If you're prescribed medication to use at home, for example, hormones or fertility pills Vitamin B12 shots, insulin, epinephrine or cancer drugs, you'll be held to some significant responsibilities.

It is essential to understand how to inject yourself safely with the medication. It is also necessary to learn how to purchase the needles and other syringes that you need. These can be purchased individually. They're designed to fit together securely.

It's important to choose the correct size needle and syringe so you get the correct dosage of medication. The procedure will be less difficult and less painful if you select the appropriate size needle.

Your healthcare provider or a nurse will show you how to administer yourself an injection at home, including which syringes and needles to make use of. However, it is important to know the basic principles of insulin syringes sizing so you don't make mistakes when it's time to change them.

This article will describe how the needles and syringes that you use are measured. The article also gives tips for choosing the right size to give the injection you're required to administer.

Syringe Sizes

syringes can contain a certain amount of liquid. There are two methods to gauge them.

Syringe Measurement

For volume of liquid milliliters (mL).

Cubic centimeters (cc), for the volume of solids

Whatever measurement you use, 1 cc equals 1 mL.

You must choose the right syringe to hold the dosage you're prescribed for in the event that you inject your medication at home.

If, for instance, you're required to inject yourself three cc of substance, you'll need to choose a syringe that can hold exactly 3 cc. You'll need to inject yourself several times if your syringe can hold just 2 cm. This is a waste of time and effort.

However using an syringe that is able to hold 15 cc, it will be harder to see the cc marks. You could easily be giving you too much or too many medications.

Needle Sizes

Needles are labeled in a different way than Syringes are labeled differently than. Each package will contain an identification number, which is followed by an "G" and a different number.

How do you find out the needle's size

The gauge of the needle is indicated by the first digit before the letter G. This number indicates the gauge of the needle.

The second number represents the length of the needle, measured in inches.

For example, a 22 G 1/2 needle has the gauge of 22 inches and the length is half an inch.

Needle Gauge

If you have to inject yourself with a small amount of medication, it's likely to be less painful to use a thin needle with a high gauge, and rather than a bigger, smaller-gauge needle.

A wider needle with a smaller gauge is ideal for larger doses of medicine. While it may cause more pain but a broad, low-gauge needle will be able to deliver the drug quicker than a thinner needle with a high gauge.

Needle-Length

The ideal needle length will be determined by the person's height. Small children may require a smaller needle than a tall adult. It is important to consider where you are planning to place the needle. Some medications can be taken up by the skin. Others need to be injected into muscles.

Subcutaneous injections are administered in the fat tissue beneath the skin. These shots are very shallow. The needle is small and narrow, usually one-half to five-eighths of an inch long with a gauge of 25-30.

Intramuscular injections go directly into the muscle. Since muscle is deeper than skin, the needle needed for intramuscular injections should be thicker. Needles with a gauge of 20 or 22 G and an overall length of either 1.5 or 1.5 inches are generally the best.

It is also important to consider how much body fat the needle needs to pass through. A needle of an inch could work for someone who is slim. Someone heavier might need a needle that is an inch-and-a-half-long.

Summary

If you are required to give injections to yourself or someone in your home, knowing the needle and syringe sizes could make that job a little simpler.

Syringes can hold liquids or solids. You'll see milliliters (mL) marked on the tube to indicate liquids. To measure solids, you'll see cubic centimeters(cc). You should choose insulin syringes which holds the exact dose you need.

The measurement of needles is done in a different method. Gauge is the first number that appears on a needle label. This is how big the needle. Needles that are thicker will have higher numbers. The second number on the label tells you the length of the needle. If the medication is meant to go into the muscle, you'll need an extended needle. You'll also need a longer needle for larger adults.

A Note From Verywell

If you need to give yourself or someone else shots at your home, you or a family member require training on how to do this in a safe manner.

If you have any questions, reach out to the healthcare provider who gave the prescription. It is possible to avoid errors when administering shots or changing supplies by knowing the basics of needle labeling.