After Ms. Hajjah Patimah Ideris was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2006, she had to take 10 tablets a day and had side effects such as dizziness and nausea.
One morning in 2015, Madam Hajjah passed out from hypoglycemia, a condition where a person’s blood sugar levels are lower than normal, and her doctor suggested that she switch to insulin injections.
Injection controls blood sugar levels in diabetics when the body cannot produce insulin and is given when oral medication fails.
Madam Hajjah started the nightly insulin injections with the BD Ultra-Fine Pro 4 mm pen needle.
She was scared at first, and even a little scared of injecting herself, but her concerns soon evaporated, along with dizziness and nausea.
She started her favorite Zumba classes again and went for a walk with no discomfort.
Speaking to The New Paper, the 72-year-old retiree said, “Giving the injection has become a routine … Being independent and going out on my own is something I now enjoy. Before the treatment, I was too tired and dizzy to go outside. “
There were 640,000 patients with diabetes in Singapore last year, and the number is estimated to be one million by 2050.
Approximately 75,000 patients require regular insulin injections to maintain blood sugar control.
Those who need insulin injections may have difficulty accepting or adhering to treatment due to various misunderstandings.
Dr. Shailendra Bajpai, regional medical director for Greater Asia at global medical device company BD, told TNP, “You may fear the stinging and pain of needles, hypoglycemia and the social stigma of insulin injections.
“Physically, they may also have difficulty administering insulin due to grip problems, visual impairment, or a lack of training in proper injection techniques.
“But insulin injections are now easier and more convenient to give with insulin pen needles, and advances in technology and innovations in insulin delivery have enabled a reliable, consistent injection experience.”
While the transition to pen needles can be a fearful process for some, Ms. Daljit Kaur, a diabetes nurse trainer for the nonprofit Diabetes Singapore, said it was her job “to calm and train patients to ensure proper insulin administration “. Therapy”.
She stressed that the right pen needles are thin and “less painful than a finger prick”.
She added, “Confidence building and reassurance are paramount. These can be in the form of health education, product awareness and even product demonstrations across the full range of pen needles available to help clear up patient misunderstandings and fears.”
