How Do Different Types Of Insulin Work?

Updated on August 26, 2021

Diabetes and other hereditary diseases have been rapidly increasing in a few years now. Because of this increase, the risk of lives for the people has also been growing. If diabetes is in control, then it’s completely ok, but if it’s not, it is essential to keep the right track of the same; otherwise, it may cause serious health issues.

Tracking the level of diabetes is possible with a hormone known as insulin. If you have hyper-diabetes, then the insulin level should be more in your body, and it should be strictly less if you have hypo-diabetes. In hyper-diabetes, the body’s blood sugar level usually increases, and in hypo-diabetes, it dramatically reduces. Therefore, more insulin means less blood sugar level and vice versa.

However, the main question persists: what are the different types of insulin, and what is the working style? This question has about 6-7 answers as there are 6-7 different types of insulin for various purposes in controlling diabetes. All these types have their specialty, and this specialty to consider appropriately so that diabetes treatment becomes much easier for the people.

Working of Different Types of Insulin

A list below shows the various types of insulin and their working style very briefly and gives all the small details and specifications to the people regarding the word ‘insulin’:

  • Rapid-acting Insulin

This type of insulin is very advanced and fast in its action. It starts acting immediately as soon as the person is subjected to the injection. For this reason, the injection is given just before the meal. It helps the person maintain its blood sugar level and does not allow it to worsen when digestion of food.

With rapid action, the insulin also loses its effect almost 2-4 hours after its injection. If you want to have this insulin effect for a more extended period, you need to take the long-action type of insulin along with it.

  • Intermediate-acting Insulin

This insulin takes average time to act upon, and the time duration for this insulin is a fixed period. The doctors suggest the gaps between 2 insulins shots. It varies according to the intensity of diabetes in the people’s body.

The total time coverage of this insulin is about 12-14 hours, and so the usage of this insulin is only once or twice in a single day. Most of the time, the doctors recommend this type of insulin only once a day to people with minor diabetes problems. If diabetes is extreme in patients, then the doctors advise them to take this insulin twice a day, one in the morning and then the other one at night.

  • Long-acting Insulin

This insulin is a type that needs to be taken only once in a whole day. Doctors recommend this type of insulin to diabetes patients only if their diabetes is very extreme. This insulin is not usually recommended because it is one of the most substantial insulin types.

This insulin dosage is a single medicine per day or maybe two days (at a very casual diabetes level). Because of this insulin’s long-lasting effect, it can balance the people’s blood sugar level for the whole day and in all circumstances. Only at the time of extreme blood sugar fluctuation, the patient may have to take this medicine twice-a-day. Otherwise, this insulin’s usual dosage is less compared to the other types of insulin.

  • Short-acting Insulin

This insulin is also called regular insulin as the dosage of this insulin is minor and routine in its form. This insulin’s working time is a bit longer than the rapid-acting insulin, and for the exact reason, extension of the insulin dosage time.

This insulin dosage can be taken about 2 hours before the meal and can also last for about 2-3 hours after the food. The long-lasting effect of this insulin’s action is put to use at least three times a day, which is the extreme level of its dosage.

The people who have hyper-diabetes can take this insulin three times before meals, and for the people with hypo-diabetes, the recommended dosage is only once-in-a-day. Hypo-diabetes can also have a dosage of this insulin as a single tablet or injection in 2 days.

  • Mixed insulin

The name of this insulin itself suggests that this insulin has a combination of 2 or more types of insulins in it. This combination creates a reasonable period for the person and increases a sufficient insulin period in people’s bodies.

The mixed insulin combines the other types of insulins in 2 forms – it either combines the rapid-acting and the intermediate-acting insulin or combines the short-acting and intermediate-acting insulin. Both these combinations serve different and unique purposes in people’s bodies. For the exact reason, the person gets a combined effect of 2 differently purposed insulins. 

This type of insulin is a very effective medication for people who want the combined effects of 2 insulins in a single one.

  • Inhaled insulin

This type of rapid-acting insulin can be mixed or combined with long-acting insulin for emitting better results for diabetes patients. The people who suffer continuous fluctuation of blood sugar and whose body is entirely intolerant towards any shock or stress can use this type of insulin in a combined form with long-acting insulin.

This insulin’s working period is 3-4 hours and starts acting in about 10-25 minutes after inhaled by the diabetes patient. The inhalation of insulin makes it easy for people to take its dosage without hurting themselves by an injection again and again. The transfer of the medication inside this insulin reaches the targeted place faster because of its inhalation than any other injected insulins.

The different types of insulin shown above have individual purposes, and all of these play a significant role in controlling diabetes in people.

Ways in which insulin subjected to a patients body

Below are the three ways in which insulin can get safely inserted into a person’s body:

  • Insulin pumps

Insulin pumps invention comes long after the invention of insulin syringes have taken place. The insulin pump is a very lightweight object, and for this reason, it is compact to carry anywhere without hesitation, and this will not need much area and space in your bag. It can also merely fit into your pocket and contains different types of the same according to the people’s insulin kind.

  • Insulin syringes

Three crucial measures include the manufacture of insulin syringes: 30-unit syringe, which measures 0.3ml; 50-unit, which measures 0.5ml; and 100-unit, which measures 1.0ml. People can choose the respective syringe according to the dosage they took and recommended by the doctor.

The insulin syringes usable only once, and then they need to be destroyed and thrown away, making the insulin syringes a little costly than the other mediums of insulin intake as if a person has to take insulin three times a day. He/she will have to inject themselves three times, which will cost them three syringes per day. It is undoubtedly a massive deal for the people.

You can also try Lantus Insulin Vial. Order your Lantus Insulin Vial prescription from any online pharmacy.

  • Insulin pens

The insulin pens are the latest inventions in the world of insulin intake, and this invention is giving considerable benefits to the people. The insulin pens disposable and reusable, and their usage does with the same brand of insulin. 

People have to poke the insulin pen in their body once, and one dosage gets successfully transferred in their body, which starts showing its effect at the stipulated time without fail.

The above three ways are the only ones that can safely induce insulin in the people’s body, and these three ways will never harm the person at all. However, diabetes patients who use any of the above practices must train in using the respective method to don’t cause any trouble to themselves and do not attract other health problems in the future.

Final verdict

To cut short, insulin is a crucial factor in controlling diabetes, and for the exact reason, it should be considered very specifically in treating diabetes. All the different types of diabetes have their specifications, and the above types of insulin treat these specifications very correctly and thoroughly.

The participation of insulin in diabetes reduces the intensity of the same in people and helps them stay standard with the blood sugar levels for a longer time. However, maintaining insulin usage consistency is an essential and crucial aspect that must not neglect. By this, we can also say that insulin is the heart of diabetes, and if insulin remains in control, then only diabetes will be in control, and people will have proper body functioning.

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