Insulin is the hormone which is found in the human body and have very important function in the body.
 |
| Insulin shock /How insulin works |
What is insulin?
Insulin is also called hormone of energy storage or hormone of Abundance.
It is a hormone which is found in the human body, this hormone is responsible for maintaining the blood sugar or glucose level in the body.
An increase amount or decrease amount of this hormone in body is bad for the health of a person.
A very low amount of insulin hormone can increases the blood sugar level in body where as a high amount of insulin in body can decreases the blood sugar level and can cause the insulin shock which is the serious condition for any person.
Where insulin found in the body?
- This hormone is secreated by a particular organ in the body which is called pancreas.
- Pancreas secreats many hormones one of which is insulin. Pancreas has special cells on it that is called pancreatic islets or islets of langerhans.
- These cells are seen in clusters that are irregularly distributed all over the pancreas.
- These cells secreats pancreatic hormones directly into the blood stream that circulates hormones all around the body.
There are different types of cells of the pancreatic islets which are :
- Alpha cells
- Beta cells
- Delta cells
Alpha cells secreats glucagon and beta cells secreats insulin and delta cells secreats somatostatin.
- Glucagon stimulates the conversion of glycogen to glucose in the liver, besically it increases blood glucose level when it is low, it works opposite of which insulin works in body, it a hormone of energy release .
- Whereas, insulin converts glucose to glycogen and reduces the blood glucose level when it is increased, this is how insulin control blood sugar level.
- The blood glucose level maintained within the normal range by the opposing action of insulin and glucagon.
- The normal blood glucose (sugar) level is between 60 to 140 mg /100ml.
How insulin works in the body.
Insulin takes many action in the body for metabolism of carbohydrate, Fat and protein.
Carbohydrate metabolism.
Insulin increases the glucose entry into the most of the body cells.
Insulin produces hypoglycemia (reduce level of glucose in body) by following actions:
It increases peripheral utilization of glucose, promotes synthesis of glycogen
and directly decreases the glucose output from the liver.
Fat metabolism
Insulin promotes the synthesis of triglycerides in muscles, adipose tissue and liver.
It also increases the uptake of ketone bodies in the muscles.
Protein metabolism
Insulin promotes amino-acid uptake and decreases protein breakdown and also promotes protein synthesis specially in muscles.
What is insulin shock or insulin coma?
Insulin coma is the condition in which blood sugar level decreases up to 50 mg/dl or less than 50 mg/dl because of high level of insulin, it is also called hypoglycaemic coma.
Now you think why insulin coma arises in the body. There are many things that can cause insulin shock in a person like.,
Delayed intake of meal
If food is not taken on time this condition can happen with any one, because in a healthy person body do there function in a systemetic order.
Like in the same way the insulin hormone secretes in to blood stream at regular interval of period, in a day like in lunch time period or at dinner time so that when you take food the excess glucose in your food is regulated by this hormone.
But if you not take food on time your blood glucose level is already low and upon that insulin releases makes your glucose level more low and can cause insulin coma or insulin shock.
Excessive exercise
In case of Excessive exercise most of glucose in your body is utilized for eneryg thats makes low glucose level in the body and when in that condition insulin release in body that can create insulin shock because that makes a very low glucose in body.
High dose of insulin hormone.
Sometime may be mistakenly if the person gets a high dose of insulin hormone it decreases the glucose level at a markedly low level that can cause the insulin shock.
Not taking food after taking insulin dose.
The work of this hormone is to reduce or regulate the blood glucose level thats why it is taken externally by Diabetic person usually after meal.
So that the excess glucose which is taken through food is regulated by it.
But if after taking insulin if food is not taken by person then this hormone makes glucose level very low because the needed glucose which is regulated by insulin is not present in body if food is not taken and insulin shock can happen.
What symtoms shows in insulin shock.
- An obvious sign when you check blood glucose level it is less than 50mg/dl.
- Cold and clammy skin.
- Increase heart rate.
- Slurred speech ( difficulty in speaking )
- Loss of consciousness
- Seizure can be seen in insulin coma.
- Dilated pupil
- Coma
What is the immediate management of insulin coma?
Give sugar (glucose) orally if person is in conscious, he can take orange juice,
glucose tablets etc.
If the person is unconscious then the your doctor prescribe the infusion of Dexteose 25% by IV.
What is insulin infusion
Insulin infusion is a treatment which is given to a person who's having a very high level of blood glucose, more 300 to 500 or above and this level is not coming down with oral medication and remain in high level.
In this condition usually doctors prescribe infusion of insulin In which, through the help of an infusion pump insulin is injected to the person at a slow speed depending on the level of blood glucose so that high level of glucose can come to a normal level.
ConversionConversion EmoticonEmoticon