Understanding how insulin affects your blood sugar can help you better manage your condition.
Insulin therapy is often an important part of diabetes treatment. Understand the goals of insulin therapy and the key role insulin plays in managing your blood sugar. What you learn can help you prevent diabetes complications.
The goals of insulin therapy
If you have type 1 diabetes, insulin therapy helps you keep your blood sugar within the target range your doctor recommends. This can help prevent long-term diabetes complications, such as blindness, nerve damage (neuropathy) or kidney damage. Insulin therapy is sometimes needed for type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes as well.
To determine how much insulin your body needs, your doctor considers your lifestyle, how much you weigh, what you eat and how much you exercise — all factors that affect your blood sugar.
The role of insulin in the body
It may be easier to understand the importance of insulin therapy if you understand how insulin normally works in the body and what happens when you have diabetes.
The main job of insulin is to keep the level of sugar in the bloodstream within a normal range. After eating, carbohydrates break down into sugar and enter the bloodstream in the form of glucose, a sugar that serves as a primary source of energy. Normally the pancreas responds by producing insulin, which allows sugar to enter the tissues.
Insulin also affects the liver. After eating — when insulin levels are high — the liver stores extra sugar in the form of glycogen. Between meals — when insulin levels are low — the liver releases glycogen into the bloodstream in the form of sugar. This keeps blood sugar levels within a narrow range.
If your pancreas secretes little or no insulin (type 1 diabetes) or your body has become resistant to insulin's action (type 2 diabetes), the level of sugar in your bloodstream increases. Left untreated, this can lead to diabetes complications.
Your treatment plan: Many options available
Your doctor will tell you if you need insulin therapy to make up for the insulin your body isn't able to produce or use. The most effective type of insulin therapy depends on various factors, including the type of diabetes you have, how stable your blood sugar is throughout the day and your lifestyle.
Insulin types
Insulin comes in many types. Some types of insulin begin working more quickly or last longer than do others. Insulin is usually injected, but a new type of rapid-acting insulin that can be inhaled is now available.
Insulin regimens
Your treatment plan may include insulin injections given in various regimens:
- Single dose. You inject a dose of long-acting insulin once a day.
- Mixed dose. You inject both short- or rapid-acting and intermediate-acting insulins — mixed in one syringe — every morning.
- Pre-mixed single dose. You inject a dose of pre-mixed insulin every morning.
- Split dose. You give yourself two injections of intermediate-acting insulin every day. These injections are usually given before breakfast and before the evening meal, or before breakfast and at bedtime.
- Split mixed dose. You give yourself two injections that contain a combination of short- or rapid-acting and intermediate-acting insulins — mixed in one syringe — every day. These are generally given before breakfast and before the evening meal.
- Split pre-mixed dose. You give yourself two daily injections of pre-mixed insulin. These are usually given before breakfast and before the evening meal, or before breakfast and at bedtime.
- Intensive insulin therapy. This regimen involves multiple daily injections of insulin or use of a small pump that continuously administers insulin.
In some cases, inhaled insulin can replace injections of short-acting insulin. Inhaled insulin doesn't replace longer acting insulin that may be required as part of your diabetes treatment program.
Taking insulin helps prevent diabetes complications
Frequent insulin injections may seem unpleasant at first. But keep the goals of insulin therapy in mind. By preventing diabetes complications, insulin therapy can help you lead an active, healthy life.
Last Updated: 08/02/2006
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