Being healthy is the ideal state of the human being. Health is not only about a physical state, but also a mental and emotional one. Hence, those who feel sick should go to the doctor for their own well-being, in order to regain their health.
But, to achieve the desired results, it is not only important to go to the doctor to receive a diagnosis, but also to follow the instructions and recommendations given to you to the letter, otherwise, the discomfort will continue to persist.
Usually, when we go to the doctor, it follows a routine procedure. He may measure your blood pressure, weigh you, measure you; he may use his stethoscope to monitor your heartbeat, etc. After being certain of what is happening to you, he may put you on a diet or certain medications that you must take.
Some of these drugs are given in different ways. For example, orally, topically, intramuscularly or intravenously. In these last cases, it is likely that you will require the help of someone else to be able to comply with your treatment.
However, at certain times, you may find yourself alone or unable to find someone who knows how to inject you. It can also happen that the person does not inspire confidence or, every time he injects you, it hurts a lot. In view of that, it would be very helpful for you to know how to inject yourself.
Does this idea seem practical to you? Probably yes. It can even be considered an act of survival, since, in some extreme cases, your life could depend on it. So how can you do it? What do you need to succeed? What are some of the recommendations you should follow? In this short post, I will be helping you answer these and other questions related to the subject.
Instructions for injecting yourself
Injection is one of the most effective forms of medication administration that exists, since this guarantees the complete availability of medications and for a much longer time. However, in order to avoid damage and complications, it must be done safely.
Injections must be given with the help of other people. But, if due to force majeure, you must do it yourself, this is the procedure you must follow when doing it intramuscularly:
- Using your imagination, draw a cross on your buttock, in order to obtain four quadrants. Once you’ve done that, the safe place to inject is in the upper outer quadrant. You can choose if you do it on the left or the right side of each buttock.
- It is vitally important that you make sure you do it in that quadrant, since it is the only one that you are sure does not contain nerves. In the other quadrants there is always the possibility of injuring a nerve, the most important being the sciatic nerve, which can cause partial or total paralysis of the leg. Even this paralysis could become permanent.
- After you have located the correct place to inject, clean the area with a cotton swab moistened with alcohol, making circular movements.
- Insert the needle being careful that the buttonhole is down and enter first.
- When you have inserted the needle all the way, pour the liquid into the muscle and withdraw the needle. As you do this, rotate the syringe 360 degrees.
- This is done in order to prevent the liquid from coming out of the hole. With this rotating action, you make sure to close the injection channel by itself. This procedure is not painful at all. Therefore, you should not be afraid.
- As soon as you withdraw the needle, clean the area again, but without pressing or massaging, as this can cause pain or encapsulation of the medication.
What do you need to inject yourself?
In order for you to carry out a clean procedure, it is essential that you have the following materials on hand:
- Clean and sterilized cotton.
- Alcohol for wounds.
- A new injection syringe. That is to say, that it is in its original package and that it has not been used previously.
- The medicine you are going to inject.
Of course, naturally, you also need to prepare such a medicine. This procedure consists of the following:
- If it is a medicine already prepared, insert the needle into the center of the cap of the ampoule.
- Tilt the medicine bottle about 25 degrees.
- Then, proceed to suck up the liquid, making sure not to touch the bottom of the container.
- When you have sucked up all the liquid, remove the syringe from the container and place the water side up. Press the dispenser, in order to release all the air that has remained inside the injector, and voila!
In case the medicine is a preparation, you just have to mix the powder with the liquid. You can do this by extracting the liquid from the solution and introducing it to where the powder is. Mix until the powder has completely dissolved and extract, with the syringe, the homogeneous mixture and voila!
Keep in mind that these types of solutions are usually painful when administered. Therefore, try to make the procedure quick so that it can hurt less.
Tips for injecting yourself
In case it is a bit difficult for you or you feel very nervous, you can look at yourself in the mirror while you carry out the procedure. This will give you greater security and control when injecting.
When you buy the syringe, make sure it has enough capacity to hold all of the medicine you’re going to inject.
Before proceeding to inject yourself, as a preparation and hygiene measure, clean the top of the bottle with cotton and a little alcohol. This measure will always be useful to you, but especially in these times of pandemic.
Relax the gluteal muscle. Breathe before inserting the needle. If you are tense, the muscle is compressed and the experience will be more traumatic and painful. Also, you run the risk of the needle breaking inside the buttock.
