Insulin is the hormone of the pancreas. Functions of insulin

In the human body everything is thought through to the smallest detail. Each organ or system is responsible for certain processes. Violating the work of one of them, you can say goodbye once and for all with good health. Of course, many of us have heard about hormones, as about certain substances that are produced by certain glands. They are different in their chemical composition, but they also have common properties - to be responsible for metabolism in the human body, and therefore for its good work.

Insulin is the hormone of which gland?

At once it is necessary to note that all processes occurring in any organ are very complex, but, nevertheless, interconnected system. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas, or more precisely, by the formations located in its very depth. In medicine they are also called islets of Langerhans-Sobolev. By the way, note that it is insulin - it's a hormone that affects almost all functions in the human body. It belongs to the peptide series and is created for the qualitative saturation of all cells of the body with the necessary substances. The hormone of the pancreas insulin is able to carry blood potassium, various amino acids, and most importantly, glucose. The latter is responsible for the balance of carbohydrates. The scheme is this: you eat food, the body increases the level of glucose, hence, the blood insulin increases. We often hear in medicine about such a substance as insulin. Everyone immediately associates it with diabetes mellitus. But to answer a simple question: "Is insulin a hormone of what, organ or tissue? Is it possible that it is produced by an entire system? "- not everyone can.

Insulin (hormone) - functions in the human body

Think about yourself, the action of the hormone insulin is to ensure the normal nutrition of all cells of the body. He, in the first place, is responsible for adjusting the balance of carbohydrates in the human body. But with a malfunction in the pancreas, both protein and fat metabolism suffer at the same time. Keep in mind that insulin refers to protein hormones, which means that it can get into the person's stomach from the outside, but there it will be quickly digested and completely not digested. The action of the hormone insulin is the effect on most enzymes. But its main task, according to scientists and physicians, is the timely reduction of glucose in the blood. Often, doctors prescribe a special analysis that clearly identifies whether the hormone insulin is elevated or not in the patient. Thus, it is possible to determine whether a patient's ailments are associated with an onset diabetes or with another disease. Of course, you can live with such a diagnosis, the main thing is to find it in time and start supporting therapy.

Medical standards of insulin

Any indicator has a certain scale of values, by which you can judge the state of the patient. If we claim that insulin is a hormone of the pancreas, it is worth noting that after each meal it can be increased. Consequently, there are some standards for the delivery of tests. It is necessary not to eat 1.5 hours before them or to come for an examination strictly on an empty stomach. Then there is a high probability of a reliable result. The most important thing that the doctor is trying to understand is whether the patient has diabetes mellitus, and if there are other problems, assign appropriate additional studies and medications. We note at once that each medical laboratory or institution is able to indicate its individual values of the indicator being studied, which in the end will be considered normal. In principle, the hormone insulin, whose norm on an empty stomach will average 3-28 μU / ml, may also vary slightly. Therefore, when receiving the results of the analysis, try not to panic in a panic, but it is better to visit a competent specialist to decipher them. For example, pregnant women have indicators that differ from other people (an average of 6-28 μU / ml). When a doctor suspects of diabetes, it makes sense to mention two of its main types:

- The hormone insulin is lowered - the pancreas does not cope with its work and produces it in insufficient quantities - type 1 diabetes;

- The hormone insulin is elevated - the reverse situation, when there is a lot of relevant substance in the body, but it does not feel it and produces even more - type 2 diabetes.

Does insulin affect the growth of a person?

Currently, it is probably easy to get various drugs to increase muscle and bone tissue. Usually it is practiced by athletes who need to quickly gain weight and make their body more embossed. I would like to note immediately that insulin and growth hormone are closely interrelated. How this happens is difficult to understand, but possible. HGH is a drug belonging to the peptide series. It is he who is able to cause the accelerated development of muscles and tissues. Its action is as follows: it affects the most powerful way on muscle growth, while burning fat in large quantities. Of course, this can not but affect the carbohydrate metabolism in the body. The mechanism is simple: growth hormone directly increases the level of glucose in the blood. In this case, the pancreas, normally functioning, starts to work intensively, producing insulin in large quantities. But if you use this drug in uncontrolled doses, the above-described body does not cope with the load, accordingly, the glucose in the blood rises, and this is fraught with the appearance of a disease called diabetes mellitus. Remember one simple formula:

- low blood sugar - the growth hormone enters the body in large quantities;

- high blood sugar - in large quantities insulin is produced.

