Even if we don’t want to, sometimes doctors want us to take the drugs by injection, and most of the time we have to pull the pants a little and get an injection from the hip. There is no shame in medicine, but one cannot help but ask; Why is the hip injected, why does it hurt after the shot, is there any other solution?
Let’s admit it, even after years, as children who are scared that the doctor will write an injection, we inevitably get a little nervous if the prescribed medicine is to be given by injection. When we ask the nurse to roll up our sleeves and say “come in,” we get the answer that we fear most. We learn that we will be a needle in the hip. Of course, there is no shame in medicine, but why get a shot in the hip?
Of course, we call it a shot in the hip, but Its medical name is intramuscular injection, that is, intramuscular injection. The reason why drugs are injected in different ways is to determine the absorption time according to the concentration of the drug. In other words, there are drugs that we can go for if given intravenously. Let’s make a short visit to the world of medicine and answer your questions such as why you get a shot in the hip and what happens after the shot.
Let’s understand the case first; Being a needle, what is an injection, why is it done?
Injection: Some of the drugs or similar substances used in the treatment of patients with the help of a needle, injector in the patient’s body It is the process of giving into a vein, cavity, canal or tissue. While the normal drug mixes with the blood through the digestive system, the drug given by injection gets into the blood much faster.
By injection method, blood is taken, blood is given, vaccine is given, medicine is given or similar liquids are given. It is one of the most widely practiced medical procedures in the world. It is applied approximately 16 billion times a year. 95 percent of the injections administered are for drug administration, while the others are for blood collection and vaccination.
Let’s get to know the injection types briefly:
- Intravenous injection
- subcutaneous injection
- Intradermal injection
- Intramuscular injection
Intravenous injection:
Intravenous injection, as the name suggests, is the direct injection of the injector into the vein. In addition to bloodletting and donating It is applied in cases where rapid results are desired by transferring the drug or similar liquid directly to the patient’s blood stream.
Subcutaneous injection:
Subcutaneous injection method is the injection of the drug or similar liquid directly under the skin. In case it is desired to be transferred to the adipose tissue is applied. It is generally applied to the abdomen, which is our fattest area. Since there is very little blood flow in the adipose tissue, the drug also mixes into the blood very slowly. We see the clearest example of this when diabetic patients inject insulin.
Intradermal injection:
Intradermal injection is one of the most difficult injection methods because the skin is between the epidermis and the hypodermis. It is applied to the dermis, which is the middle layer. It is applied to the inside of the forearm, the upper back, or the lower part of the scapula. In this method, the drug is absorbed very slowly. In addition, tuberculosis and allergy tests are also performed with this injection method.
Intramuscular injection:
It is also known as intradermal injection, intramuscular injection and intramuscular injection. Needle from the hip, needle from the arm and similar applications are intradermal injections. The drug given to the muscle is slowly but effectively assimilated by the blood vessels.
Let’s come to the curious subject; Why get a shot in the hip?
Needle from the hip, called intramuscular injection, is a type of intramuscular injection. In this type of injection slow absorption of the drug by the muscles and it is expected to mix in the blood that way. It can be shot from the arm as well as from the hip.
Fine, but if you’re asking why from the hips, those who squat actually know this answer very well. Our hips have one of the most dense muscle mass. Of course, we usually use that area for sitting, but the muscle group extending from the hips to the legs is the most intense muscle group in our body.
When the injection is made from the hip, the drug mixes directly between the muscles and starts to be absorbed. High vascular density as well as muscle density The drug, which is slowly absorbed from this area, spreads throughout the body at the desired rate. When you get up after the needle and take a step or two, this process accelerates even more.
To summarize, the reason for injection from the hip; The fact that the drug is absorbed slowly by the muscles, but at the same time spreads to other parts of the body at the desired speed. In other words, our hips successfully fulfill this task as if they were created for drugs that are required to be absorbed slowly and spread rapidly.
What about your arm?
Actually it does. The biceps, i.e. biceps, muscles in the upper arm of our body have as much muscle mass as our hips, and the vein density is also very good. But let’s come Can it withstand the amount of medicine?
The reason why the drug in question is given to the muscle, not the vein. when administered directly into the blood the possibility of vascular damage. Of course, there are other reasons, but since the main reason is the density of the drug, our arm muscles may not be able to handle this density. For the hip muscles, this is a much easier situation.
Of course, let’s say the doctor prescribed medicine and wanted it to be given with a needle from the hip. You have a problem, let’s see if it’s not an arm. Depending on the type of drug, its intensity and your condition, it may be appropriate to administer it by the physician through the arm.
Where and how to make an injection from the hip?
We say it this way because it is known as a needle from the hip among the people, but if you have paid attention, the needle is not exactly from the hip. It is made in an area close to the waist. Before injection, an imaginary cross is drawn on the hip and the injection is made in the upper right or upper left part. That’s why we don’t need to strip the whole trousers.
Although injection from the hip may seem simple, it has great risks. The reason for making the right or left upper part just outside is because that region has the least veins. Another reason is that it starts from the hip and goes down. It is the greater sciatic nerve. The needle is injected into the most comfortable area that will not coincide with the nerve or vein.
Is swelling, pain, burning, itching normal after hip injection?
A needle enters our body in an unusual way, and it is not enough and a drug is injected; Of course, such pain and similar complaints are normal. In fact, with some types of drugs, these complaints can even be extremely severe. So if you’re having minor issues, you don’t have to worry.
But some situations can be risky. A vessel or nerve may have been damaged during the injection. Your body may be reacting differently to the medicine given. Therefore, after the injection from the hip wait near the health facility for a while. If you see an unusual reaction in your body, consult a physician immediately.
Bonus:
One of the most common injection methods We talked about the details you need to know about the needle from the hip. Of course, this is a medical issue and has many more details, but in this article, we tried to provide basic information in a way that everyone can understand.