According to studies, laboratory testing is 60-80% effective in confirming the diagnosis.Of course, this is not the only thing that affects the diagnosis.To do this, it is necessary to compare the patient's entire medical history and accompanying symptoms, but without tests it is almost impossible to make a diagnosis, because they allow one to see the whole picture.Therefore, it is extremely important to ensure that nothing interferes with the test results, as this will affect the correct diagnosis.
Alcohol is one of the factors that can make diagnosis difficult and seriously affect test results.Below we describe in more detail why its use is absolutely not recommended before such medical procedures.
Effects of alcohol on blood tests
It has been scientifically proven that ethyl acts on the human body as an extremely powerful poison.When consuming even a small amount of an adult beverage, the immune system is activated, attacking the harmful substance and attempting to neutralize it.The activated protective response is aimed at quickly eliminating toxins and counteracting harmful effects.Under the influence of decomposition products, the chemical composition and quality of blood, semen and urine change.The immune system is weakened due to the destruction of blood cells, their membranes are destroyed and the blood coagulates, forming clots.The kidneys and liver begin to work harder.Their cells are destroyed, lipid-fat metabolism is disrupted and severe intoxication occurs.Toxins are not eliminated from the body quickly.Depending on the metabolic rate, this process lasts from two to three to seven days.
Of course, these processes significantly affect blood, urine and sperm tests.They do not allow you to see the real picture of what is happening in the body without the influence of ethanol.Additionally, the breakdown products of ethyl alcohol may react with substances used in laboratory research.This also makes it difficult to accurately determine the presence of illness and confuses medical staff.
Once in the stomach, alcohol toxins are first absorbed into the bloodstream and cause 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 this increases the likelihood of incorrect diagnosis.Doctors may not recognize serious diseases such as diabetes or anemia and may not detect the inflammatory process in time.
In addition, alcohol has an extremely negative effect on the biochemical composition of blood, distorting the concentration of micro and macro elements, minerals and metals.Increased levels of lactic acid and uric acid will also damage the results of biochemical analysis.Calcium, magnesium, phosphorus are washed away.When sampling from a vein, this is even more important to accurately characterize the patient's condition.
Drinks that contain alcohol also alter hormone levels, increasing stress hormones because ethanol affects the functioning of the adrenal and thyroid glands.These glands are responsible for the production of important hormones.Deviation from normal levels of these hormones can indicate serious diseases that require timely treatment.
Due to reduced immunity, false positive results for viral infections such as hepatitis and HIV can occur.Therefore, if the recommendations are not followed, it is better to warn the doctor about this and reschedule the procedure for another day.
It is interesting that 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.
Due to this, the doctor may miss the presence of serious diseases such as malignant tumors, diabetes, hepatitis and HIV infection, etc.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, so may feel worse after the procedure, lose consciousness, experience nausea and vomiting.
Effect of alcohol on urinalysis
Alcohol and its breakdown products persist longer in urine than in blood.How long alcohol stays in urine depends on individual characteristics, including metabolism.However, it's better to play it safe and not drink alcohol for 5 to 7 days before the test than to get a wrong result.
During alcohol intoxication, the concentration of uric acid and lactic acid increases, significantly distorting the results.The glucose index will also not correspond to reality.Glucose is formed in the liver, which is known to be the first organ to be damaged.
The kidneys, which are responsible for cleaning, will work hard to complete their task.They will actively eliminate the breakdown products of alcohol toxins, which will lead to high concentrations in the urine.However, you should not try to speed up the process of removing toxins from urine with diuretics.This will actually help speed up cleansing, but will lead to more severe dehydration, putting additional strain on the kidneys and increasing urine concentration, while still not being able to completely eliminate harmful substances.
Effects of alcohol on sperm
Semen is a volatile liquid that is easily affected by toxins found in recreational drinks.The main indication for spermography is infertility.Since alcohol greatly affects the fertilization of seeds, the consumption of this product is undesirable before this procedure.
Due to exposure to ethanol in semen, the number of viable sperm decreases, their motility decreases, sperm count decreases, and the number of defective cells increases.This leads to reduced sperm count so it should not be taken before for seven days.
Even drinks with low alcohol content will help, as even small amounts of ethanol can worsen sperm conditions.Beer is especially harmful to men's health.Even though the alcohol percentage is low, this drink is still dangerous because it contains phytoestrogens.This substance is a plant analogue of female hormones, which in excess will negatively affect male reproductive cells.
If a defective sperm fertilizes an egg, fetal pathologies, miscarriages, and mutations can occur.So, ethyl not only harms indicators, but also interferes with conceiving a healthy child.You should avoid it while planning your pregnancy to avoid such consequences.
What can the test results be if you do not follow the recommendations?
Drinking even a small amount of ethyl alcohol before collecting a sample for laboratory testing greatly skews the results.As stated above, this leads to misdiagnosis.A specialist may not notice serious illnesses and not prescribe the necessary treatment in time.There is also a possibility that the wrong treatment will be prescribed, which will lead to aggravation of the condition.Untimely treatment of some diseases sometimes leads to irreparable consequences and leads to a situation where the treatment is no longer effective.
It is possible that the doctor will misdiagnose a viral or infectious disease due to reduced immunity and prescribe unnecessary treatment, thereby only harming the patient.Drinking alcohol before surgery is especially dangerous, because it is unknown how a drunk person will react to the intervention itself, to the anesthesia.In addition, doctors risk making mistakes during surgery, relying on inaccurate data obtained when the patient is drunk.Such mistakes can have serious consequences.
How to prepare for testing
Most blood tests are done in the morning after fasting for 8 to 12 hours.Alcohol and tests: influence on results.hour.During this time, you can only drink water.You must abstain from alcohol for two to three days.Smoking is prohibited one hour before the exam.It is also necessary to exclude the possibility of increased hormones due to stress or excessive physical exertion and not take medications.
Before undergoing hormone testing, it is extremely important to abstain from food for 8 to 12 hours and eliminate fatty, sweet, carbonated, and alcoholic beverages from your diet several days before the procedure.Physical activity, chewing gum, caffeine and tobacco products are prohibited on this day.Stress and emotional overload should be avoided.You can take it no earlier than five days after X-rays and ultrasound.When determining your sugar intake, you are also not allowed to brush your teeth.
Before donating urine, do not eat foods of other colors or take diuretics.Immediately before collection, it is necessary to perform genital hygiene.It is better for women not to get tested during menstruation.The first portion of urine collected is the first void after waking up.
One week before sperm retrieval, you should give up alcohol.Ejaculation and smoking should be avoided for three days.This will allow you to determine the quantity and quality of sperm in the semen as accurately as possible.