Insulin Pumps Pros and Cons

Advantages and Disadvantages of Diabetic Insulin Pumps

An insulin pump can be a very helpful device against diabetes. An insulin pump is a great replacement for repeated insulin injections and can greatly improve the life quality of someone who his plagued with the dreadful disease that diabetes is. But there aren’t only good sides to insulin pumps and insulin pumps are not for everybody. Let me lay out some of the pros and cons of insulin pumps so you will be able to tell if insulin pumps are the way to go for you.

Let’s start with the pros. The first and most obvious advantage of insulin pumps is comfort. Insulin pumps allow the user to administrate doses of insulin discreetly and without all the inconveniences of regular injections. Another advantage of insulin pumps is that they are more precise than syringes and offer greater control on your blood glucose level and a Hemoglobin A1c level; which helps prevent complications related to diabetes.

Using an insulin pump with fast action insulin for basal needs allows the user to gain more freedom as to what he can eat and how much calories he needs to burn throughout the day in order to control his blood sugar level; something you just can’t do using regular insulin administered through a syringe.

Now, let’s cover the cons of insulin pumps. First of all: the price. Insulin pumps are way more expensive than regular injections in the long run. Replacement cartridges, infusion sets and other components can cost quite a bit over time.  The other disadvantage of insulin pumps is that they can get really uncomfortable when it’s time to do some physical activities, which should be a central part in every diabetic’s life.

Insulin pumps can also heighten the risks of an episode of diabetic ketoacidosis of occurring. Diabetic ketoacidosis, or DKA, occurs when you reach extremely high blood glucose levels coupled with irregular insulin diffusion. Ketones will then start building up in the blood thus causing the blood to become acidic. DKA cause symptoms such as nausea, stomach aches and rapid-breathing. Untreated DKA can lead to coma and death. Any malfunction such as an empty reservoir or a dead battery can increase the chances of DKA of occurring, so this is a point every person who is intending to buy an insulin pump should take into consideration.

All in all, insulin pumps are a great way to say goodbye to syringes forever. But in the other hand, they can sometimes be less reliable than regular methods and can be quite cumbersome. Make sure you choose which option will better fit your lifestyle and budget...