How Do Insulin Pumps Work?
An insulin pump works a bit like a pancreas in that it releases small amounts of insulin all day long. This basal dose of insulin helps keep your blood glucose steady between meals and while you sleep. You can adjust the basal rate according to the kinds of activities you plan to do that day. For example, if you’re playing sport, you can reduce your basal rate to help avoid your blood glucose going too low.
Then, at mealtimes, you tell the pump to release an extra bolus dose of insulin to match the amount of carbohydrate in your food. Simple!
Unlike needles, pumps use fast-acting insulin. This allows you to adjust your treatment on the go, according to the foods and activities you choose – not the other way around.
And with Medtronic Diabetes’ new MiniMed Paradigm™ Veo™ insulin pump, you have the option to add Continuous Glucose Monitoring to your pump, which enables you to track your glucose levels 24 hours a day. The Veo system can be programmed to alert you when your glucose levels go too low. If you are unable to take action by responding to the pump's alarms, the Low Glucose Suspend feature will be triggered – that’s an automatic shut-off mechanism that suspends insulin delivery for a while if your blood glucose falls too low.
Find out more about living with a pump.
