1. Wash your hands and the injection site. Wash your hands with soap and water, and clean the injection site with an alcohol swab or soap and water.
2. Prepare your insulin. If you are using a vial of insulin, you must first draw the insulin up into a syringe. You can do this by pulling back on the plunger of the syringe.
3. Inject the insulin. Hold the syringe like a pencil with the needle pointing up. Insert the needle into the skin at a 45 degree angle. Inject the insulin by pushing down on the plunger until the syringe is empty.
4. Withdraw the needle. When you are finished injecting the insulin, withdraw the needle from the skin.
5. Dispose of the needle and syringe. Put the needle and syringe in a sharps container and throw them away.
Tips for Giving Insulin Injections
* When you first start giving yourself insulin injections, it may be helpful to have someone else help you.
* If you are injecting insulin into your abdomen, you can pinch an inch of skin to make the injection easier.
* If you are injecting insulin into your arm, thigh, or buttocks, you can use an alcohol swab to numb the area before injection.
* Do not rub or massage the injection site after injection.
* You should change the injection site within the same area each time you inject insulin. This will help to prevent lumps and bumps from forming.