Diabetes Care

Diabetes is a condition that is life-long, cannot be cured and can only be managed by careful food and drink intake and regular testing of blood sugar levels.

Diabetes is a result of the hormone insulin, secreted by the pancreas to break down glucose in the blood, not being produced enough to sufficiently break it down.

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Having a dry mouth is a common symptom of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, possibly due to high blood sugar levels.

It’s also possible that certain medications that are used to treat diabetes can cause a dry mouth.

If you have a dry mouth it doesn’t mean you have diabetes - it can be caused by many things such as anxiety and sleeping with your mouth open.

One of the best places to inject insulin is in your belly as it can absorb the insulin quicker and more consistently; this should be a couple of centimetres from the belly button.

But you can also inject it at the front of the thighs, the back of the upper arms, and the top of the buttocks if you’re unable to get to your belly.

You shouldn’t inject at the exact same site each time as it can cause bumps or pits in the skin.

Insulin needles are only intended for single-use and you might be wondering why.

It’s obvious why you can’t share needles with others, but you might be wondering if you can reuse your own needle - after all, how can you infect yourself?

When you inject the needle into your skin, your natural bacteria will stick onto the needle’s surface.

The reuse of needles can increase the risk of contaminating yourself with more harmful bacteria, so it’s important to only use the needle once, then dispose of it safely into a sharps bin.