Diabetes can be confusing for many people who are newly diagnosed. There are different types of insulin and discovering which type is best for you can be a challenge but it starts with research.
A Look at Diabetes
Diabetes, whether you have Type 1, Type 2, or gestational, is when your pancreas doesn’t produce the insulin required to keep your blood sugar at appropriate levels or your body doesn’t respond to insulin the way it once did.
What Is Insulin?
As technology advances, human insulin is being replaced by insulin analogs. Analogs are artificially created to react to cells like human insulin.
Insulin is categorized into six types relating to how fast they work.
- Fast-acting insulin is absorbed quickly into the bloodstream. It begins working in 15 minutes and continues to work between two to four hours.
- Inhaled insulin is also quick in a reaction as it begins working in as early as 12 minutes. Its duration is three hours. It can’t be used by itself but is combined with long-acting insulin.
- Regular insulin is the most common form of this product. It works in 30 minutes and can work up to three to six hours.
- Intermediate-acting insulin takes one to two hours to start working but can work up to 12 hours.
- Long-acting insulin is absorbed slowly but has little effect at peak and is more stable throughout 24 hours.
- Ultra-long-acting insulin takes six hours to start working but will work up to 42 hours. The benefit of this type of insulin is there is no peak where its effectiveness drops.
Choosing Your Insulin
The type of insulin you choose depends on several factors including whether your body is producing any reactions to it, lifestyle, low blood sugar levels, and ability to provide body maintenance with taking the insulin. Always discuss options with your doctor.
