Produced by the pancreas, insulin is responsible for several important functions in the body. Hence, it is important to understand the importance of insulin to manage your blood glucose levels and prevent diabetes complications. In certain patients, when the body isn’t able to produce appropriate insulin, they are supposed to take insulin injections.
You may be either on a fixed insulin dose therapy or a flexible dose therapy, as recommended by the doctor. Knowing how to calculate how much insulin you should take will only help you manage diabetes in a better way.
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As per a healthline report, “calculating how much insulin to take is usually based on two considerations”, which are Basal insulin dose and Bolus insulin dose.
Basal insulin dose: It is the amount of insulin you intake daily regardless of the foods you eat.
Bolus insulin dose: “A bolus insulin dose helps correct or anticipate the carbohydrates you eat throughout the day,” the report stated. Patients correct this with a bolus dose of rapid-acting insulin.
Anticipating a bolus dose makes insulin administration tricky. When you give yourself insulin, you are basically estimating how many units of insulin the body will require to break down the carbohydrates you consumed.
As the human body is complex, not all people process insulin the same way. Time of day, stress levels, and physical activity are some of the factors which make the task of calculating insulin more complicated.
How to calculate the insulin needed by the body?
Check the blood sugar level before a meal. In case the blood sugar level is in your target range, you are not supposed to calculate extra insulin. However, If blood sugar is higher than the target range calculate how much insulin you’ll need.
FYI: Usually, 1 unit will bring your levels down by 50 points. But, do consult your doctor before arriving at a conclusion.
Make sure you calculate the number of carbohydrates you’re about to eat. For every 10 grams of carbohydrates, you are supposed to give yourself 1 unit of insulin.
FYI: This quantity may also differ, from person to person. Hence, ask your doctor if this number may be different for you.
Next, you have to add the number of units needed to adjust both your target range and meal. Now, administer the total units of insulin.
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