According to studies, laboratory tests are 60-80% useful in establishing a diagnosis.Of course, this is not the only factor that influences the diagnosis.To do this it is necessary to compare the patient's complete medical history and associated symptoms, but without tests the diagnosis is almost impossible, since they allow you to see the complete picture.Therefore, it is extremely important to ensure that nothing interferes with the test results, as this would interfere with an accurate diagnosis.
Alcohol is one of the factors that can make diagnosis difficult and seriously affect test results.Below we describe in more detail the reasons why its use is strictly not recommended before such medical procedures.
The effect of alcohol on blood tests
It has been scientifically proven that ethyl acts on the human body as a powerful poison.When you consume even a small amount of an adult beverage, your immune system activates, attacking the harmful substance and trying to neutralize it.Protective reactions are activated to quickly remove toxins and combat harmful effects.Under the influence of decomposition products, the chemical and qualitative composition of blood, semen and urine changes.The immune system is weakened, as blood cells are destroyed, their membranes are destroyed, and the blood coagulates, forming clots.The kidneys and liver begin to work harder.Their cells are destroyed, lipid and fat metabolism is disrupted, and severe intoxication occurs.The poison is not removed quickly from the body.Depending on your metabolic rate, this process lasts from two to three to seven days.
Of course, these processes significantly affect blood, urine and semen tests.They don't allow you to see the real picture of what is happening in the body without the influence of ethanol.Furthermore, the degradation products of ethyl alcohol can react with substances used in laboratory research.This also makes it difficult to accurately determine the presence of disease and confuses healthcare workers.
Once in the stomach, the poison from alcohol is first absorbed into the blood and causes changes that last for several days.As a result, blood cell membranes are damaged, blood clots form, hemoglobin and sugar levels decrease, and cholesterol increases.All of this increases the likelihood of misdiagnosis.The doctor may not recognize serious diseases such as diabetes and anemia, and may not detect the inflammatory process in time.
In addition, alcohol has an extremely negative effect on the biochemical composition of the blood, distorting the concentration of micro- and macroelements, minerals and metals.It increases the concentration of lactic and uric acid, which will also ruin the results of the biochemical analysis.Calcium, magnesium, phosphorus are washed away.When taking a sample from a vein, this is even more important to accurately represent the patient's condition.
Drinks containing alcohol also change hormone levels, increasing stress hormones, as ethanol affects the functioning of the adrenal and thyroid glands.These glands are responsible for producing important hormones.Deviations from the normal level of these hormones may indicate serious diseases that require timely treatment.
Due to reduced immunity, a false positive result is possible for viral infections such as hepatitis and HIV.Therefore, if the recommendations are not followed, it is better to notify the doctor and reschedule the procedure for another day.
Interestingly, different types of strong drinks have different effects on the body.For example, dark beer increases hemoglobin due to its high iron content.This means that your doctor will not be able to determine the presence of anemia, if any.
Therefore, the doctor is able to ignore the presence of serious diseases such as malignant neoplasms, diabetes, hepatitis and HIV infections and so on.For this reason it is not recommended to drink strong drinks two or three days before the test.
Among other things, during a hangover a person is too weak and dehydrated, and therefore he may feel worse after the procedure, lose consciousness, have nausea and vomiting.
The effect of alcohol on urinalysis
Alcohol and its breakdown products remain in the urine much longer than in the blood.The length of time alcohol remains in the urine depends on individual characteristics, including metabolism.However, it is better to play it safe and not drink for five to seven days before the test than to get incorrect results.
During alcohol intoxication, the concentration of uric and lactic acid increases, which significantly distorts the results.Glucose readings will also not match reality.Glucose is formed in the liver, which is known to be the first to be damaged.
The kidneys, whose job is cleaning, will work hard to complete their task.They will actively get rid of the degradation products of alcoholic poison, which will lead to their high concentration in the urine.However, you should not try to speed up the process of removing toxins from urine by using diuretics.This will actually help speed up cleansing, but will lead to more severe dehydration, additional stress on the kidneys and increased urine concentration, and it will still not be possible to completely remove harmful substances.
The effect of alcohol on the spermogram
Semen is a highly volatile fluid that is easily affected by toxins found in recreational beverages.The main indication for a spermogram is infertility.Since alcohol greatly affects the ability of the seed to fertilize, the consumption of this product is highly undesirable before this procedure.
Due to exposure to ethanol in semen, the number of viable sperm decreases, their motility decreases, the number of sperm decreases, and the number of defective cells increases.This leads to a deterioration in the number of sperm, so it is not recommended to drink beforehand for seven days.
Even low-alcohol drinks have an effect, since even a small ethanol content worsens the condition of the sperm.Beer is especially harmful to men's health.Despite the low percentage of alcohol, this drink is dangerous because it contains phytoestrogens.This substance is a plant analogue of the female hormone, the excess of which negatively affects male reproductive cells.
If a defective sperm fertilizes an egg, fetal pathologies, miscarriages and mutations are possible.Therefore, ethyl damages not only the indicators, but also prevents the conception of a healthy child.You should avoid it while planning a pregnancy to avoid such consequences.
What could the test results be if the recommendations are not followed?
Drinking even a small dose of ethyl alcohol before collecting samples for laboratory testing significantly distorts the results.As mentioned above, this leads to misdiagnosis.A specialist may not notice serious diseases and may not timely prescribe the necessary treatment.It is also likely that the wrong treatment will be prescribed, which will lead to a worsening of the condition.Premature treatment of some diseases sometimes leads to irreversible consequences and a condition in which the treatment will no longer be effective.
It is possible that the doctor will make a false diagnosis of a viral or infectious disease due to reduced immunity and prescribe unnecessary treatments, thereby only harming the patient.Drinking alcohol before surgery is especially dangerous, since it is not known how an intoxicated person will react to the surgery itself, to anesthesia.Furthermore, doctors risk making mistakes during surgery, relying on incorrect data obtained while the patient has a hangover.Such errors can have disastrous consequences.
How to prepare for the test
Most blood tests are performed in the morning after a fast from eight to twelve.Alcohol and exams: influence on results.hours.During this period you can only drink water.It is necessary to abstain from alcohol for two or three days.Smoking is prohibited one hour before the test.It is also necessary to exclude possible hormonal changes due to stress or excessive effort and not take medications.
Before undergoing hormone testing, it is extremely important to abstain from food for eight to twelve hours and eliminate fatty, sweet, carbonated and alcohol-containing drinks from your diet several days before the procedure.On this day, physical activity, chewing gum, caffeine and tobacco products are prohibited.It is recommended to avoid stress and emotional overload.You can take it no earlier than five days after the x-ray and ultrasound.When determining the sugar level, brushing your teeth is also prohibited.
Before donating urine, it is not recommended to eat foods colored in a different color or drink diuretics.Immediately before collection it is necessary to perform genital hygiene.It is best for women not to get tested during menstruation.The first portion of urine collected is the first urination after waking up.
A week before the spermogram, you should give up alcohol.It is recommended to refrain from ejaculating and smoking for three days.This will allow you to determine the quantity and quality of sperm in the seminal fluid as accurately as possible.