Insulin Infusion Therapy For Type I Diabetes - What is an Insulin Pump?
By Jenny Schweyer

Decades ago, people with Type I (juvenile) diabetes had to rely on regular injections to control blood glucose levels. Today, insulin infusion (also known as insulin pump therapy) has eliminated the need for painful, frequent and invasive injections for tens of thousands of diabetics.

Type I diabetes is an autoimmune disease. It causes the body to destroy the cells that produce insulin, a hormone which is critical to regulating the body's level of blood glucose. The disease typically manifests itself in childhood or the teen years (though it has been found babies and in young adults.)

Those with Type I diabetes must use manufactured insulin delivered through the skin directly into the body. Before the development of the insulin pump, the only way to deliver the hormone was by injecting it into the blood via a needle. Sufferers had to test their blood throughout the day, usually by pricking a finger and applying a droplet of blood to a test strip. The strip indicates blood glucose levels in the body, and determines whether or not an insulin injection is needed.

The development of insulin infusion makes delivery of this critical hormone easier and less prone to human error and the pitfalls of guesswork. Insulin infusion takes place through the use of an insulin pump.

An insulin pump consists of a small, digitalized computer, a cannula (or tube) and a needle. The needle is inserted just under the skin of the patient, usually in the abdominal region. It is typically held in place by an adhesive pad or strip. The needle is connected to the digital pump device by the cannula. The needle remains under the skin twenty-four hours per day, and the small pump can be clipped to clothing, usually a belt or pants waistband. The entire device is relatively discreet and is difficult to detect underneath a person's clothing.

The insulin pump contains an internal reservoir which holds the hormone. Instructions for correct dosage amounts and injection timings are entered into the computerized device. Once programmed, the device will deliver the hormone through the tube and needle and into the body as required. The pump can also be manually activated if extra doses of insulin are needed which have not been pre-programmed into the device.

Blood glucose levels must still be checked regularly. However, the need for manual needle injections of insulin is eliminated with the use of a pump. It may also reduce the total number of daily glucose tests that are needed.

Insulin infusion for Type I diabetes is a relatively new technology, but is rapidly gaining acceptance in the medical community for its numerous advantages, which include:

*Ease of administration: Insulin infusion has been a lifesaver for many Type I diabetes sufferers, particularly children. Children with Type I diabetes are able to attend school and participate in regular daily activity, and parents need not worry about finding someone to administer insulin to their child in their absence. Nor do they need to worry about a child going into insulin shock while at school. Parents can simply fill and program the pump and know that their child will receive the correct amount of insulin throughout the day.

*Convenience: Insulin infusion is not disruptive to normal daily activity. Diabetics need not take time out of regular activities to administer insulin.

*Dosage level control: Sometimes the amount of insulin a person requires is so small (particularly in the case of babies and very small children) that manual administration poses significant risk of overdosing. The insulin pump, on the other hand, can accurately deliver even very small amounts of insulin to the body.

Unfortunately, insulin infusion is considered to be too new a technology by many insurance companies. Therefore, many of them do not cover insulin pumps for diabetic patients. However, insulin pumps have frequently proved themselves to be life-saving devices, especially in children, and they are slowly becoming recognized as a legitimate and necessary form of Type I diabetes treatment rather than merely devices of convenience. Pressure from consumers and the producers of insulin pumps have caused some insurance companies to change their policies regarding the coverage of insulin pumps. It's likely that more companies will follow suit in the years and decades to come.

Jenny Schweyer is a freelance writer from the Pacific Northwest.

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Infusion Pump Guide
By Joe Begley

Infusion pumps. It's a riveting subject, I know. But really, there are so many different types to choose from that it gets a bit confusing. So if you need to know more about the them, you're in the right place.

Okay, you've got your ambulatory, syringe, enteral, pole-mounted, and multi-channel infusion pumps. But what does each one do? What are the major differences? Well, here's scoop:

Ambulatory:

This is a small pump designed to be mobile. This gives patients the freedom to go about their business if they need infusion therapy on a regular basis. And because this type is so convenient and runs on a battery, emergency personnel use them as well. A well known ambulatory pump is an insulin pump.

