If you take rapid acting insulin, otherwise known as bolus insulin, for your meals, technology can help make dosing easier. There is a smart meter available called Accu-Chek Expert that has a built-in insulin calculator that helps you know how much insulin to take based on your current blood sugar and how much carbohydrate you are going to eat. It is set up with parameters individualized to you, including your blood glucose target, insulin to carbohydrate ratio, and sensitivity factor. Blood glucose target is just as it sounds, the range in which you want your blood sugar to … [Read more...]
Inhaled insulin now available
Insulin is a powerful, effective tool for controlling glucose but most people don't want to take it. One of the main fears people have about starting insulin in having to inject it. It seems so painful but it really doesn't hurt much at all. The pen needle or syringe is very small in diameter and not even very long, which makes it slide in easily. It's nothing like a syringe used for vaccinations. For fun, when I taught new groups of people about diabetes self management, I used to stick myself in the abdomen with a syringe. It got people's attention; and many thought I was crazy. … [Read more...]
