If you have been recently diagnosed with diabetes or another medical condition that requires you to use injectable medications, then you likely know how intimidating syringes can be.  After all, you are being asked to insert a needle into your skin on a frequent basis, or to have someone do it for you.  Fear of needles is not uncommon, but it is certainly something that must be overcome.  If you know how to properly use a syringe, you will find it far less frightening to have to inject insulin or other medications into your body.

Today’s syringes are a far cry from what people used only a few short years ago.  In fact, modern devices have shorter needles and longer reservoirs and are almost completely painless – something that will certainly encourage many to breathe a major sigh of relief.  When looking to make an injection with a syringe, it is important to follow the proper steps and protocol to help ensure that medication is properly delivered and to reduce the risk of infection.  The first step is to use rubbing alcohol to prep the area where you will be inserting the needle.  This will prevent infection.

You will then need to pull back the loading piece of the syringe to fill it with air.  Now stick the syringe into the foam or rubber on the end of the medication vial and push the loading piece back down. This will release the air into the vial.  Now you will want to very slowly draw back the loading piece, allowing the body of the syringe to fill with medication.  When this is done, you simply insert the needle into your skin, taking care to relax as much as possible, and inject the medication slowly.  When finished, replace the cap on the syringe and dispose of it properly.

Now that you know how to use syringes, hopefully you are a bit more comfortable with the process.  It is important to ensure that you follow all of the steps carefully.  It is equally important that you use a fresh needle every time to help reduce the risk of infection, skin damage, and many other problems.  While it may sound cost prohibitive, your safety always comes first and finding a reputable source of affordable syringes is never so difficult that you should put your own health and safety on the line in order to try to save money.