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Is
the Insulin Pump Right for You?
You may
have read something about it on the internet or seen an
advertisement in a diabetes magazine. Or perhaps you
have a friend whose boss swears by it. If you’re
thinking about changing to an insulin pump, one thing is
for certain: your decision whether or not to use an
insulin pump should be based on facts.
Insulin
pumps were first developed in the 1970s by scientists
and physicians looking to copy the world’s best blood
sugar control device: a healthy pancreas. The insulin
pump closely mimics the human pancreas by automatically
releasing small amounts of rapid-acting insulin (in
tenths or hundredths of a unit) every few minutes. This
is called basal rate of insulin. The basal rate of
insulin is adjusted to keep the blood sugar level steady
between meals and during sleep, as well as assisting
other important body functions, such as regulating
hormone levels. When food is eaten, the patient sets the
pump to deliver the amount of insulin needed, called a
bolus, to cover the total food consumed. This is
accomplished by just a few button presses. The bolus
dose of insulin is designed to match the appropriate
amount of insulin with the grams of carbohydrate in the
food.
With a
pump, the basal rate of insulin holds your blood sugar
steady between meals, so you can keep whatever schedule
you like, giving the patient a more flexible lifestyle.
Mealtime programmability allows patients to eat when and
what they want. The basal programmability overnight
allows patients to optimally manage their nocturnal
glucose control by avoiding nocturnal hypoglycemia and
preventing the dawn phenomenon. Programmability of the
basal rate during the day gives patients the ability to
alter their insulin delivery at any time, which has
advantages during exercise and periods of stress or
sickness.
Patients using insulin pump therapy often report a
newly-found enthusiasm and positive feelings about
diabetes care, along with less anxiety and depression.
Family members report greater family cohesion and
improved interpersonal sensitivity. In addition,
significantly fewer problems with hypoglycemia are noted
in pump users compared with those using MDI regimens. |