Insulin is the best drug for lowering high blood sugar levels. It is a chemical produced by an organ in the human abdomen called the pancreas. It is the chemical which ensures that the glucose inside the blood stream enters the body cells for the production of energy needed for daily activities.
In people with Type 2 diabetes that have what is called an insulin resistant state, their body produces insulin but the body cells, especially those in the liver, muscles and fat become resistant to the action of insulin. Individuals with Type 1 diabetes on the other hand are no longer able to produce insulin in response to meals because the insulin producing cells have been destroyed by the body’s immune system.
Some scientists in Canada namely Banting, Best, Collip and Macleod are credited with the discovery of insulin in 1922. In times gone by, insulin injection used by people with diabetes was extracted from animals like beef and pigs; however, the insulin used in treatment of diabetes nowadays is produced by the process of genetic engineering called recombinant DNA technology.
While all individuals with Type 1 diabetes require daily injections of insulin to keep them alive, not all individuals with Type 2 diabetes will require insulin use. Instances in which those with Type 2 diabetes may require insulin use include illnesses that warrant hospital admission, pregnancy, infections, wounds, very high blood sugar levels with excessive urination, and when tablets are no longer effective in controlling the blood sugar level.
The trend worldwide now is what is called early initiation of insulin in which insulin is started quite early after the diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes. The insulin injection is combined with other tablets being used to treat the diabetes. This has been found to be beneficial in the long run as it enhances the ability of the insulin producing cells in the pancreas to be active for very many more years apart from helping to control the blood sugar well and thus helping to reduce the likelihood of development of complications of diabetes.
Insulin is currently mostly given as an injection. Research is however ongoing on insulin that can be given as a tablet and one in powder form that can be inhaled. The fact that it is an injection is why a lot of individuals who might otherwise benefit from it do not agree to starting insulin. Devices are now available to give insulin in a pain free manner. Some people also believe that once you start taking insulin injections you must then continue it for life while others are of the opinion that insulin is given to individuals with diabetes who will soon die. This is not so.
Like all drugs, insulin has its own side- effects too. The commonest and most feared is too low blood sugar level (hypoglycaemia) which if not quickly identified and addressed can lead to coma and death. The risk of hypoglycaemia can be greatly reduced once people on insulin are properly educated on the warning symptoms of hypoglycaemia. The early warning symptoms include hunger pangs, tremors, sweating excessive beating of the heart. Individuals on insulin should have sugar and sugar containing foods around them always.
Sites where the injection is given may be infected if adequate care is not taken. While insulin leads to improvement in blood sugar control, it causes weight gain by stimulating appetite and may also lead to swelling of the feet and itching over the injection site and all over the body in some cases.
Individuals who have been on tablets to treat their diabetes and who are not controlled should not hesitate when advised to start using insulin injections. Using the injection can go a long way in improving control, general well-being and prevention of complications.
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