Insulin Injection Technique

Giving yourself an insulin injection is an easy and virtually painless experience. However, correct insulin injection technique is important to ensure the effectiveness of your dose of insulin as well as your comfort. Whether you use a syringe or insulin pen, these techniques and tips will give you the tools you need to make quick, safe injections that will soon feel as second nature as any other daily habit.

Choose the Injection Site

• Perhaps the most important thing to know about an injection site is that you need to rotate it every time you inject your insulin. If you repeatedly use the same site day after day, it can scar the tissue in that area and make it less sensitive to insulin. However, one inch difference between each injection site is sufficient distance. So if you prefer to inject in, say, your stomach every day that is fine as long as each stomach injection is at least an inch apart from the previous one.

  The choice of your injection site is largely up to you. The recommended areas are those with sufficient amounts of fat like the front and outer thighs, the upper buttocks, the stomach and the upper arm. However, keep in mind that the stomach and the upper arm absorb insulin more quickly than the thighs and buttocks. Therefore some diabetics prefer to inject in their stomach or upper arm in the morning and move to their thighs and buttocks in the evening.

  However, there are some injection sites that you should avoid. Do not inject insulin near moles or scars, on compromised skin or within two inches of your belly button.

Prepare the Area and the Insulin

• Cold insulin fresh from the refrigerator can sting when it is injected. Take your bottle, syringe or pen out of the refrigerator five minutes before you plan to inject it to allow it to warm up.

  Once the insulin has warmed a few degrees, if you are using a long-acting suspension insulin, such as NPH or Lente, which appears cloudy, you should redistribute the particles in the insulin. Vials of insulin and prefilled syringes should be rolled back and forth between the palms of your hands a few times. Do not shake insulin vials or pens--air bubbles will be created and you may break up the efficacy of insulin.

  Just before the injection, wash your hands with warm, soapy water for at least thirty seconds. Clean the injection site with either alcohol or soap and water (again, wash for thirty seconds). Be sure to allow all water or alcohol to evaporate before injecting the insulin.

  If you wish, you can numb the area with ice or a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a wash cloth and applied to the skin. This is not necessary, as the injection is virtually painless. However, if you are nervous about the sensation, this can help. However, avoid using numbing creams that contain lidocaine.

Pinch the Skin and Insert the Needle

• With the thumb and forefinger of your non-dominant hand, pinch a a few inches of skin and pull it gently away from your body. The idea is to separate the skin and fat from the underlying muscle tissue (injecting into the muscle is not only painful, but less effective). However, if you are using a 5mm pen needle to inject, you don't need to pull the skin and fat away from the body.

  Adults with ample amount of fat on their bodies should insert the needle at a 90 degree angle. Children and those with very little fat should inject the needle at a 45 degree angle (but those using a 5mm pen needle should always inject at a 90 degree angle). The insulin should be injected into the subcutaneous fat which is located just below the skin near the center of your fold.

  Inject the needle. The quicker you do this, the less painful the shot will be. Press the plunger (the button if you're using a pen) slowly to inject the insulin. Wait about five seconds to make sure that the insulin has had a chance to inject. Then release your grip on your skin and remove the needle by pulling it straight out. Twisting or jostling the needle is painful.

  Once the needle is removed, do not rub the injection site. This may affect insulin absorption. You may, however, gently press your finger on the injection site to alleviate any discomfort.