Diabetes can also affect your vision, so you may have noticed your eyesight getting worse before you start insulin. You may find that your eyesight improves after a week or two as your blood glucose levels improve.

This can happen if you repeatedly use the same small area of your body to inject. It can look unsightly and can affect how the insulin is absorbed into your body.

If you've been diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy and you feel your eyesight is getting worse, contact your doctor or diabetes nurse.

Some people have some minor bleeding after injecting but this is not usually a problem. To reduce bruising, gently press the injection site for a few minutes after each injection.

Talk to your doctor or diabetes nurse if you often get hypos, or if you get them at night. It's likely you'll need to adjust your insulin treatment.

If you start to get some of these symptoms, follow the instructions you've been given to treat a hypo and have a sugary drink or snack, such as such as a small glass of fruit juice or sugary fizzy drink, 5 glucose or dextrose tablets, 4 large jelly babies, or 2 tubes of glucose gel.

If bleeding or bruising does not stop or bothers you, contact your doctor or diabetes nurse to check your injection technique and make sure you're using the right size needle. Insulin needles come in different lengths, and a slightly longer or shorter needle could be better for your body shape.

Always use a new needle for every injection. Rotate your injection sites by choosing a different place each time you inject, at least 1cm away from your last injection. You can use your tummy, the sides of your thighs or your buttocks.

To help reduce the chances of this happening, rotate your injection sites by choosing a different place each time you inject, at least 1cm away from your last injection. You can use your tummy, the sides of your thighs or your buttocks.

Speak to your doctor or diabetes nurse if the advice on how to cope does not help and a side effect is still bothering you or does not go away.

If the pain does not stop or bothers you, contact your doctor or diabetes nurse to check your injection technique and make sure you're using the right size needle. Insulin needles come in different lengths, and a slightly longer or shorter needle could be better for your body shape.

This type of sugar will not last long in your blood, so you may also need to eat a starchy carbohydrate once you blood glucose is back above 4mmol/L, like a sandwich or some biscuits, or your next meal if it's due.

Like all medicines, rapid-acting insulin can cause side effects, although not everyone gets them. If you do have side effects such as problems where you inject, they usually happen in the first few weeks of starting insulin.

These are not all the side effects of rapid-acting insulin. For a full list, see the leaflet inside your medicine packet.

This is a small sensor you wear on your skin that can show your blood glucose levels at any time. Most types have an alarm, which can wake you up if you get a hypo while you're asleep. You may be able to get a monitor free on the NHS.

Try to avoid using any new soaps or bath products in the first few weeks of treatment, so that you'll know if any itching is caused by the insulin.

You can reduce the chances of having a hypo by monitoring your blood glucose levels regularly and adjusting your insulin dose as advised by your doctor or diabetes nurse.

Itching and redness usually improves after about a week. If it does not get better, contact your doctor or diabetes nurse, as you may need to switch to a different type of insulin.

If you often get hypos, ask your doctor or diabetes nurse about getting a continuous glucose monitor or flash monitor, if you do not already have one.

You may notice problems with your eyesight when you first start taking insulin, but this usually only lasts a short time.

If you do get these lumps, do not inject in that area until it becomes soft and smooth again. This can take several weeks.