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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
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Diabetes |
The Pump01/08/2002 09:22AM |
What kind of changes do you have to make to be able to go on the new `pump` that automatically inserts insulin into you body? Is it worth making the change??
The insulin pump uses rapid-acting insulin and provides insulin in two ways. First, it delivers insulin continuously 24 hours a day, to cover your body`s need for basal insulin. Basal insulin is the insulin we need every day that has nothing to do with the food we eat. Second, the insulin pump delivers insulin in a specific amount when you eat or when you want to correct a high blood sugar level. It is important to remember that the pump only does what you tell it to do. If you start a pump, you will be trained to program the pump, based on your self blood glucose tests (it is not hard to learn!).Many people like the pump because there is more flexibility with food. Generally you do not need to eat on as precise a schedule if you are on the pump. If you want more or less food, or want to vary your schedule, it is easier to manage this on a pump. However, good blood sugar levels on a pump depend on keeping track of your exercise, food intake, stress and other medicines. To help with judging the food intake, many people learn a method called carbohydrate counting which allows adjusting the amount of insulin for the amount of carbohydrate in the food. With a pump, you will decide on a dose of insulin based on the grams of carbohydrate you are eating. It still matters how much you are eating, but this allows more flexibility to vary the amount of food and still not experience very high or very low blood sugars.
Another thing people like about the pump is being able to `fix` a high blood sugar level by giving more insulin. If you decide to go on a pump, you will learn how to decide the right amount of insulin for food and to fix high blood sugar levels.
Although there are many advantages, pumps are not for everyone. Discuss this option with your diabetes care provider. Currently there are three manufactures of insulin pumps. See below for their websites, check them all out. Collect all the information you can, then make a decision that is good for you. Any insulin routine can work, as long as it works for you!
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Nancy J. Morwessel, CNP, MSN, CDE Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Diabetes Center Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center University of Cincinnati |
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