Diabetes Insulin Pump - How it Works

26 Mar

Posted by admin as insulin

A diabetes insulin pump can help you manage your diabetes. By using an insulin pump, you can match your insulin to your lifestyle, rather than getting an insulin injection and matching your life to how the insulin is working. When you work closely with your diabetes care team, insulin pumps can help you keep your blood glucose levels within your target ranges. People of all ages with type 1 diabetes use insulin pumps and people with type 2 diabetes have started to use them as well.

An insulin pump is a small mechanical device, a little larger than a pager that is worn outside the body, often on a belt or in a pocket. It delivers fast-acting insulin into the body via an infusion set — a thin plastic tube ending in a small, flexible plastic cannula or a very thin needle. You insert the cannula beneath the skin at the infusion site, usually in your abdomen or upper buttocks. You keep the infusion set in place for two to three days (sometimes more), and then move it to a new location. All insulin is delivered through the infusion set.

The pump is attached to a thin plastic tube (an infusion set) that has a soft cannula (or plastic needle) at the end through which insulin passes. This cannula is inserted under the skin, usually on the abdomen. The cannula is changed every two days. The tubing can be disconnected from the pump while showering or swimming. The pump is used for continuous insulin delivery, 24 hours a day. The amount of insulin is programmed and is administered at a constant rate (basal rate). Often, the amount of insulin needed over the course of 24 hours varies depending on factors like exercise, activity level, and sleep.

Between meals and overnights, a small amount of insulin is constantly delivered to keep the blood sugar in the target range. This is called the basal rate. When food is eaten, a bolus dose of insulin can be programmed into the pump. You can measure how much of a bolus you need using calculations based on the grams of carbohydrates consumed.
When using an insulin pump, you must monitor your blood glucose level at least four times a day. You set the doses of your insulin and make adjustments to the dose depending on your diabetes diet and exercise program.

Many people with diabetes take insulin to control their blood sugar (glucose). Insulin cannot be taken by mouth because it would be destroyed by digestion. Instead, most people who need insulin take insulin shots. Other ways to take insulin include insulin pens, insulin jet injectors, and insulin pumps. Someday people with diabetes may no longer need needles or shots to take insulin; researchers are testing news ways to get insulin into the bloodstream.

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