Most people hate needles. Fear of sharp objects is part of our human nature, after all. But if you have diabetes, getting over this fear can be an important part of taking care of your health.

That's because some of the most effective medications for controlling blood sugar levels work directly in the blood stream, and must therefore be administered by injection instead of a nice, easy pill to swallow.

Your doctor may already be urging you to try insulin, or one of the new injectable helper medications" Symlin or Byetta to improve your diabetes care. And maybe you've been balking at the idea of sticking yourself with needles.

Well, help is on the way! There are some tools out there to make taking shots easier — and less uncomfortable — than ever.

Try a Pen
Insulin pens look and feel like slightly large fountain pens than use an inset insulin cartridge for the ink." They are a popular option because they're easy to use and carry, and virtually pain-free; they use tiny, disposable needles.

Some pens come pre-filled with insulin and are completely disposable; you throw the whole pen away when you are through with it. Others are reusable; you just replace the insulin cartridge whenever necessary. Byetta (a synthetic hormone which stimulates insulin secretion) actually comes packaged in a disposable pen form, so users never have to deal with traditional syringes.

Most insulin pens administer rapid or short-acting bolus" insulin used to cover the carbohydrates you eat. The only current exception is a new pen from Aventis Pharmaceuticals recently introduced as an alternative way to administer the company's long-acting basal" (or long-acting background) insulin called Lantus. That pen is called OptiClick. More information can be found at www.opticlick.com.

Or a Jet Injector...
A lesser known option are jet injectors. These are simple, hand-held devices smaller than an average TV remote control unit. They release a tiny stream of insulin forced through the skin under high pressure. They've been around for years, but are still not widely used, mainly due to under-promotion and the notion that jet injectors are painful.

They do tend to cause bruising, but are still a nice option for the truly needle-phobic: they do away with the need for syringes and sharps disposal. In the US, jet injectors are available from Medi-Ject Corporation and Bioject Corporation.

iPort: For One-Stop Shots
Another option altogether is the newly introduced iPort from Patton Medical Devices. iPort stands for injection port – a little plastic doohickey that attaches to your skin for easy injecting, without the need for repeated skin punctures. It's essentially like the infusion set" (point of attachment) of an insulin pump minus the tubing attached to the pump. A tiny plastic cannula stays put in your skin, so when you're ready to take each insulin shot, all you do is put the needle into this little port, rather than poking your skin.

The iPort can accommodate up to 75 injections in the 72-hour wear time, and it's waterproof for bathing, swimming, and exercising. The iPort is FDA approved for use with all kinds of insulin, Byetta, and Symlin, along with a host of other injectable drugs. Patients using it report that they feel like they're finally injection-free.

The big idea for patients with diabetes is to help them take advantage of the best treatments available today for controlling blood glucose levels. Today's human insulins are certainly some of the most effective tools.

If you've been avoiding insulin like the plague, it may be time for an attitude adjustment. Keep in mind that taking insulin does NOT mean that your diabetes is worse," or that you are nearing the end." These are old diabetes wives' tales, if you will, from an era when injections were used mainly as a last resort. Today, insulin can actually improve your quality of life along with your diabetes control. And as you can gather from the information above, taking the stuff does not have to hurt.

Amy Tenderich is creator of the popular web log www.diabetesmine.com and co-author of the new book, Know Your Numbers, Outlive Your Diabetes"-- the first-ever hands-on guide to achieving a long and healthy life with diabetes, available on Amazon.com now.