Insulin lispro facts for kids
Insulin lispro, also known as Humalog, is a special kind of insulin medicine. It helps people with diabetes control their blood sugar. This medicine works very quickly, so people usually take it right before they eat a meal.
Most often, people with Type 1 diabetes use insulin lispro. Sometimes, it's also used by people with Type 2 diabetes or a type called latent autoimmune diabetes of adults. This medicine was first approved for use in 1996.
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What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a health condition where your body has trouble using sugar (glucose) for energy. Normally, a hormone called insulin helps move sugar from your blood into your cells. Your cells then use this sugar for energy.
Type 1 Diabetes
In Type 1 diabetes, your body's immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the cells in your pancreas that make insulin. This means your body can't make its own insulin. People with Type 1 diabetes need to take insulin shots every day to stay healthy.
Type 2 Diabetes
In Type 2 diabetes, your body either doesn't make enough insulin, or the insulin it does make doesn't work properly. This is called insulin resistance. Type 2 diabetes is often linked to lifestyle factors, but it can also run in families.
How Insulin Lispro Works
Insulin lispro is a type of "fast-acting" insulin. This means it starts working very quickly after you inject it, usually within 15 to 30 minutes. It helps to lower your blood sugar levels right after you eat, which is when blood sugar tends to rise.
Why Fast-Acting Insulin?
When you eat food, especially carbohydrates, your body breaks it down into sugar. This sugar then goes into your bloodstream. Fast-acting insulin like Humalog helps your body quickly move that sugar out of your blood and into your cells. This prevents your blood sugar from getting too high.
How People Use It
People who use insulin lispro usually inject it under their skin. They often do this just before they eat a meal. The exact amount of insulin they need depends on many things, like how much they eat, how active they are, and their current blood sugar levels. A doctor or diabetes educator helps them figure out the right dose.
Important Notes
It's very important for people using insulin to learn how to manage their blood sugar. They need to check their blood sugar levels regularly and adjust their insulin doses as needed. This helps them stay healthy and avoid problems like very high or very low blood sugar.
History of Insulin Lispro
Insulin has been used to treat diabetes for a long time. The first types of insulin were slower-acting. Scientists and doctors worked to create new types of insulin that would work faster or last longer. Insulin lispro was one of the first "analog" insulins, meaning it was slightly changed from human insulin to make it work faster. It was approved in 1996, which was a big step forward in diabetes care.
See also
In Spanish: Insulina lispro para niños
