Before prescribing treatment for any disease, the required examination must be carried out. The selection of therapeutic therapy depends on the correct diagnosis. But taking any drugs or substances can negatively affect the test results. It is also worth considering that you should not drink alcohol before tests, because strong drinks cangreatly change the results. And to make sure of this, it is worth considering the features of the influence of alcohol on the examinations being carried out.
The effect of alcohol on blood tests
When diagnosing various diseases, blood tests are often performed. It is used to determine the causes of pathology, its form, degree of complexity and many other indicators. To ensure accurate results, it is worth excluding conditions that could change them, including drinking drinks that contain alcohol.
Take note! It is necessary to conduct thorough preparation before taking the tests. Recommended1-2 days before diagnosisstop drinking alcoholic beverages and taking various medications.
How does alcohol affect blood tests:
- It causes destruction of the membrane of red blood cells and reduces their mobility properties. When consumed, the quality of blood viscosity increases, the number of red blood cells decreases, and hemoglobin decreases;
- The synthesis of glucose in the liver slows down. Drinking alcoholic beverages before tests can cause diagnosismisdiagnosisin a healthy person, namely diabetes;
- Increases lactic acid. As a result, incorrect diagnoses may be made that may be related to the heart and blood vessels;
- Increases urea levels;
- Increases the indicatorcholesterol;
- Increases the content of neutral fats. As a result of this, the specialist may assume that the patient has problems with blood vessels, cardiac activity, and liver;
- Causes changes in the content of micro- and macroelements. This makes it difficult to determine which substances are required;
- Leads tochanges in hormonal levels.
Drinks with alcohol greatly distort blood test results. Erroneous readings may cause the doctor to diagnosemisdiagnosis. And this may be a consequence of the selection of incorrect treatment therapy, which as a result can negatively affect health.
Features of the influence of alcoholic beverages on test results
You should not drink alcohol before taking tests. Products containing alcohol maygreatly change the results, but still not only it is worth abandoning before conducting diagnostics. Nicotine, failure to follow a healthy diet, as well as various drugs cause distortion of indicators.
How does it affect the overall analysis?
When asked whether alcohol can be consumed before blood tests, experts will answer in the negative. Under the influence of alcohol components, research data may be distorted:
- Red blood cells are destroyed;
- Cholesterol levels increase (sometimes it can reach up to 80%);
- Hemoglobin decreases.
The main danger of consuming drinks containing alcohol right before the diagnosis is that theyhave a strong effecton indicators of erythrocyte concentration. It destroys them, but they are of great importance for health. They transport oxygen from the respiratory system to various organs and tissues, and transport carbon dioxide back to the respiratory organs.
When exposed to ethyl alcohol, destruction of the erythrocyte membrane is observed. It causesdisruption of their movements, they stop repelling and stick to each other. As a result, the level of red cells decreases, and this leads to the fact that hemoglobin is greatly reduced. At the same time, microthrombi form and microcirculation deteriorates.
Under the influence of alcoholic drinks, the blood structure becomes viscous. As a result, clots appear that cannot pass through the capillary and vascular walls. And this phenomenon may belife-threateningperson. It interferes with a full blood test.
Impact on the results of biochemical studies
Particularly affectsalcohol on biochemical blood tests, it distorts the results obtained. This study is complete. Using it, you can discover which components are not enough for the body, and which, on the contrary, are present in excess quantities.
Under the influence of drinks with alcohol, changes in the biochemical blood test are observed:
- Decreased glucose levels;
- Decline in urea levels;
- Cells cannot absorb oxygen at full capacity;
- Deterioration of a person's well-being.
Drinking alcoholic beverages can lead to a sharp decrease in glucose levels. This can be especially dangerous during diabetes.
When drinking alcohol, uric acid levels in the blood decrease, and this can negatively affect health. The doctor canmisdiagnose. Reduced urea levels may indicate that there are severe circulatory problems. Urea is required to remove nitrogen from the body, and if this element is elevated, this may indicate the presence of gout and chronic arthritis.
Alcohol often leads to an increase in triacylglycerols in the blood. These fats are characteristic of pathologies such as atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, cerebral vascular thrombosis, and viral hepatitis.
Important! Many specialists try not to use alcohol-containing drugs when conducting tests. However, they are believed to be capable of identifyingvarious infections. But still, ethyl alcohol can greatly change the results, so that even a professional cannot figure them out.
You should not carry out tests after drinking alcohol; it is better to wait 2-3 days. If a patient undergoes a biochemical study while hungover, he may experience the following conditions:
- Fainting;
- The occurrence of prolonged headaches;
- Signs of nausea;
- Vomit.
Usually, when performing a biochemical blood test, a small amount of blood is taken. A sober person will not notice any significant changes. However, alcohol molecules disrupt metabolic processes, andnegatively influenceon cerebral circulation.
If you are faced with the problem of alcoholism, then the modern clinic offers alcoholism treatment services using effective methods.
Impact on the results of blood sampling for sugar
Blood tests for sugar readings are usually prescribed for patients who have metabolic disorders. During the study, a finger prick is performed. If alcoholic beverages were consumed before the analysis, the composition of the blood becomes thick, this creates some difficulties when collecting it, and also increasesrisk of blood clots.
Ethyl alcohol has a detrimental effect on the liver. It also negatively affects reagents and the operation of laboratory instruments. For this reason, two different results can occur - increased or decreased blood glucose levels.
1 gram of ethyl alcohol causes an increase in kilocalories to almost 7 units. The fact is that the molecules of alcoholic beverages instantly interfere with metabolic processes. And under the influence of liver enzymes, glucose is formed. What happens in the endincrease in sugar levelsin the blood.
Drinks containing alcohol can temporarily lower blood glucose levels. It is kept within normal limits for 2. 5 hours a day; this is provided by carbohydrates that enter the digestive organs. During the rest of the period, the liver produces glucose; it resorts to reserves in the body. However, alcohol candisrupt this process, which can lead to a drop in glucose.
The effect of alcohol on urine analysis
You should not drink alcohol before taking a urine test, because the drink can change the test results. If drinks with alcohol have already been drunk, then you should not carry out diagnostics the next day; it is better to wait 2-5 days so that ethyl alcoholcompletely withdrawnfrom the body.
Under the influence of alcohol, the following changes in analyzes may be observed:
- There is an increase in urea levels;
- Increased lactic acid;
- Increase in glucose levels;
- If alcoholic beverages contained coloring components, preservatives, or elements to enhance taste, then traces of these substances will be detected in the urine for at least 2-3 days.
To speed up the elimination of alcohol, it is not recommended to drink drugs with a diuretic effect. They willoverload the kidneys. Along with harmful components, beneficial substances and a large amount of potassium will be excreted.
When can you drink alcoholic beverages?
Alcohol can greatly change the data of any tests - blood, urine and even spermogram. Therefore itNot recommendeddrink before the examination. It is especially important to stop drinking alcohol before performing a test during major operations.
If the illness is not very serious, then small amounts of alcohol are allowed. But the doctor must inform each patient about thisindividually.
Before 2-3 days of diagnosis, you must stop consuming drinks containing alcohol. During this period, the body experiences a attenuation of processes that can greatly affect the state of the body.
It is not recommended to take alcohol before tests; in any case, ethyl alcohol will have a negative effect on the results. And this may ultimately leadto a misdiagnosis. It is better not to take alcohol-containing drinks and medications a few days before the diagnosis. The only situation where alcohol does not change the indicators is an alcohol intoxication test, which is indicated for drivers and some workers.