HGH - the course and its dosages should be assigned to athletes only by experienced trainers or doctors. Because excessive use of this remedy can have terrible consequences for future health. Many are inclined to the fact that when you introduce your growth hormone, you definitely need to help the work of your own pancreas, using appropriate doses of insulin.

A woman and a man - are their insulin indices equal?

Naturally, many analyzes directly depend on the sex and the age category of the patient. It has already become clear that the hormone of the pancreas (insulin) is responsible for controlling the level of glucose in the blood. Therefore, in order to assess the work of this body, it will be enough to donate blood for sugar. This study is conducted by taking blood from the vein strictly on an empty stomach. Remember the following indicators, by which you can estimate whether enough hormone in your body produces insulin hormone. The norm in women and men is at the same time: the concentration of glucose in the blood will be 3.3-5.5 mmol / l. If it is in the range of 5.6-6.6 mmol / l, it is advisable to follow a special diet and carry out additional studies. This is the so-called borderline state, when it's still pointless to talk about diabetes. You need to start worrying already if the blood glucose level is close to 6.7 mmol / l. In this case, doctors advise to pass the next test - glucose tolerance. Here are a few other figures:

- 7.7 mmol / l and below - the normal value;

- 7,8-11,1 mmol / l - already there are disturbances in the system operation;

- above 11.1 mmol / l - the doctor can talk about diabetes.

From the results described above, it becomes clear that in women and men the norms of insulin are approximately the same, i.e., sex does not have any influence on this. But pregnant women should remember that in their interesting situation there are specific deviations from the existing norms. This is often due to the fact that the pancreas produces an insulin hormone in insufficient quantities, and sugar in the blood rises. Usually everything is regulated by a special diet, but sometimes doctors in this case talk about diabetes in pregnant women. Children - this is still a separate category, because at their early age due to the underdevelopment of the nervous system and insufficiently active functioning of all organs, the level of glucose in the blood can be lowered. But even with its increase (5.5-6.1 mmol / l) it is necessary to understand more in detail, after all it can be connected with infringement of rules of delivery of the analysis.

What is glucagon?

So, from the above, it follows that insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas. But, in addition, this body is responsible for the production of other substances, such as glucagon and C-peptide. We are very interested in the functions of the first one. After all, in fact, they are directly opposite to the work of insulin. Accordingly, it becomes clear that the hormone glucagon increases the level of sugar in the blood. Thus, these substances maintain the glucose in the neutral state. It is worth noting that hormones insulin and glucagon are substances that are produced by only one of the many organs of the human body. Besides them, there is still a huge number of tissues and systems dealing with the same. And for good indicators of sugar in the blood of these hormones is not always enough.

Increased insulin - than it is fraught with?

Of course, not always an increase in this indicator will necessarily lead to the onset of diabetes. One of the most common consequences can be obesity, and only then the disease of high blood sugar . Often, doctors and nutritionists, to explain to their patients a simple mechanism for the formation of excess weight, begin their story from the answer to a simple question: "Insulin is the hormone of which gland?" After all, people who consume large amounts of carbohydrate food (for example, flour and sweet Dishes), do not think about what strain their pancreas is experiencing at the same time. Of course, these foods can be eaten, but in moderation, then the whole system works organically. In general, this diet is the following: Insulin rises constantly (ie, this process takes on a chronic form), but the sugar enters the body in nemerenyh quantities, as a result, it is simply stored in fat. And remember that in this case, greatly increased appetite. A vicious circle from which you will find it very difficult to get out is provided: eat a lot of unprofitable food and tightly - insulin is raised - fat is delayed - appetite rises - again we eat in unlimited quantities. It is best to turn in time to specialists who will prescribe appropriate diets and all the necessary tests.

Diabetes

This is a terrible disease, which became the so-called plague of the XX century. And not only because of the large number of patients, but also because of the reasons for its appearance and the decrease in the age of the patients. Now, diabetes can occur not only in the elderly person, who in principle is prone to this ailment due to the deterioration of the functioning of all its organs, but also in young children. Scientists around the world are trying to find an answer to this difficult question. After all, it turns out that a child who has diabetes, must maintain a normal level of insulin throughout his or her later life. Identify this disease is not difficult, an experienced doctor should be assigned several simple studies. To begin with, blood is given for sugar and it is determined whether it is elevated. If the result is positive, they already act as follows: they conduct a test for glucose tolerance and make the appropriate diagnosis. When diabetes is confirmed, the doctor needs to understand how much of the hormone studied is not enough specifically for your body. For this it is necessary to pass the analysis for insulin. Here we must understand that diabetes mellitus is only of two types:

- 1-st: insulin is lowered, and accordingly, glucose in the blood is increased. As a result, urination increases and sugar in the urine is detected;

- 2 nd: there is an increase in insulin. Why is this happening? Glucose in the blood also is, insulin is produced, but the body is reduced to it sensitivity, i.e., he seems to not see it. In this case, it makes sense to assign special studies, such as a blood test for immunoreactive insulin.

