What is a Lance?

What is a Lance?
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What is Lancing?

Have you ever had a large sore on your body that never came to a head? It hurts to touch and irritates you as it rubs against your clothes or any other item. What can you do? What is this thing on your body that is causing you so much discomfort for no apparent reason?

Chances are it is a boil. Chances are it’s quite painful and you have no idea how it came about. And the best chance of all is that you really just want to get rid of it, right now! The good news is that you can get rid of it. The bad news is that someone is going to have to touch it for you to get rid of it. They are going to do a procedure called lancing.

To lance something like a boil, a doctor will first apply some type of antiseptic. Next, if he is a good and cautious doctor he will cover the area surrounding the boil with some type of protective layer, whether it is gauze or a thin sheet of paper or plastic. This prevents the infection from touching any other part of your body as he releases it from the boil.

The doctor is going to make an incision in the boil. As soon as he does you are going to feel immediate relief as your skin is allowed to go back to its original form and the infection is releases from the boil, causes the pain of the pressure to abate. The boil must be allowed to drain completely. Topical antibiotics may be applied or oral antibiotics may be prescribed. If the infection goes deep enough, the doctor may have to insert a tube into the infected area to assist in draining.

While this may sound like something simple and you may be tempted to do it at home, don’t. Your doctor is using tools that are extremely sharp and he knows exactly how deep to make the cut as well as how large to make it. If the incision is not made large enough, the skin will heal up around the infection before the infection is completely drained from the boil. Discuss any fears or concerns you have with your doctor before the procedure.

References:The Medical Dictionary