- May 24, 2022
- By admin
The insulin pump takes care of blood sugar levels.
Insulin dependency of diabetes patients.
Millions of cells make up the human body. For energy, all cells require glucose (sugar) from the food we eat. Insulin acts as a “key” to enable glucose into cells. Glucose remains in the bloodstream without this key, unable to be utilized for energy by the cells. Instead, glucose accumulates in the circulation and leaks into the urine. The pancreas stops producing insulin when a person gets type 1 diabetes. A youngster with type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) requires insulin injections to assist the body’s cells to use glucose. Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus was previously known as juvenile-onset diabetes mellitus. Insulin deficiency in the pancreas is the aetiology of this chronic condition. Type 1 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes in children and adolescents, accounting for 5–10% of all diabetes occurrences. Your insulin requirements may be significantly reduced shortly after you are diagnosed with diabetes and begin therapy. This is due to the fact that the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas have not yet been totally destroyed. They start producing insulin in modest amounts. This is known as the “honeymoon period.” A honeymoon period might last anywhere from two weeks to two years and begins soon after diagnosis. During this time, you’ll need to keep taking tiny doses of insulin. The pancreas will no longer manufacture insulin when the honeymoon period is gone, and insulin levels will need to be increased.
How does an insulin pump function?
The device delivers insulin in a similar fashion to how your body does it naturally: a regular flow throughout the day and night, known as basal insulin, and an extra dosage at meals, known as a bolus, to deal with rising blood sugar from the food you consume. Both basal and bolus doses can be programmed into the pump. If you eat more carbohydrates than normal, you can programme a greater bolus to cover them. Insulin pumps, like the human pancreas, are small, automated devices that continually deliver small doses(basal rate) of short-acting insulin. The device also distributes various dosages of insulin (bolus) when a meal is taken. Basal insulin rates are generally established in your pump with the guidance of your doctor and depending on your needs, you can have one or many basal settings. Your dinner bolus insulin dose is pre-programmed on the pump. Most insulin pumps feature built-in bolus calculators that can help you calculate how much insulin you need during meals based on your blood glucose levels and the number of calories you consume. They’ll show you how to fill a pump reservoir, prime tubing, choose an infusion site, change an infusion set, disconnect the device, calculate and programme basal and bolus doses, troubleshoot potential difficulties, prepare backup plans in the event of pump failure, and avoid diabetic ketoacidosis. An infusion set consists of thin plastic tubing and either a needle or a little tapered tube called a cannula, which is inserted under the skin. The infusion site is the location where you inject it, which is usually your belly, buttocks, or thigh. Inserters are included with some pumps to make it easier to position them in difficult-to-reach places.
Advantages of insulin pump over painful insulin jab.
Insulin pumps include a number of characteristics that allow patients to better control their diabetes while also enhancing the quality of life for those who previously battled with multiple daily injections. Insulin pumps necessitate the implantation of a catheter every 2 or 3 days, which is more time consuming than single injections, but the benefit is that you have to do it much less frequently than you would need to inject. It also eliminates the need to associate each meal with a needle. An insulin pump’s main advantage is that you can programme it to administer varying rates of background insulin at different times of the day. If you’re getting night-time hypos but are fine during the day, you can adjust your night-time basal dose while keeping your daytime basal dose the same with a pump. It may also provide greater control over the dawn phenomenon. The most popular insulin pump in the market is currently Medtronic’s MiniMed. Every 5 minutes, the MiniMedTM 770G insulin pump system adjusts background insulin. The technology may compute a tailored amount of insulin to deliver based on your needs using real-time glucose measurements. The technology links directly to a smartphone, allowing you to see sugar levels and insulin delivery history quickly and simply.
Reference
- Diabetes and the Insulin Pump. (n.d.). WebMD. Retrieved May 19, 2022, from https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/insulin-pump
- Diabetes: Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (Type I). (n.d.). Retrieved May 19, 2022, from https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/conditions/diabetes-insulin-dependent-diabetes-mellitus-type-i
- Insulin Pump Overview. (n.d.). Retrieved May 19, 2022, from https://www.endocrineweb.com/guides/insulin/insulin-pump-overview
- January 15, E. on, January 7, 2019 · Last reviewed, & 2022. (2019, January 15). Insulin pumps are not for everyone though and there are a number of disadvantages which need to be taken into account when deciding whether a pump will be right for you. Diabetes. https://www.diabetes.co.uk/insulin-pumps/pros-cons-of-insulin-pumps.html