How do you relieve the pain of insulin injections?

Minimizing the Pain

Table of Contents

If you can, make sure your medicine is at room temperature.
Wait until the alcohol you used to clean where you’re going to inject is dry.
Always use a new needle.
Get the air bubbles out of the syringe.
Make sure the needle is lined up right going in and coming out.
Stick the needle in quickly.

Why does my insulin site hurt?

Insulin should be injected into the fatty tissue just below your skin. If you inject the insulin deeper into your muscle, your body will absorb it too quickly, it might not last as long, and the injection is usually more painful. This can lead to low blood glucose levels.

Do you massage the site after insulin injection?

After you’ve injected your insulin with either type of device, don’t massage the injection site. Doing so can interfere with the absorption of the insulin, creating an unpredictable glucose response.

Why does my insulin shot burn?

Some insulin can burn during or immediately after injection. This is common in long-acting insulins like Lantus and Basalgar because they have a high acidity level.

Are insulin shots supposed to hurt?

According to the results, injections were relatively painless with an average (median) pain-score of less than 10% of maximum pain. Injection pains varied in relation to the injection sites (upper arm greater than thigh greater than abdomen).

What helps a swollen butt after an injection?

Treatment for post-injection inflammation

Cold packs. These help reduce swelling, itching, and pain.
Over-the-counter pain medicines. These help reduce pain and inflammation.
Prescription medicine. These treat infection.

Is it OK to ice an injection site?

Apply ice packs to the injected areas every 2-3 hours while awake, typically three or four times, during the first 24 hours after the injection. Small areas like the wrist should have ice applied for five minutes at a time. Large areas like the back or shoulder should have ice applied for 15-20 minutes at a time.

Why we should not rub after insulin injection?

If slight bleeding occurs, gently press over the injection site for a few seconds. Do not rub the injection areas as this may cause insulin to be absorbed too quickly.

Where should you not inject insulin?

Do not inject near joints, the groin area, the navel, the middle of the abdomen, or scar tissue. You will also need to rotate, or switch, your injection sites. If you use the same injection site over and over again, you may develop hardened areas under your skin that keep the insulin from working properly.

What is the best place to inject insulin?

There are several areas of the body where insulin may be injected:

The belly, at least 5 cm (2 in.) from the belly button. The belly is the best place to inject insulin.
The front of the thighs. Insulin usually is absorbed more slowly from this site.
The back of the upper arms.
The upper buttocks.

Is insulin injection painful?

This means insulin injection is less painful than it was in the past. Insulin is injected subcutaneously, which means into the fat layer under the skin. In this type of injection, a short needle is used to inject insulin into the fatty layer between the skin and the muscle. Insulin should be injected into the fatty tissue just below your skin.

How to give insulin injections?

Getting enough of a pinch to administer the insulin can be tricky. A person might need assistance for an injection into the upper arm. They might also experience greater comfort while injecting into the non-dominant arm. This means injecting into the left arm of a right-handed person or the right arm of a left-handed person.

What are the best insulin injection sites?

The upper arm is another possible site for insulin injection. Place the needle into the tricep area at the back of the arm, about halfway between the elbow and the shoulder. Difficult self-administration is the main disadvantage of this site. Getting enough of a pinch to administer the insulin can be tricky.

How do you get rid of injection site pain?

Numb the Area. If you are prone to bruising and pain, you can use ice or an ice pack to numb the injection site for several minutes prior to injecting yourself. Make sure to clean the area with an alcohol pad afterward. If you still experience significant pain despite asking, you may be able to use a numbing cream.