Since insulin is a hormone of the pancreas, it is logical to assume that in case of diabetes, the doctor will prescribe and preparations for the normal functioning of this organ. But insulin, coming from the outside, the body will also be needed. Therefore, you need to buy the necessary drugs. By the way, when the diagnosis is made and you will need to daily measure the glucose level at home in your blood, it is advisable to purchase a device known to all - a glucometer. It allows you to easily find out the required value in a few seconds. With the help of disposable needles, you make a small puncture on the finger and collect the blood with a test strip. You paste it into the glucometer, and the result is ready. Usually it turns out to be reliable.

What preparations contain insulin?

Immediately it is necessary to stipulate the moment that all preparations containing insulin should be prescribed strictly by your attending physician, there should be no self-treatment, its consequences are too dangerous. A person who has diabetes mellitus simply needs an insulin (hormone) coming in from outside. Functions of the pancreas, which can not cope with their own work, must be maintained constantly. How to understand how much insulin will be needed for a particular patient? This figure is measured in special carbohydrate units. Simply put, you consider how many carbohydrates in each food, and, accordingly, understand how much insulin you will have to inject in order to lower blood sugar. Of course, there are various analogues of preparations containing insulin. For example, when it comes to a decreased hormone, when in fact the pancreas does not cope with its work, it is worth resorting to drugs that can activate its activity (say, the drug Butamid). In principle, it can be said that this is not pure insulin injected into your body, but only a substance that will somehow help the body recognize this hormone produced by its own appropriate organ. Whoever has ever faced the problem of diabetes, understands perfectly well that at present all drugs aimed at combating it are released in the form of injections for injections. Naturally, scientists around the world are puzzling over how to make this procedure easier and find the drug in another form (for example, tablets). But so far, to no avail. In principle, for those who are accustomed to daily procedures of this type, they already seem absolutely painless. Even children are able to make such an injection under their skin by themselves. Usually introduced insulin begins its work on average in half an hour, as much as possible, it will concentrate in the blood somewhere about 3 hours. The duration of its work is about 6 hours. Those who have already been diagnosed with diabetes, you need to give yourself such injections three times a day: in the morning (always on an empty stomach), at noon, in the evening. Of course, the action of injected insulin is sometimes necessary to prolong (in the medical language this is called prolongation). You can do this procedure with the following suspensions: zinc-insulin (duration 10-36 hours), protamine-zinc-insulin (24-36 hours). They are administered subcutaneously or intramuscularly.

Is an insulin overdose possible?

We know that in a dosage form, insulin is a hormone. What you can not do with it exactly, is to appoint or cancel its introduction yourself. If there was a situation when there was too much insulin in the blood - this is the so-called overdose or hypoglycemia, - the situation should be urgently rectified. First of all, you must clearly understand what is happening to a person: he may sharply want to eat heavily, start sweating and irritated, show inexplicable aggression or even faint. The most terrible in this case is a hypoglycemic shock, when convulsions and the activity of the heart are unavoidable. Obligatory actions in this situation:

- it is necessary to replenish the stocks of sugar in the blood, ie, something to eat that contains it: a piece of sugar, a sweet biscuit or a slice of plain white bread - this is done when the very first symptoms appear;

- When the situation is very critical and the shock is imminent, you need to urgently inject a glucose solution (40%).

Be sure to watch how your body basically behaves in response to the use of insulin injections. After all, each of us is individual. Some may experience a severe allergic reaction, manifested not only at the site of the injection in the form of a red stain, but also throughout the body (hives or dermatitis). Be careful, immediately contact your doctor, he can simply replace your existing medication with suinsulin. In no case can you do this yourself, then a sudden lack of insulin can lead to coma and death.

Insulin is the hormone responsible for your health. Remember that diabetes can develop in any person. Sometimes this is directly related to the abuse of sweet and flour foods. Some people are not able to control themselves in such matters and eat a large amount of carbohydrates every day. Thus, their body lives in constant stress, trying to independently produce more insulin. And now, when he is finally exhausted, this disease comes.