Remember these six tips to avoid pain when injecting insulin

Some diabetics often feel pain when injecting insulin by themselves, and they need to pay attention to whether it is caused by improper operation. Learn the following skills, and insulin injection can also be painless and easy.

1. Inject insulin at room temperature. Insulin at a low temperature can cause pain and discomfort. Therefore, after taking out unopened insulin from the refrigerator, return it to room temperature before injection. It is not recommended to refrigerate insulin that is in use. It can be stored at room temperature (no more than 25-30 degrees Celsius) for 30 days, and be careful to avoid light and heat.

2. Choose a needle with a smaller diameter and shorter length. Compared with subcutaneous injection, bleeding, bruising and pain are more likely to occur when insulin is injected intramuscularly. The longer the needle used, the greater the risk of injecting into muscle tissue. When the needle length is the same, the number of patients who experience injection pain and bleeding gradually decreases as the needle becomes thinner. Therefore, it is recommended that diabetics use shorter (recommended 4 mm) and thinner (34G) needles.

3. Avoid reusing needles. The surface of the injection needle for insulin pens has a lubricating coating. Repeated use will cause the needle tip to become blunt, the cut surface to be damaged, and the lubricating layer on the needle surface to fall off, thereby increasing the pain during injection. It is recommended that diabetics use a new sterile needle every time they use an insulin pen.

4. Choose the right injection site. Injection in areas with abundant subcutaneous fat and less nerve distribution can reduce pain, such as the abdomen, outer thighs, outer upper arms, and outer upper buttocks. Studies have found that insulin injections in the abdomen are less painful than those in the outer upper arms and thighs. Avoid injections at the roots of body hair, skin infections, or areas with nodules. At the same time, pay attention to the rotation of injection sites. The interval between two injection points should be at least 1 cm, and the same injection point should not be repeated within 1 month.

5. Inject after the alcohol is completely dry. Use alcohol to disinfect the skin at the injection site, and wait until the alcohol evaporates completely before injecting. Otherwise, the alcohol will penetrate into the subcutaneous tissue from the needle hole, causing irritation and pain.

6. Master the correct injection method. Keep the muscles at the injection site relaxed during injection; vertical injection can significantly reduce pain compared to oblique subcutaneous injection; insert and remove the needle as quickly as possible, but not violently, and the direction of insertion and removal should be kept in a straight line; push the liquid medicine slowly to reduce the stinging sensation. If pinching the skin for injection is required, the correct technique is to gently lift the skin with the thumb, index finger and middle finger to avoid excessive force that may cause whitening of the skin and pain.