Insulin Therapy in Sharjah

What is insulin therapy?

Insulin therapy is the use of injected insulin to control blood sugar when the body makes too little of its own or uses it poorly. Insulin is a protein, so it would be digested if swallowed, which is why it is given under the skin with a pen or, for some people, a pump.

Insulin types are grouped by how quickly they start and how long they last:

| Type | Role |
|---|---|
| Background (basal) insulin | A slow, steady level across the day and night, usually once or twice daily |
| Mealtime (rapid-acting) insulin | Covers the rise in sugar after eating, taken with meals |
| Premixed insulin | A fixed blend of background and mealtime insulin in one injection |

Insulin therapy at Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah is planned and adjusted by the endocrinology team, who choose the pattern that suits your type of diabetes, your meals and your working hours.

Who needs it

Insulin therapy is needed from diagnosis by everyone with type 1 diabetes, whose care is described on the type 1 diabetes care page. In type 2 diabetes, insulin is added when tablets and other injections leave HbA1c above target, during a serious illness or operation, when kidney or liver disease limits other options, or when very high sugar is found at diagnosis.

Type 2 diabetes is a progressive condition, and the pancreas tends to make less insulin over the years. Starting insulin reflects that natural change in the body. Many people in diabetes management move to insulin at some point, often starting with a single daily dose of background insulin. Insulin is also used in pregnancy, covered on the gestational diabetes care page.

What happens

Starting insulin is a teaching appointment as much as a prescription. A nurse or doctor from the endocrinology team shows you:

1. how to attach a new needle, prime the pen and dial the dose;
2. where to inject, usually the abdomen or outer thigh, and how to rotate sites within each area;
3. how to hold the pen in place for a slow count after injecting, so the full dose is delivered;
4. how to recognise and treat low blood sugar;
5. how to store insulin and dispose of used needles safely.

You give your first dose under supervision so you leave confident. The pen needle is very fine and short, finer than the lancet used for a finger-prick.

Dose adjustment follows. With background insulin, many people follow a simple rule agreed with the team, adjusting the dose in small steps according to their morning readings until they reach target. Your glucose readings are reviewed by phone or at clinic in the early weeks. If you use a sensor, the data can guide these changes; see continuous glucose monitoring.

Preparing for it

Bring your Emirates ID, insurance card, a list of all your diabetes medicines and your glucose meter. Keep a record of your readings for a few days before the visit, including some before breakfast and some after meals.

Think about your daily routine: when you wake, eat, work and sleep, and whether you work shifts, drive professionally or do heavy physical work, since each shapes the choice of insulin. If you are anxious about needles, say so at the start; practising with a demonstration pen helps many people. If someone helps you at home, bring them to learn the technique as well.

Afterwards

Once insulin starts, readings usually come down over the following weeks as the dose is adjusted. Keep a small supply of fast-acting sugar with you at all times, and check your sugar before driving.

Rotate injection sites each time. Repeated injections into one spot cause fatty lumps under the skin, and insulin absorbs unpredictably from them, so check your sites and show the team any lumps. Store spare pens in the fridge and the pen in use at room temperature; in the Sharjah summer, keep insulin away from car dashboards, windowsills and direct sun, and use a cool travel case on journeys. During Ramadan, insulin timing and doses need a planned change, so book a review in the weeks before.

Contact the hospital if you have repeated low readings, a low reading overnight, or readings that stay high despite dose changes. **Go to the emergency department straight away for a low sugar episode with confusion, seizure or loss of consciousness, or high sugar with vomiting, drowsiness or deep, rapid breathing.**

Cost and insurance

Most UAE insurance plans cover insulin, pen needles and consultations for diabetes. Newer or longer-acting insulins may need pre-approval or a switch to an alternative on your plan's formulary, and some plans cap the number of test strips or pen needles per year. Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah can help you confirm cover on 06 599 7777.