump starts lacking insulin, new insulin will have to be packed into the pump, either by cartridge or by filling up the tank from an insulin vial (as applicable).
See also: How to Choose The Best Insulin Pump?
When You Have to Disconnect
When you detach your pump, you are stopping all delivery (basal and bolus) by the pump.
Here are some important tips to keep in mind when detaching your pump.
- It is important for you to remember that if you stop your pump while it is in the middle of delivering any bolus — it will NOT be resumed. You may need to program a brand-new one.
- Be sure to bolus to cover the basal rate you will miss out on. If your blood sugar level is under 150, you can wait an hour to bolus.
- Do not go longer than one to two hours with no insulin.
- Display your blood glucose every 3 to four hours.
Now that you understand how the insulin pump works and how to wear it, take a look at some of the facts to see if this is right for you.
