Insulin Pump therapy is based on the bodies' production of insulin by the pancreas. When the pancreas has problems producing insulin this illness is called Diabetes. The insulin pump takes over for the pancreas and simulates the natural process of producing insulin. The pump delivers small amounts of insulin continuously throughout the day and night. When you eat, the pump delivers a little extra to cover the food you've eaten. The extra insulin delivered by the pump is dependent on the amount of food you eat at any given time.

A person who has to take insulin injections everyday has a very hard time controlling their blood sugars. This is because they usually start the day with an injection of long-acting insulin. The absorption of injected long-acting insulin is extremely unpredictable and in fact, its variability rate has been reported to be up to 52%! The absorption rate of long-acting insulin is closely related to your level of activity. If you're just sitting watching T.V. the insulin will go into your system more slowly then if you were moving around (cleaning house, washing your car, playing football or swimming).

Pumps use a faster-acting insulin which is much more predictable than long-acting insulin and is closer in characteristics to the human pancreas. Its variability rate has been reported to be less than 3% making it much easier to control blood sugars 24 hours a day. Pumps send a continuous, preset amount of insulin every few minutes (like a pancreas) so it's more consistent.

Studies have proven that better glucose control can result in fewer diabetes-related complications. On a pump, you control your insulin so you get to decide when you want to eat, what type of food you want to eat and how much you want to eat. No more injections, no rigid meal scheduling, no more unpredictable insulin, this provides you with the opportunity to have a more normal lifestyle free of the stress surrounding the treatment of this illness.

Using the pump can be as easy as setting your watch and this controls the amount of insulin delivered to your system. An insulin pump is made with several different parts. It has a reservoir that is similar to a syringe and is filled with insulin. This reservoir along with a small battery operated pump and a computer chip fit into a small container about the size of a beeper, and is carried the same way.

The pump reservoir delivers insulin to the body by a thin plastic tube called an "infusion set." Infusion sets have a needle or soft cannula at the end, through which the insulin passes. The cannula is inserted just under the skin, usually on the abdomen. The process of putting the infusion set in place is called "insertion," and is very much like giving a standard insulin injection. The infusion set is changed approximately every two to three days versus the multiple injections the person not wearing the pump has to endure. Because of this fact most people, including teenagers, children and even toddlers adapt very quickly to the pump.

The pump is designed for continuous use and delivers insulin 24 hours a day according to the programmed plan unique to each pump wearer. This small amount of insulin is called the "basal rate". This insulin keeps blood glucose in the desired range between meals and over night. When food is eaten, the user programs the pump to deliver a "bolus dose" of insulin matched to the amount of food that will be consumed.

Pumps are the most accurate, precise, and flexible insulin delivery system currently available. But the pump is not automatic! The user still has to decide how much insulin will be given. Using the results of blood glucose monitoring, the experienced pump user can use this tool to obtain excellent blood glucose control while living a normal lifestyle, free of the strict scheduling demands that are required by conventional insulin regimens.