Video: How to Inject Insulin for Diabetes

Are you nervous about injecting insulin for the first time? With a little practice you'll discover it only takes a few seconds. Watch our how-to video to help ease your anxiety. A transcript of this video is also available.

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Read the transcript of the video, "How to Inject Insulin for Diabetes" below:

Hi. My name is Jenny De Jesus, and I’m a registered nurse and certified diabetes educator.

If you, or a loved one, has diabetes and has been prescribed insulin, there are several things you should be aware of:

To begin, many types of insulin are available. Your health care provider will decide the best type, amount and administration times for you.

It’s also important to know the ways in which insulin may be injected and which parts of the body are potential injection sites.

It’s understandable if you’re nervous or anxious about injecting insulin for the first time. Although injecting insulin might feel awkward or scary at first, with a little practice you'll discover it only takes a few seconds.

To help ease your anxiety, I’m going to show you how.

Let’s get started.

There are three primary tools used to inject insulin. They are:
Insulin syringes
Insulin pens
And insulin pumps.

There are four areas of the body in which insulin is injected. They are:
The abdominal area
Some parts of your arms
Some parts of your legs
And certain areas of the buttocks.

The preferred injection site is the abdomen, specifically from the bottom of the ribs to the pubic line, avoiding the navel. The abdomen provides the best absorption and is relatively easy to reach.

Avoid areas with scarring or moles because the tough tissue may not absorb insulin well.

If your health care provider has prescribed insulin for you to inject using a syringe and vial, follow these five steps:

Step 1: Roll Your Insulin if Necessary
If using an intermediate- or long-acting insulin that looks cloudy or milky white, gently roll the bottle between your palms for 15 seconds to mix. Only the cloudy looking insulin needs to be rolled.