The group of people who most commonly need to inject insulin into their bloodstream are those suffering from Type I Diabetes, because no insulin is made naturally in the body for these individuals. If you happen to fall into this group, you're probably aware that there are several ways to deliver the insulin to your body, with syringes being the least expensive and the most common. When you're obliged to make these kind of self-injections, there are some places in the body which are better than others for delivering the medication, and these are discussed below.
General injection approach
Insulin injections must be delivered subcutaneously, which means a short needle must be used to deliver the insulin directly into the fatty layer which lies between muscle and your skin. If you were to inject directly into the muscle, it would be absorbed much too quickly and would be less effective, as well as more painful.
It's a good idea to mix up your injection sites, so that you're not using the same location every day. If you fail to rotate the location sites, you could develop lipodystrophy, in which the fatty tissue might build up beneath your skin and cause lumps that become an obstacle to insulin absorption. When you're rotating your injection sites, make sure to keep them at least an inch apart, or choose different sites altogether.
Arm injections
When you're injecting insulin into an arm, you should aim for the fatty area which can be found at the back of your arm. Somewhere between your elbow and your shoulder would be the ideal site for an arm injection, and this gives you a good deal of area to work with.
Thigh injections
Another very common injection site would be the top of the thigh, somewhere in the outer area. It should be several inches down from the top of your leg, and a few inches above your knee. Anywhere in this general area will be suitable for a thigh injection.
Abdominal injections
Over the years, it has been determined that one of the best places for self-injection is in the abdomen. That's because insulin is absorbed more readily and reliable from the area of the abdomen, and it's also an area which is very easy to reach. When injecting into the abdomen, you should choose a location somewhere between the pubic area and the lower portion of your ribs.
It's best to completely avoid the area around your navel, because this can cause unpredictable results. You should also bypass any areas which have blemishes on the skin, or which have moles or scars in the area. Any of these surface features can interfere with your body's absorption of insulin. It's also a good idea to avoid varicose veins and any blood vessels which are clearly broken, because these may also interfere with reliable insulin absorption by the body.
What to use for your injections
When you're obliged to give yourself regular injections, you'll need a reliable provider who makes reliable products you can use. The Easy Touch Insulin Syringes sold by MedLab will give you the kind of confidence you need when it comes to using equipment which penetrates your skin and delivers important medication. When you keep a good supply of these on hand, you'll have no worries about what you should be using for self-injections.
