What Is A Lancet?
How To Use A Lancet And Lancing Device: A lancet is a piece of steel that is shaped with a point. It is used to prick the skin on your finger. Using the lancet is the way you get blood to use to test your blood glucose level. Not all lancets are used for pricking. Some of them are used to make tiny incisions in the skin. Lancets use different gauges and affect the size of the incision. The lower the gauge number, the larger the incision. The higher the gauge number, the smaller the incision. Some people prefer the lancets that have higher gauges comfortable because they inflict little to no pain. However, it may take several tries before you can get an ample amount of blood for testing.
What Is A Lancing Device?
This instrument has a spring inside that forces the lancet to prick or make an incision on your finger. After it pricks your finger, it draws back quickly. With a lancing device, you can change how deep or shallow you want the incision to be. Depending on what measurement you choose, it can alleviate additional pain and discomfort. However, you have to remember whether or not you want to sacrifice a deeper incision or additional pain and discomfort.
Different Lancet Sizes
If you’re not getting the results you want, try using a different lancet size. If that doesn’t help, thoroughly wash your hands with warm water. Using a shaking exercise, shake you hands prior to trying again. This exercise can help stimulate the blood flow in your fingers. After you’ve pricked your finger, massage them in order to stimulate bleeding.
Lancing Device Settings
Lancing devices have up to five measurement setting you can use. The best setting to use is the third one in the middle. You will have to change the level as the spring starts to wear in the lancing device. You will know that your lancing device is at the shallowest point (five) when you realize you have to exert extra pressure and energy to get the lancet to puncture your skin. At this point, you will need to replace the lancing device.
Lancet Usage
It’s been said that a single lancet can be used more than once. However, due to health concerns, it is not wise to do that. Because the lancets are already thin, they can easily get worn out if the same one is used more than once. In fact, lancets are only made to be used once. Afterward, you discard them and use a new one.
There is also a lubricant on the lancet, but it’s only so much on there. More than likely, it’s not enough to justify repeated use. The more you try to use it, the rougher it can get on your skin because the lubrication would have worn off. Your best bet, in this case, is to replace the lancet after each time you use them. That way, you won’t have to concern yourself with injury or infection by continually using the same lancet and little lubrication.