Heart Disease

Your doctor may decide that tablets alone are not enough to control your blood glucose level. Instead, you may have to take insulin by injection. Your doctor will show you how and when to inject your insulin; how to store it; how to check to see whether it is all right to use; how to handle used syringes; and, if necessary, how to mix different kinds of insulin in one syringe.

Site selection and rotation. Knowing the place (or site) to inject insulin and when to switch to another site (rotation) can help make your injections easier, more effective, and more comfortable. Insulin should be injected into fatty tissue, also known as subcutaneous (meaning under the skin) tissue. Injecting into this tissue helps the insulin enter your bloodstream at a steady rate, so that you do not get too much too quickly. You can choose any place on your body where there is fatty tissue, such as the back of the arm, the front or side of the thigh, the buttocks, and the stomach (away from the navel).

Sometimes problems may occur if the same site is used too often. For example, the skin may become scarred, swollen, or otherwise affected at a site that has been used too often. This can be uncomfortable and may even affect how well your body absorbs the insulin. Ask your doctor to help you design an insulin-rotation pattern that is best suited to your particular needs.