Insulin Pumps

Diabetes is a common disease that has affected millions of people across the globe. It is because of the inefficiency of the pancreas gland that does not secrete appropriate levels of insulin to maintain the blood glucose level. It is essential to take insulin supplements for the diabetic patients so that they maintain correct levels of blood glucose and carry on with their normal work.

Insulin tablets are almost out of the industry and more and more people are using insulin injections. These injections add to the stress of the patient as he has to correctly take his meal and schedule the injections. For type 1 diabetics this is a great problem as they are completely insulin dependent. To aid the diabetics, the best option is to mimic the pancreas gland from outside the body. The insulin pumps perform this function. These pumps are attached to the outside of the body and they pump insulin at the right time. This helps in maintaining steady blood glucose levels.

Components of insulin pumps
The insulin pumps consist of a pump that includes the various controls, processing modules and battery that charges the pump, a disposable reservoir for insulin that fits inside the pump and a disposable infusion set that consists of a cannula and tubing system. The cannula fits on the outer layer of the skin and delivers insulin directly to the blood stream without any injections. The tube connects the insulin reservoir and cannula. The pump is smaller and size and similar to cell phone that is generally worn around the waist.

Working of insulin pumps
Insulin is pumped to blood in two different ways. The first is called a basal dose that passes insulin continuously into the body. This dosage is taken to maintain the glucose levels in the blood in between meals and during the night. The second one is called bolus dose that delivers larger dosages of insulin before taking meals. The pump in the set will be programmed based in the lifestyle of the diabetic. Hence accurate amount of insulin will be delivered to the blood stream at the correct timings. The insulin is generally fast acting insulin as against the slow acting insulin that is used in the injection pens.

Advantages of insulin pumps
As the insulin pumps are programmed based on the lifestyle, they provide the diabetic a great flexibility to do his normal work without worrying about the diet and the injection schedule. The amount of insulin that is delivered is accurate and can be done with a single button push. These pumps are highly suitable for insulin dependent infants as they don’t like the annoying injections. Also the diabetic need not take his pen wherever he goes. The pumps are attached to the body and provide traveling flexibility. The diabetic can control and alter the insulin levels if he has to break a meal or go on a long travel.

Drawbacks
The insulin pump has to be worn all the time to maintain steady blood glucose levels. This will be difficult if the diabetic is involved in sports or any other activity that involves rough moves. For some people, the cannula may be disconnected or the tube may be cut or the pump may be out of charge or even the reservoir may become empty while they are engaged in their sporty job. This will cause problems in the delivery of insulin and may lead to diabetic ketoacidosis. The person has to be educated about the pump and has to have the knowledge about the usage of the pump.

Many improvements are made in the manufacture of insulin pumps and there have added various features and reduced the size of the pump. Though they are expensive now, the insulin pumps are better than injections and their advantages overcome the drawbacks.