Insulin is a hormone that helps move glucose from out of our blood and into our cells so that we can use the glucose for energy. The glucose comes from most of the food that we eat.
In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas no longer releases insulin, so the glucose keeps circulating in the blood with no way out. People who are type 1 have to inject insulin several times a day, just to survive.
Some people with type 2 may also need insulin, due to a reduced insulin response from their pancreas or because they are insulin resistant.
Managing diabetes is a balancing act between insulin and blood glucose. Finding the right amount of insulin to keep blood glucose levels as close to normal as possible is the key to good control.
Starting insulin can be nervewracking. Many people are apprehensive about injecting. When kids are diagnosed, many parents are afraid of hurting their child at first. It may take a while to become comfortable with injecting.
Insulin pumps have been available for about the last 20 years. They can provide greater flexibility and tighter control of blood glucose than injection can. They give a basal rate of insulin continuously while allowing boluses of insulin during times when you need it.
