My friends and I were following our daily ritual; meeting up before going home from our respective workplaces.
That day, Dev was quite frustrated as his uncle had scolded him at the factory. The reason for the scolding was that he had eaten 10-12 kulfis (ice candies) that day which were meant to be offered to the customers.
Of course, we didn’t support him in that stupidity. Rather, we scared him by saying, “You would be suffering from diabetes.” Moreover, we pushed him to go for a diabetes test immediately, since he had been eating very indiscriminately for a few months and was gaining weight.
Kamlesh told us that he had the glucometer at his house as both his parents had diabetes. So, we went to Kamlesh’s house and he asked for the glucometer from Aunty.
Aunty replied, “Glucometer is not working properly. It is showing 240 mg/dl when I am checking mine. I don’t think it should be that high.”
Forgetting to get Dev tested, we asked Kamlesh about the reason for Auntie’s (very) high sugar levels.
He said, “Every night after dinner, mom and dad open mithai ka dabba (box of sweets) and eat sweets.” He further added, “They have the mindset that we are taking medicines anyway so why don’t we eat sweets.”
My immediate question to Kamlesh after hearing that was, “Who goes with them for insulin and what is its duration?”
He replied, “Me or my brother whoever is free, goes for the insulin with them and I have no idea about its duration.”
Duration of different types of insulin
I made him understand that there are 5 types of insulin.
Rapid acting insulin is the first type which starts working in 15 minutes and lasts upto 5 hours.
Short acting insulin starts working in 30-60 minutes and lasts upto 8 hours.
Third one is intermediate acting insulin. It takes 1-3 hours to begin its working but it lasts upto 10-16 hours.
Next one is long acting insulin. It takes exactly an hour to start its working but it lasts upto 24 hours or even more than that.
Lastly pre-mixed insulin starts working in 5-15 minutes and it lasts up to 10 to 16 hours.[1]
While I was explaining to Kamlesh the different types of insulin, he checked the website from which I was giving him this info. I was explaining him all this from intolife.in
“Do you know uncle and aunty can take insulin dose at home only?” I asked Kamlesh.
Insulin Devices
Then I showed him the insulin devices through which they can take the dose of insulin.
We discovered that insulin can be taken through different types of devices but the most commonly used devices are insulin syringe, insulin pens and insulin infusion pumps.[2]
The next thing Kamlesh wanted to know was about the dosage of insulin.
Dosage
Though the dosage of insulin depends on various factors but via intolife website, Kamlesh got the idea about some of the factors like A1C and weight (of the body) on which the dosage of insulin depends[3]. Then he decided to discuss it with the doctor and see if it is feasible to give insulin to his parents at home.
After discovering the above-mentioned things about insulin, Kamlesh understood that as a caregiver to his parents, he and his brother must know everything about the types of insulin, the dosage and ways to administer them. This would help them understand what therapy the doctor prescribed for his parents.
For a chronic, metabolic disease like diabetes which (over time) leads to serious damage to heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys and nerves[4], one needs right kind of information to live with it. Thanks to websites like intolife that we still get authentic information on such critical diseases.
Diet, exercise, regular monitoring and adherence to medication are important factors in diabetes management. Empower yourself to live better with diabetes and take the pledge today to be #MoreThanMyDiabetes.
Disclaimer:
The views expressed in the blog content are independent and unbiased views of solely the blogger. This is a part of the public awareness initiative supported by Sanofi India. Sanofi India bears no responsibility for the content of the blog. One should consult their healthcare provider for any health-related information.
This is really informative post and I am glad you shared so many details in easy words
Oh. I wants aware about the duration of insulin. Helpful post and much needed
Very good insight on usage of insulin. I will refer it to my family members with diabetes.
Didn’t knew that there were so many types of insulin. Nicely explained.
Really grateful to come across your post with such detailed information on insulin dosage and diabetes control.
These are very insightful post about types of insulin and their respective duration. Would check more on intolife. #Morethanmydiabetes
Lifestyle is crucial for good blood sugar control as well as meds or insulin. One without the other is a problem.
I always thought that Insulin is the last option for a diabetic. Glad to know some facts.