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Why We Can't Inject Insulin At The Same Site?

Most diabetics need an injection of insulin to help control their blood. However, the location of insulin injections cannot be in any place. You also cannot inject insulin always in the same place. Why?

The injection location of insulin determines its effectiveness

You can't just inject insulin into the desired part of the body. The place or location of the injection will affect the way insulin works in regulating blood glucose in your body.


Insulin must be injected into parts of the body that contain lots of fat, such as the stomach, upper arms, outer thighs, and buttocks. However, insulin will work most effectively when you injected in the stomach.

"Studies show that the stomach has the maximum absorption of insulin because the fat reserves are the most among other body parts," said Dr. Pasha, one of the specialists in the Diabetic problem.

Why can't inject insulin in the same site?

Insulin is most ideally injected into the stomach. However, you really can't repeat the injection in that place.

The location of the injection must continue to be replaced or rotated from time to time. This is important to avoid the risk of lipodystrophy due to continuous use of the same insulin injection site.

Lipodystrophy is a side effect of insulin that occurs when fat tissue is damaged so that it forms scar tissue in the form of a lump under the skin. These lumps can interfere with insulin absorption, which makes your body unable to control your blood sugar.
insulin injection


Create easy to remember injection patterns

As the solution, Dr. Pasha suggested giving a minimum distance of two fingers from the location of the previous injection.

For example, you start the first injection on the side of the abdomen on the right side; just below the ribs. Then you can continue to shift to the left inside until finally cross the width of your stomach. Then, go down the waist to the hip area and continue along the side of the lower abdomen until it returns to the right side of the abdomen. Complete this pattern by returning to the top so that it forms a large rectangular pattern on your stomach.

Then you can continue to repeat the smaller rectangular pattern inside until it reaches the center of the stomach. However, leave a distance of two centimeters avoiding the navel. The navel is scar tissue that can inhibit insulin's absorption.

Depending on how large your body size is, the surface area of the abdomen can accommodate around 36-72 injections by calculating 6-12 transverse injections from right to left and six rows from top to bottom between the ribs and pelvis. Imagine your stomach is like a chess board to make it easier to remember.

After spending the place of injection in the stomach, you can move to other parts of the body while still using the pattern of two fingers distance. For example in the right upper arm closest to the shoulder until then move on the left side.

Likewise so on the thighs and buttocks. When injecting in the thigh, start from the front of the thigh, between the knee and hip, then continue to move to the edge toward the outside of the leg.

If each of these four body areas is complete in one round, you may return to the stomach again.


The location of injection of insulin should not be in a muscular place

Insulin will work most efficiently to control blood glucose levels if injected into the fattiest parts of the body. On the other hand, the selection of this area also aims to avoid the risk of insulin being absorbed by the muscles.

"Insulin should not be injected too deeply until it enters the muscle because it can cause hypoglycemia," said Dr. Pasha.

Muscle tissue will process insulin too quickly so that the dose will not remain any longer in the body. When people with diabetes do not have adequate insulin reserves, this risk can cause your blood sugar to drop dramatically.

Hypoglycemia is one of the risks of the most common side effects of carelessly injecting insulin.

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