Diabetes changes the way insulin is produced or managed in the body. If you have diabetes, you may have to give yourself injections of insulin several times per day. An insulin pump is a small medical device that delivers a continuous amount of insulin to a person with diabetes. An insulin pump is worn around the waist, with a small catheter embedded under the skin. It offers an alternative to insulin injections with a syringe and needle.
Precise Insulin Dosage
Many diabetics must mix or premeasure daily doses of insulin. Eating a large meal, being ill and exercise all affect how much insulin may be needed throughout the day. Insulin given in too small an amount or too big of a dose can cause health complications. An insulin pump provides a continuous, predetermined amount of insulin throughout the day, just as the body would normally do if it was able to regulate insulin levels. You no longer need to mix or draw up insulin into syringes if you have a pump. Insulin delivery via a pump is more precise and consistent than delivery by a syringe.
Better Self Management
An insulin pump may provide more freedom and flexibility than standard syringe injections. You may feel freer to engage in activities with less worry over having insulin and injection supplies with you at all times. You may feel more able to manage your diabetes when you no longer have to worry about measuring insulin.
Better Blood Sugar Control
Insulin pump use is associated with better blood sugar control compared with traditional insulin injections. Having a continual delivery of insulin with a pump helps prevent severely low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia. You have more freedom to eat without the need to calculate and measure insulin to make up for a large meal, or a meal high in carbohydrates. Insulin pumps help prevent swings in blood sugar levels, and over time they increase overall blood sugar control. You must continue to check blood sugar levels several times per day while on an insulin pump as part of your diabetes management program.
