Before prescribing treatment for a disease, the required examination must be carried out. The choice of therapeutic treatment depends on the correct diagnosis. But taking medications or substances can negatively affect the test results. It is also worth considering that you should not drink alcohol before the tests, as strong drinks cangreatly changes the results. And to make sure of this, it is worth considering the features of the influence of alcohol on the examinations carried out.
The effect of alcohol on blood tests
When diagnosing various diseases, blood tests are often performed. It allows you to determine the causes of a pathology, its form, its degree of complexity and many other indicators. To ensure accurate results, conditions that could modify them should be excluded, including the consumption of beverages containing alcohol.
Take note! Careful preparation is necessary before taking the tests. Recommended1 to 2 days before diagnosisstop drinking alcoholic beverages and taking various medications.
How does alcohol affect blood tests:
- It causes the 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;
- Glucose synthesis in the liver slows down. Drinking alcoholic beverages before testing can be diagnosticdiagnostic errorin a healthy person, namely diabetes;
- Increases lactic acid. As a result, incorrect diagnoses may be made, which may be related to the heart and blood vessels;
- Increases urea levels;
- Increases the indicatorcholesterol;
- Increases neutral fat content. As a result, the specialist can assume that the patient has problems with blood vessels, heart activity and liver;
- Causes changes in the content of micro- and macroelements. This makes it difficult to determine which substances are necessary;
- Leads tochanges in hormonal levels.
Alcoholic beverages significantly distort blood test results. Incorrect readings can lead the doctor to make a diagnosisdiagnostic error. And this can be a consequence of choosing an inappropriate therapeutic treatment, which can harm health.
Features of the influence of alcoholic beverages on test results
You should not drink alcohol before taking tests. Products containing alcohol maygreatly changes the results, but it's not just worth giving up before making a diagnosis. Nicotine, non-compliance with a healthy diet, as well as various medications cause distortion of indicators.
How does this affect the overall analysis?
When asked if alcohol can be consumed before blood tests, experts will answer in the negative. Under the influence of alcoholic components, research data may be distorted:
- Red blood cells are destroyed;
- Cholesterol levels increase (sometimes they can reach up to 80%);
- Hemoglobin decreases.
The main danger of consuming alcohol-containing drinks just before diagnosis is that theyhave a strong effecton indicators of erythrocyte concentration. This destroys them, but they are of great importance for health. They carry oxygen from the respiratory system to various organs and tissues, and return carbon dioxide to the respiratory organs.
When exposed to ethyl alcohol, destruction of the erythrocyte membrane is observed. That impliesdisruption of their movements, they stop repelling each other and stick to each other. As a result, the level of red blood cells decreases, which leads to a considerable decrease in hemoglobin. At the same time, microthrombi are formed and microcirculation deteriorates.
Under the influence of alcoholic beverages, the structure of the blood becomes viscous. As a result, clots appear that cannot pass through the capillary and vascular walls. And this phenomenon can belife-threateningperson. This interferes with a complete blood test.
Impact on the results of biochemical studies
Particularly affectsalcohol during biochemical blood tests, this distorts the results obtained. This study is complete. Thanks to it, you will be able to find out which components are not enough for the body, and which, on the contrary, are present in excessive quantities.
Under the influence of alcoholic beverages, changes in the biochemical blood test are observed:
- Decreased glucose levels;
- Decreased urea levels;
- Cells cannot absorb oxygen at full capacity;
- Deterioration of a person's well-being.
Consumption of alcoholic beverages can cause a sharp decrease in glucose levels. This can be particularly dangerous if you have diabetes.
When you drink alcohol, uric acid levels in the blood decrease, which can harm your health. The doctor canmisdiagnose. Reduced urea levels can indicate serious circulatory problems. Urea is necessary to remove nitrogen from the body, and if this element is high, it can indicate the presence of gout and chronic arthritis.
Alcohol often causes 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 during testing. However, it is believed that they are capable of identifyingvarious infections. Nevertheless, ethyl alcohol can significantly change the results, so that even a professional cannot understand them.
You should not take tests after drinking alcohol, it is better to wait 2-3 days. If a patient undergoes a biochemical study while hungover, he or she may experience the following conditions:
- Fainting;
- The appearance of prolonged headaches;
- Signs of nausea;
- To vomit.
Usually, during 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 andinfluence negativelyon cerebral circulation.
If you are faced with the problem of alcoholism, the modern clinic offers alcohol treatment services using effective methods.
Impact on blood sample results for sugar
Blood tests to measure blood sugar are usually prescribed to patients with 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, which creates 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: an increase or a decrease in blood sugar.
1 gram of ethyl alcohol causes an increase in kilocalories to almost 7 units. The fact is that molecules in alcoholic beverages instantly interfere with metabolic processes. And under the influence of liver enzymes, glucose is formed. What happens at the endincreased sugar levelsIn the blood.
Drinks containing alcohol can temporarily lower blood sugar levels. It is maintained within normal limits for 2. 5 hours a day, thanks to carbohydrates entering the digestive organs. During the rest of the period, the liver produces glucose; it uses the body’s reserves. However, alcohol candisrupt this process, which can cause a drop in glucose.
The effect of alcohol on urinalysis
You should not drink alcohol before taking a urine test, as drinking can change the test results. If alcoholic beverages have already been drunk, you should not carry out diagnostics the next day, it is better to wait 2-5 days for ethyl alcoholcompletely behindfrom the body.
Under the influence of alcohol, the following changes in analyzes can be observed:
- There is an increase in urea levels;
- Increased lactic acid;
- Increased glucose levels;
- If alcoholic beverages contained coloring components, preservatives or elements intended to enhance taste, traces of these substances will be detected in urine for at least 2-3 days.
To speed up the elimination of alcohol, it is not recommended to drink medications with a diuretic effect. They are goingoverload 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 significantly change the data of any test - blood, urine and even spermogram. That's why heNot recommendeddrink before the exam. It is especially important to stop drinking alcohol before testing during major operations.
If the illness is not very serious, small amounts of alcohol are allowed. But the doctor must inform each patient of this.individually.
Before 2-3 days after diagnosis, you must stop consuming alcohol-containing drinks. During this period, the body experiences an attenuation of processes that can greatly affect the condition 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 could ultimately leadto an incorrect diagnosis. It is best not to take alcohol-containing drinks or medications a few days before diagnosis. The only situation where alcohol does not change the indicators is a test for alcohol intoxication, which is indicated for drivers and some workers.