The basics of insulin

Diabetes occurs when your body stops naturally making insulin or using it well. Your blood sugar begins going up and starts to affect your overall health. This most often happens over time and in later years.

Eating healthy, staying active, and taking diabetes pills are the first important ways to control your blood sugar. Over time, though, diabetes and your health needs can change. That’s when insulin may be added to your medication plan.

What is insulin?

Insulin is a natural hormone in your body. It allows your body to use sugar from the food you eat for energy now or to store sugar for your energy needs later.

How your body controls and uses insulin helps control your blood sugar.

• Increased insulin lowers blood sugar.
• Decreased insulin (or when your body doesn’t use insulin properly) raises blood sugar.
• The right insulin levels lead to the right blood sugar levels.

Why might I take insulin?

Having type 2 diabetes means your body has lost the ability to produce or use its own insulin properly.

If your pancreas can still make insulin, sometimes diabetes pills and other treatments can help your body use that insulin better.

However, you may need to take insulin, in the form of an injection, in the following cases:

• Your pancreas can’t make insulin at all
• Your pancreas can make insulin but not enough for what your body needs
• Diabetes pills or other treatments aren’t helping enough or at all

How often would I need to take insulin?

You may need to take insulin one or more times a day. When and how often depends on your daily routine of activity and the type of insulin your doctor prescribes. Your doctor will work with you on what that schedule needs to be.

Note: The insulin you take will lower your blood sugar whether or not you eat, so it’s important to eat well-balanced meals and take your insulin in the amount and at the times prescribed by your care team.

Bottom line

Your diabetes treatment may change over time. Insulin medication — in addition to taking diabetes pills, eating healthy, and staying active — can help control your blood sugar.