Insulin Syringes
Insulin is taken by many people with diabetes to control their blood sugar
or glucose. People who need insulin take insulin shots since insulin cannot
be taken by mouth as it would be destroyed by digestion. There are various
insulin syringes available in the market to give insulin shots, including
insulin jet injectors, insulin pens and insulin pumps.
What are insulin syringes?
The insulin syringes are the needle syringes. Needle generally comes
attached to the syringe. The plunger forces the insulin through the needle
into the body. The syringe has markings to show how much insulin is inside
the syringe. Pens, jet injectors and pumps are also used for injecting
insulin. They all carry insulin through the skin to be directly used by the
body. These days the syringes used are smaller with finer needles coated
with special material to ensure painless injection. Insulin syringes come in
different sizes and lengths to match insulin strength and dosage.
Sizes of insulin syringes
1 cc insulin syringe: For doses of 100 units or less.
1/2 cc insulin syringe: For doses of 50 units or less.
3/10 cc insulin syringe: For doses of 30 units or less.
Types of insulin syringes
There are different types of insulin syringes available and which syringe
works best is actually a matter of personal preference. For regular daily
injections, there are two different types of syringes:
Normal insulin syringes : This is the most common and a more
traditional approach to insulin injection. The standard insulin syringes are
available in many different brands and size configurations, usually ranging
in size from 28 to 31 gauge, with the larger gauge being a smaller needle.
Insulin Pens or Pen injections: Insulin pens look like pens with
cartridges which are filled with insulin. These pens can be used instead of
syringes for giving insulin injections. Some insulin pens are disposable
once the pre-filled cartridge is empty while some models use replaceable
cartridges of insulin. A fine short needle like the needle on an insulin
syringe is on the tip of the pen. Patients turn a dial to select the
required dose of insulin and press a plunger on the end to inject the
insulin just under the skin.
Other methods to inject insulin
Jet Injectors: Insulin jet injectors may be another option for
diabetic patients who do not want to use insulin needles. The jet injectors
use high pressure air to send a find spray of insulin through the skin.
These devices have no needles.
Insulin Pumps: Insulin pumps are small sized pumping devices worn
outside of your body. The pumps are connected by a flexible tube to a
catheter that is located under the skin of your abdomen. The patient
programs the pump to dispense the necessary amount of insulin.
Insulin syringes: Rapidly changing technology
Today, the insulin syringes available to diabetic patients are vastly
improved. These syringes have extremely fine needles, they are small in
size, can be used by the patient himself and often are coated with special
lubricants to make injecting insulin as painless as possible.