Syringe:

Syringe pumps are designed to deliver small amounts of the particular substance. The medication slowly drips through a syringe. Pain medication, like morphine, is a good example of what syringe pumps are used for.

Enteral:

This is basically your basic feeding pump. The patient would have a shunt in place so the feeding pump could be inserted to deliver nourishment.

Pole-Mounted:

This infusion pump is what you typically see in a hospital setting (you know, the bags are attached to the top of the pole). These lack the mobility of the ambulatory infusion pump but have more features that medical personnel need. Pole-mounted pumps can be used in a home care setting but again, there will be a lack of mobility with this model.

Multi-Channel:

If a patient needs several medications like perhaps an antibiotic and an anti-nausea medication, a multi-channel pump would be used. This type of pump allow you to administer more than one substance at the same time.

Well, there you have it…a basic guide to infusion pumps that'll come in handy the next time you may need to purchase one.

Why waste your time looking for the perfect infusion pump? We can find the perfect one for your needs…saving you time, money and frustration!

Massage Therapy - A Diabetic's Best Friend - Get Your Dose of Best Friend Therapy Today
By Faith Fletcher

If you have ever experienced a professional massage before then you know what a indescribable, relaxing, invigoration feeling you will receive once you experience one. There should be an insurance law with mandatory prescriptions for diabetics.

A professional massage is totally relaxing which can certainly help lower blood sugars for diabetics. The massage itself also can help stimulate the blood flow. The massage therapist will hit certain pressure points on your body. When they do you will certainly feel it.

These pressure points are pleasurable, you will be amazed how relaxed you will become when they start working on your feet. Since there are a lot of pressure points there. The massage takes place in a small room on a massage table. You will be asked to remove your shoes & clothing.

Don't be shy, you are covered with a towel. This greatly helps you to relax since you are not wearing any constricting underwear or clothing that can pull your skin. You will also have a soothing, relaxing aroma of some kind to inhale during your session.

The room is usually dark, you don't need to see anyway. Massages are given by the hour, half-hour, etc. The price will depend where you live. There are different types of massages; Swedish, deep tissue, Shiatsu, Thai. The therapist will use a light natural oil on your skin to massage with so there is no friction.

Diabetics don't let this Relaxing friend pass you by go & get this needed therapy you deserve. Once you get started you won't want to leave the table. You more than likely will fall asleep.

Fonda is a Professional Diabetic Health Coach. As a type 1 Diabetic over 37 years now she has been on both sides of the Diabetic roller coaster of life. Keeping her weight and blood sugars in the normal level keeps her going strong. This helps her to share her knowledge with fellow Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetics. Currently, she is on an Animas insulin pump. Taking no other prescriptions besides insulin, she stays ahead of her medical disorders both mentally as well as physically. http://www.I-rest-my-stress.com/massage-therapy-relaxtion.html for better health is a secret, she will share with you. If you wish to learn the success factors of staying healthy with your diabetes.

"No One Cares How Much You Know, Until They Know How Much You Care"

Pros and Cons of Using Insulin Pump - Diabetics Must Know Before Using It
By Tehmina Mazher

Most people who have type 1 diabetes prefer using a pump over other methods of delivering insulin. A lot of diabetic experts suffering from diabetes prefer pumps over needles.

Here are five additional reasons that people who like the pump cite for using one:

• The pump delivers insulin to the body much like the pancreas does.
• One can adjust the amount of insulin by fractions of a unit and have many different amounts at different times of day. The insulin pump easily adapts to a patient's lifestyle.
• Taking a larger dose before meals is as easy as pushing a button on the pump.
• One can be more flexible with meals because he's constantly getting a small dose of insulin.
• That's great news for today's active youngsters. There's less risk of hypoglycemia because you are getting small amounts of insulin at a time

On the other hand, here are five equally significant reasons that people don't like to use an insulin pump:

