Diabetes Treatment: What Are The Pros And Cons Of Insulin Pump Therapy?

Insulin is the most commonly prescribed therapy for patients with type 1 diabetes, as well as a large proportion of patients with type 2 diabetes. Insulin is most often administered through either injections using a needle or a pen, or an insulin pump. What do you need to know about using an insulin pump?

What is an insulin pump?

An insulin pump is attached to your body using thin plastic tubing and a needle. Some insulin pumps use a small tapered tube known as a cannula that is placed under the skin. You can attach the insulin pump in one of many different places (known as infusion sites) including your belly, buttocks, or thigh. Short-acting or rapid-acting insulin are available, but insulin pumps don’t use long-acting insulin as the device is designed to deliver small amounts of insulin throughout the day to keep your blood sugar levels even.

Pros of insulin pump therapy

Using an insulin pump has several advantages:

• Fewer needles. Unlike insulin injections, you can use the same infusion set (including the same needle) for several days. You will need a new needle every few days when you change your infusion set, but not every day.
• More accuracy. When it comes to delivering a specific amount of insulin, pumps are significantly more accurate than injections. Insulin pumps are better when it comes to controlling blood sugar levels.
• Less hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia is a condition of low blood sugar levels which can be quite severe and result in unconsciousness or even a coma. Patients who use insulin pumps are less likely to experience hypoglycemia compared to patients who use insulin injections.
• Improvement of A1c levels. A1c levels reflect your blood glucose levels over the last two to three months. Since insulin pumps are better at controlling blood sugar levels, using an insulin pump leads to an improvement in A1c levels compared to insulin injections.
• Mealtime dosing is much easier. Since you can preprogram the insulin pump to release more insulin during mealtimes, it is much easier for patients who take insulin to go about their mealtime routine. On the other hand, patients who take insulin injections have to give themselves a dose before or after mealtime, which can be inconvenient if you are out for dinner and don’t have access to your insulin injections.
• Exercising is easier. Exercising encourages your muscles to absorb the available the glucose in your blood. Hence, many people experience low blood sugar levels after exercise. If you plan on exercising, you can program your insulin pump to release lower levels of insulin, making planning for exercise much easier.
• Helps manage the dawn phenomenon. Patients with diabetes will experience a spike in their blood sugar levels at dawn time (between four and five in the morning), leading to early morning high blood sugar levels. In this case, your insulin pump takes that into account and will release more insulin at this time.

Cons of insulin pump therapy

Insulin pumps also come with some cons:

• Extra work. Patients who use insulin pumps have to enter information into their pump during the day, and also need to change their infusion set every few days. Some people find that using an insulin pump is too much work.
• They can be dangerous. Using an insulin pump can be dangerous and patients need to understand that they have to use the device safely. This includes checking your blood sugar levels to ensure that your pump is doing the right thing. If it’s not being used safely, in extreme cases, you can develop a dangerous condition known as diabetic ketoacidosis.
• Patients need training. Before you are able to use an insulin pump on your own, you will need extensive training to figure out how to use the pump appropriately. This will involve several visits with your doctor or a full day of training.
• Cost. While many people will have their insulin pump covered by insurance, some people won’t. Supplies for insulin pumps can be expensive and therefore, that is something many people need to take into account before they decide whether they should go for an insulin pump or insulin injections.

Conclusion