Diabetes 101
Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
Insulin in People with Diabetes
Since the pancreas in people with Type 1 diabetes is not producing insulin, glucose isn't moved into the cells and out of the bloodstream. When glucose builds up in the blood instead of going into cells, the body's cells do not receive the nutrients they require, and other systems in the body must compensate to provide energy for many important bodily functions. Therefore, people with type 1 diabetes must inject insulin to enable the glucose to move into the cells and prevent a buildup of glucose in the blood. Insulin is injected subcutaneously (into the fatty tissue layer just below the skin surface) with a syringe, or infused into the subcutaneous tissue by an insulin pump through a thin catheter called an infusion set. Insulin pumps, like the