Insulin Pump Therapy - Why You Should Try It Today

Insulin Pumps may be a scary thought for diabetics who are currently on a multiple daily injection based therapy. This fear will be soon forgotten once all the benefits are discussed and a pump is chosen to be the best option for further treatment of type 1 diabetes.

An Insulin Pump is a small device about the same size as a small mobile phone, it is battery operated and is programmed to administer very small amounts of short acting insulin such as Humalog, Actrapid or Novorapid in short interval ranging from 3 to 5 minutes.

By having this almost continuous flow of insulin the need for long acting insulin like Protophane, Lantus or Humilin N is eliminated. The frequent doses of insulin give much greater flexibility in life for diabetics, so now you wont need to stick to strict eating patterns or waking up early during the weekend to do injections.

An Insulin Pump allows dosages to be quickly adjusted depending on carbohydrate intake, exercise or illness which we all know can send blood glucose levels yo-yoing.

Insulin is delivered to the body through a thin tube which is inserted into the body and replaced every few days and since your Insulin Pump is always attached there is no need to carry all the other accessories like syringes and insulin vials with you all the time.

Many studies have shown that use of a pump dramatically decreases the number of complications diabetes can cause in the long-term. This is due to the increased control compared to using multiple daily injections.

Poor management of type 1 diabetes can contribute to weight gain and diabetic ketoacidosis where an expensive dialysis therapy may be required.

Pumps can be used by any age group from small children right through to older adults. Parents are even able to use remote controls to adjust insulin doses so children can continue to play.