Why is insulin important

Search Enter a word and discover the content associated with it. Search for:. Do you have questions about diabetes? Chat with a health care professionals. After many years of this overproduction, the insulin-producing cells in your pancreas burn out. Type 2 diabetes can affect people of any age. Injections of insulin can help manage both types of diabetes. Many people living with type 2 diabetes can manage their blood glucose levels with lifestyle changes and oral medication.

All types of insulin produce the same effect. They are used to mimic the natural increases and decreases of insulin levels in the body during the day. The makeup of different types of insulin affects how fast and how long they work. Insulin is most commonly administered through a syringe, insulin pen , or insulin pump. The type of insulin injection you use will be based on your personal preference, health needs, and insurance coverage.

Your doctor or diabetes educator will show you how to give yourself the injections. You can inject the insulin under the skin in many different parts of your body, such as your:.

Your doctor will likely also explain the importance of changing where on your body you inject insulin to prevent lumps or fatty deposits from forming at the injection site. Learn more: How to give a subcutaneous injection. Both syringes and insulin pens use a small needle to inject insulin into your body. There are two ways to get your insulin without using a syringe or needle.

Your doctor will decide if one of these options works for your personal needs. Insulin pumps :. Insulin inhalers :. However, injecting cold insulin may make the injection feel more painful. Insulin kept at room temperature can last about a month. Side effects from injecting or receiving insulin are rare, but can occur in certain cases. The symptoms of mild allergic reactions are swelling, itching, or redness around the injection area.

More severe insulin allergies may include nausea and vomiting. Hypoglycemia , or blood glucose levels that are too low, can sometimes occur when you take insulin. Symptoms of low blood sugar include:. People living with type 1 diabetes must use insulin to help control their blood sugar, but those living with type 2 diabetes may be able to use oral medications to help manage their blood sugar instead of injections. When we eat food, glucose is absorbed from our gut into the bloodstream, raising blood glucose levels.

This rise in blood glucose causes insulin to be released from the pancreas so glucose can move inside the cells and be used. As glucose moves inside the cells, the amount of glucose in the bloodstream returns to normal and insulin release slows down.

Proteins in food and other hormones produced by the gut in response to food also stimulate insulin release. Hormones released in times of acute stress, such as adrenaline , stop the release of insulin, leading to higher blood glucose levels to help cope with the stressful event. Insulin works in tandem with glucagon , another hormone produced by the pancreas.

While insulin's role is to lower blood sugar levels if needed, glucagon's role is to raise blood sugar levels if they fall too low. Using this system, the body ensures that the blood glucose levels remain within set limits, which allows the body to function properly. If a person accidentally injects more insulin than required, e. This leads to abnormally low blood glucose levels called hypoglycaemia. The body reacts to hypoglycaemia by releasing stored glucose from the liver in an attempt to bring the levels back to normal.

Low glucose levels in the blood can make a person feel ill. The body mounts an initial 'fight back' response to hypoglycaemia through a specialised set of of nerves called the sympathetic nervous system. This causes palpitations, sweating, hunger, anxiety, tremor and pale complexion that usually warn the person about the low blood glucose level so this can be treated.

However, if the initial blood glucose level is too low or if it is not treated promptly and continues to drop, the brain will be affected too because it depends almost entirely on glucose as a source of energy to function properly. This can cause dizziness, confusion, fits and even coma in severe cases. Some drugs used for people with type 2 diabetes , including sulphonylureas e. Artificial sweeteners: Any effect on blood sugar?

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