Your body produces a wide range of hormones to help control many important functions. Insulin is one of those vital hormones and is produced by your pancreas. It regulates how your body uses glucose, a form of sugar thats created when your body breaks down the carbohydrates you eat.
If your pancreas doesnt produce insulin at all or doesnt make enough of it or if the insulin in your body doesnt work as efficiently as it should, it can cause harmful and even life threatening complications.
The most common condition associated with insulin is diabetes.
This article will help explain how insulin works, what happens when it stops working, and what the treatment options are.
Insulin is a hormone produced by your pancreas that helps control how your body processes, stores, and uses glucose and other important nutrients.
Insulin is needed to:
When you eat food, the carbohydrates that you consume get broken down into glucose.
Your pancreas then releases insulin so that the glucose in your blood can be transported to the cells in your body. Glucose will either be used as energy by those cells or stored in your liver as glycogen for when its needed later.
When insulin works this way, it helps keep your blood sugar levels within a healthy range and ensures your body gets the energy it needs to carry out all its essential functions.
If your pancreas doesnt produce enough insulin or if the insulin in your body doesnt work properly, blood sugar will remain in your bloodstream and not be moved to your cells or to your liver for storage.
The two most common conditions associated with insulin are type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes.
Over 34 million American adults had diagnosed or undiagnosed diabetes as of 2020, more than double the number of American adults with diabetes 20 years ago.
Although both types of diabetes are associated with complications related to insulin, there are key differences between the two:
High blood sugar levels can damage the organs and tissues throughout your body. The higher your blood sugar and the longer you have elevated levels of it, the greater your risk for many types of health complications, such as:
When insulin doesnt work the way it should, it can cause a wide range of symptoms. These symptoms can be severe and develop very quickly in type 1 diabetes.
On the other hand, the symptoms come on a lot more slowly in type 2 diabetes. It can take years for symptoms to develop. Often, people are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes before they notice any symptoms.
When symptoms are present in either type 1 or type 2 diabetes, they can include:
Another common sign of insulin resistance and prediabetes or diabetes is acanthosis nigricans, which are velvety hyperpigmented plaques (thickened skin) commonly found on the neck or in the armpits. It is one of the earliest telltale signs of high glucose levels.
People with type 1 diabetes are generally diagnosed when symptoms cause them to seek medical care.
Type 2 diabetes is often diagnosed with a simple blood test during a routine physical exam or annual checkup.
A lab test of your fasting blood sugar levels or an A1C test can indicate if your blood sugar is within a healthy range. This can signal whether the insulin in your body is working correctly.
A fasting blood sugar test measures your blood sugar after not eating for at least 8 hours. This test is often done in the morning after youve gone without eating overnight. The following chart shows what the results of a fasting blood sugar test mean.
An A1c test measures your average blood sugar levels over the past 2 to 3 months. The following chart shows what the results of a A1C test mean.
If your test results indicate that you have prediabetes, your doctor will likely recommend lifestyle changes, such as:
These types of changes may help your body use insulin more effectively and prevent prediabetes from progressing to diabetes.
People with type 1 diabetes always need to take insulin, and they also need to check their blood sugar throughout the day to make sure it is staying within a target range.
You have to inject insulin into the fat under your skin for it to get to your bloodstream. You cannot take it as a pill because it would get broken down during the process of digestion, which would make it much less effective than it needs to be.
People with type 2 diabetes who can manage their condition with lifestyle changes and other medications might not need to use insulin. Insulin will be prescribed for people with type 2 diabetes only if lifestyle changes and oral medications arent enough to keep blood sugar levels within a target range.
There are several different types of insulin. The types of insulin may seem overwhelming at first, especially if you havent taken insulin before. Your doctor will work with you to:
Your doctor will take several factors into consideration to determine which type of insulin is right for you. For instance, they will look at:
Depending on these factors, your doctor may prescribe one type of insulin or several types.
The main types of insulin include the following:
Some manufacturers also sell premixed insulin that combines rapid or short-acting insulin with intermediate-acting insulin.
Your healthcare professional will help you choose the right size syringe and can teach you how and when to inject yourself with insulin.
Syringes arent the only option for getting insulin into your bloodstream. If syringes arent right for you, you can also administer insulin by using the following:
Insulin is an important hormone that helps your body use, store, and regulate the glucose (sugar) in your blood. When the insulin in your body doesnt work correctly, your blood sugar can build up to dangerously high levels in your bloodstream.
The most common condition associated with insulin is diabetes. People with type 1 diabetes need to take insulin every day. Lifestyle changes and oral medications can manage type 2 diabetes, but insulin is sometimes needed.
There are several different types of insulin. Some begin to work quickly and last a few hours. Others take longer to start working but can last for up to 24 hours. Your doctor will take several factors into consideration to determine which type of insulin is right for you.
Read more from the original source:
Insulin Mechanism of Action: How Does It Work? - Healthline
