BLOOD SUGAR FACTS
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Using Insulin To Manage High Blood Sugar Levels In Diabetes

People that have high blood sugar levels must take insulin to control their blood glucose.


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And when it comes to eating sensibly for their condition, people with type 1 diabetes must ensure that the food they eat is timed as best possible with insulin in order to mimic the natural function of the pancreas.  It is never perfect, but combining the right diet with insulin shots is the best way to keep the body maintaining its condition.

Although it is not the case for every person with high blood sugar levels , most people must take two forms of insulin. The first type of insulin must be able to work in the body immediately after being injected, which remains active for a short period of time. This is called short acting insulin. The other type of insulin that must be taken takes a little longer to become active in the body, yet works for an extended period of time. This is known as long acting insulin.

What is the purpose for taking insulin that works at different intervals?

Injecting insulin that works at different speeds has a simple reason behind it: When the diabetic eats his or her or food, they must take the more rapid acting insulin to work with each meal that is eaten throughout the day. On the other hand, there are times when the diabetic will not eat for a long period of time, particularly overnight, which calls for the slower acting insulin to be injected.

New insulin is available that remedies the possible problem with delayed meals

The previous two types of insulin that was just mentioned, the slow acting and the fast acting insulin, have worked great for years and still do for type 1 diabetics, however many times a person can run into a problem when their meals are delayed.

A diabetic must inject insulin approximately 30 minutes before a meal. Now think about what could happen if their schedule is knocked off and they could not eat for an hour or two after they just took their insulin? The person could become easily hypoglycemic this way.

New insulin that is available today takes care of this problem because the diabetic can take it when they begin to eat or better yet, during and after they have eaten their food. With this new insulin, there is no more worrying about taking the injection and needing to eat exactly 30 minutes later. There is no more fear of experiencing a delay with a meal. Now the diabetic can just eat and then take their insulin when it's most convenient, during or after the meal.