Looking after your veins – a brief guide

Rotate your injection sites
When you prick your skin with a needle, it always leaves a small hole that must be allowed to heal. The same goes for your veins.

If you do not allow your veins to heal, you may experience the following:

• Collapsed veins
• Infections and swelling
• Leaking veins caused by poor injection technique
• Re-injecting a site that has not healed may cause a blood clot that can break off and travel into your brain

Advice on injecting and choosing your injection site

• Always vary your injection site. It takes at least a couple of days for your vein to heal. The longer you leave it, the better.
• If you use the same vein, choose a site that is further along the direction of blood flow (closer to the heart). This helps to prevent blood clots and prevents infections.
• If you self-inject, practice injecting with both hands. This gives you more choice of injection sites.
• Always use a tourniquet. This makes it easier for you to find the vein. Always release the tourniquet before you push the plunger down. Leaving the tourniquet in place might cause excessive pressure to build up and could cause the vein to collapse. 

Take it easy
We recommend that you always vary your injection sites. However, sometimes veins can be hard to find or you simply don’t have time to look for one.

Think
Always plan what you are doing, don’t rush it. Save the “easy” sites for when you know you will be in a hurry.

Don’t inject the backs of your hands, they are very sensitive and you might lose you hand.
If you allow yourself to panic, you might ruin a vein. Take a deep breath. Try to calm down.

And remember!
If you inject, try to do it in a place with plenty of light. Always plan ahead. Always use a fresh needle. A sharp needle is better for your veins. A thinner needle causes less tissue damage. Avoid injecting medicine. The best way to dispose of your equipment is to return them to your local Terveysneuvontapiste.