Precautions to prevent painful injections

Painful injections are common complaints made by most clients in the hospital or self administering injectable medications at home. Although the needle goes through the skin causes a tear through the skin layers before the medications is deposited at the desired skin layer, efforts can be made to reduce the pain caused by the pain of caused by the needle.

The following are easy ways to reduce painful injections:

Injecting at room temperature

Injections should be given at room temperatures. Extremities of room temperatures causes the molecules of the medicine to be injected expand or constrict. This then affects the skin cells causing more pain at the injected site.

Making sure no air bubbles remain in the syringe before injection

Painful injections can further be prevented by expelling air bubbles from the syringe before the injection is carried out.

Waiting until topical alcohol (if used) has evaporated completely before injection

Topical alcohol with numbing agents should be allowed to dry out completely ffrom the site of injection. This enables the skin to absorb the numbing agent. The site then is numbed and injection carried out will be less or un-painful to the individual injected.

Keeping muscles in the injection area relaxed.

Painful injections are felt more when the muscles at the site of injection are tensed up. Relax your muscles when you are about to be injected to reduce the amount of pain sensation felt when injected.

Penetrating the skin quickly

Swift injection skills are very important as it reduces the amount of time the needle stays in the skin. The longer the needle stays in the skin the longer the pain is to the injected.

Not changing direction of the needle during insertion or withdrawal.

Changing the course of the needle as it goes through the skin causes extra pain as it requires more effort and new layers to be penetrated.

Reusing needles

Lastly, using old needles must be avoided. These are blunt and cause extra pain as they need to be forced to pass through the layers of the skin. They thus cause ‘ruggy’ tear of extra tissues as they move through the skin.

Report to your care provider

In cases where the pain from the injection lasts longer than 7 days report to your health care provider.