• It's much more expensive than conventional syringes and needles.
• The pump is visible, especially when one wears less clothing on hot days. Also, if there's a blockage, an alarm goes off. Essentially, it makes diabetes more obvious to others.
• If the pump fails for any reason that doesn't set off an alarm, such as a leak, one has so little insulin in his body that he may rapidly go into KETOACIDOSIS.
• You need to monitor his blood glucose more frequently, sometimes more than four times daily, to properly use the pump. And right now, monitoring still means finger sticks.
• The pump is attached to the body 24 hours a day, making sleeping and physical activities like sports less convenient.
• Pump wearers who engage in sex may find the pump inconvenient because it's attached to the body.

Kids of all ages can use the insulin pump. Parents usually manage the pump until they feel the child can do it.

Insulin pump is best suited for those diabetic have the following characteristics:

• They're highly motivated.
• They're willing to stick themselves multiple times a day to check their blood glucose.
• They can afford the costs involved because many insurances pay only a part of the pump expenses.
• They understand how the pre-meal glucose and the carbohydrates about to be consumed are used to determine the insulin dose.
• They have a good understanding of the complications of diabetes, especially signs of ketoacidosis.

By keeping the above mentioned pros and cons, it will help the diabetics to to make a better descion.

Diabetic condition can be enjoyed, as I am doing it just visit Diabetes Information, Diabetes Cure and find many simple tips of doing this. Here you can get a more detailed information about insulin pumps as well

How Does An Insulin Pump Work
By Adrian Whittle

An insulin pump is a relatively new advancement in the way to administer insulin into the body as a means to regulate the levels of glucose in the blood. People that have diabetes often have to inject insulin into the body via a syringe. This can be painful and sometimes inconvenient to do so an insulin pump is a useful alternative. This article will discuss how insulin pumps work and some of the advantages and disadvantages.

An insulin pump consists of :

a pump

a disposable reservoir of insulin

an infusion set - tubing and a cannula that connects the insulin reservoir to the body

The reservoir of insulin is fitted into the pump. The pump is about the size of a cell phone and can be worn around the waist in a pouch or any other way that you find suitable. The pump is connected to a cannula via a thin tube. The tube passes insulin to the cannula that is attached to the skin. In this way insulin is passed into the body.

Insulin pumps pass insulin into the body in two ways. The first is a continuous passing of insulin into the body. This is used to maintain the level of glucose in between meals, exercise or at night. It is called the basal dosage.

The second method is referred to as the bolus dosage. This is an instant larger dosage that is generally administered before eating.

The pump is programmed to deliver the correct dosages based on the individuals circumstances. If the individual changes diets or adopts a new exercise regime the dosages and the times that they are delivered can be altered.

The insulin used in insulin pumps is fast acting insulin so it is believed to be a better alternative to most syringe administered insulin, that is slow acting, and is generally an approximation of the amount of insulin that will be needed by the body.

Insulin pumps have a better idea of the amount of insulin that will be needed by the body which is better for the long term health of the diabetic. They allow the diabetic more freedom and to eat or exercise when they want. They are also more discrete than a syringe.

On the negative side, an insulin pump has to be worn all the time so it might be inconvenient for some people that play sport or swim. Strategies have to be developed as a work around for these situations. Insulin pumps are more expensive than the normal syringe method of insulin therapy. Changing from slow to fast acting insulin may cause diabetic ketoacidosis if the fast acting insulin is stopped for some reason, like the supply runs out for example or the cannula gets detached.

Research continues to improve the pumps in terms of features and size. It is thought that ultimately an insulin pump will be the best method to deliver insulin therapy because it is a more precise dosage and is less obtrusive. As development continues the price will inevitably drop and make an insulin pump accessible to most people.

If you are interested in changing your eating habits due to diabetes then visit http://www.diabeticdietsplan.com . The site features many ideas on diabetic diets and supplies, including what to look for in diabetic shoes . Adrian Whittle writes about diabetic related issues including common diabetic symptoms and ways to cook for diabetics.