Insulin Pumps: Is It Time You Considered That Alternative?

By Julia Hanf in Diabetes on February 5th, 2008

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by Julia Hanf

Insulin has a crucial role to play in the management of diabetes, either to counter the reduced production by the pancreas in cases of Type 1 Diabetes, or to enhance the supply of insulin, once an insulin-resistant body has already been conditioned to be more responsive by oral medication. The traditional method of administering insulin by injections, several times a day is not as effective as it was once thought to be for a number of reasons. Firstly, the thought of having to inject yourself, several times a day can be very intimidating to an individual who has just been diagnosed with diabetes, and may even influence him to be sporadic with his insulin injections. This makes the process of treatment more long-drawn and tedious than ever before, especially because the irregular insulin levels may cause blood glucose levels to spike dangerously high, and then head for a steep decline either of which can bring about potentially fatal consequences.

Type 1 Diabetes strikes young, with a large majority of its victim’s falling into the category of young children. As insulin supplements are an irreplaceable part of diabetes treatment, given the inability of the pancreas to create any of its own, children are no exception to the unpleasantness of repeated insulin injection during the course of a single day. In circumstances such as these, concerned parents have often expressed their unease about this method of administering insulin, anxious about the pain which accompanies the process. And thus, many diabetics tend to grow bitter and miserable about their condition, which further hampers them in embracing their treatment as a way of life.

Although diabetes is no modern ailment, recent times have seen an alarmingly large number of victims succumb to diabetes, on account of their skewed lifestyles and dietary patterns. And so, researchers and diabetes experts have begun to invest a great deal of time and thought in developing alternative techniques of administering insulin, to make the process of treatment less tedious and a lot easier to incorporate into daily lives. Of these, a clear forerunner that has gained both medical and popular approval is the insulin pump.

An Insulin Pump is a device that is comprised of a catheter that is inserted under the skin, the pump itself and a disposable insulin reservoir that is placed inside the pump. Once the catheter is affixed, you can carry the pump, tucked into your waistband or in a segment of your clothing after which the pump administers a steady dose of insulin to our body. To counter a sudden surge of glucose in your bloodstream, especially after a meal, the pump can also be adjusted to deliver bolus doses, which are spurts of fast-acting insulin, helping your body to regularize blood glucose a lot faster than in the case of regular insulin injections. The steady basal dose keeps your glucose levels in check between mealtimes and while you are asleep.

The amount of insulin to be administered as bolus and basal does is determined by your physician in keeping with the stage to which your diabetes has advanced and also how regular you are with your dietary and exercise regime. The frequency of bolus doses is another arena which needs to be monitored by your physician, so that you do not suffer from bouts of hypoglycemia. The steady supply of insulin which an insulin pump warrants is a welcome respite from having to wait until the glucose levels rise to a particular amount and then shoot them down with insulin, as in the case of insulin injections.

Insulin pumps have gained immense popularity in recent times, as the need for a more flexible and less time-consuming regime has developed in leaps and bounds. Many diabetics who have made the switch to insulin pumps commend them for the freedom they grant from having to schedule their day around meal times and insulin injections. Individuals whose career or lifestyle requires them to travel frequently have also welcomed the idea of insulin pumps, given the fact that they no longer need to carry injections with them wherever they go, and also that they no longer have to live in a constant fear of missing a meal time, or an insulin dose.

Although insulin pumps do have a steep learning curve and require some time to get acclimatized to, many diabetics who have chosen to stick with this method of treatment would swap it for none other. Over the last two decades, many health insurance providers have begun to make provisions to cover the cost of insulin pumps in the policies, either in whole, or in part. And so, if the only consideration that’s keeping you from switching to insulin pups is the relatively hefty price tag, you may want to check with your healthcare company before dismissing the idea altogether. Diabetes can be a tricky condition to deal with but only if you let it escalate to the point that it does. Toss out your apprehensions and take control of your diabetes today! You’ll find that it’s actually a lot easier than it seems!

About the Author:

Julia Hanf author of the book How To Play the Diabetes Diet Game and Win Through a real life crisis Julia figured out how to live diabetes free. Visit www.yourdiabetescure.com and learn more about your solution for diabetes.