There are situations when you need to get tested, but the person drank. Accordingly, the question arises whether it is possible to drink alcohol before donating blood? First of all, people are not interested in rumors, but in what authoritative scientific studies say about the influence of alcohol on blood tests.
Alcohol and blood composition
One should know: alcohol affects all organs and systems of the body because it is currently absorbed into the blood and changes its composition. This is the main reason that alcohol affects the blood test and changes the indicators.
Therefore, if you want to get accurate results and drink the day before, you must consider whether it is possible to donate blood after alcohol and, if possible, postpone blood donation for two or three days. Of course, the effect of alcohol on blood tests may be small, and in some cases the indicators will not change much: much depends on individual body characteristics, the amount drunk, the type of analysis and the type of alcohol. But still, it is better not to take risks: if the analysis pays off, you can lose serious money.
And if it is more or less clear with vodka, then when it comes to low-alcohol drinks, in order for an alcoholic to understand whether it is possible to drink beer before taking it, you must understand exactly how to drink alcohol before tests. affects the organism. To do this, you need to have an idea of how alcohol affects metabolism and other processes.
Clinical blood test
Alcohol causes dehydration of the body, which causes blood clots. This leads to the fact that a general blood test can show a false increase in the number of leukocytes, erythrocytes, platelets, when their number has not changed, but the amount of water in the blood.
Maybe there is another picture. For example, excess alcohol reduces the level of white blood cells in the blood. This is due to the fact that immune cells die in the fight against toxins, due to which the number of leukocytes becomes below normal. The fewer white blood cells in the blood, the harder it is for the body to deal with infections.
Of course, it is unlikely that drinking one or two doses of alcohol will negatively affect the functioning of the immune system. But if you drink a lot of alcohol, this is a completely different story. If a person feels intoxicated for some time after drinking, it is an accurate indicator that the immune system is damaged. Such amounts of alcohol create a lack of nutrients, which weakens the immune system. And all this is able to show the analysis.
Alcohol also has a negative effect on red blood cells: it causes them to stick to each other. As a result, accumulations of red blood cells often cannot pass into narrow blood vessels and block blood flow in capillaries. This significantly reduces the supply of oxygen to the tissues, and the cells of the body begin to experience oxygen starvation. This negatively affects the health condition, and thus the analysis.
Biochemical analysis
Alcohol should not be drunk during any blood tests, including if it is necessary to take an analysis of the biochemical composition of plasma. This information is needed by the doctor to get information about the normal functioning of the kidneys, liver, heart and other important organs.
Biochemical blood test indicators include studies of enzymes, proteins, hormones, electrolytes, glucose, potassium, sodium, chlorine, carbon dioxide and other substances. Excessive or accidental drinking can lead to acid-base imbalance and changes in the levels of all indicators, which will affect the results of the analysis.
Alcohol consumption negatively affects the functioning of the cardiovascular system. Therefore, if a doctor prescribes tests to diagnose her work, the results will be negative. For example, if we talk about how alcohol affects total cholesterol (needed to create brain tissue, nerve cells, hormones), then alcohol increases its level in the blood no less than animal fats.
Although the body needs cholesterol, its excess amount can cause heart disease, because it is the cause of atherosclerosis.
Another type of blood test that is greatly affected by alcohol consumption are tests that check liver function. Basically, they measure whether the enzymes they produce have deviated from the norm. Their number after alcohol may increase or decrease, depending on the condition of the liver.
After consuming alcohol, the level of ammonia in the blood increases, which is the end product of protein metabolism. It then enters the liver through a portal vein, where it is converted to urea. The level of this toxic substance greatly affects the acid-base balance and function of the brain. Alcohol consumption increases the amount of this toxin in the blood and poisons the tissues.
Hormones and alcohol
If a person drinks alcohol before a blood test for hormones, the result will be unreliable. The fact is that hormones are chemicals that control and coordinate the activity of all tissues and organs. Each of them is secreted by a specific gland and after entering the bloodstream is directed to the target cell.
In order for the hormonal system to function normally and the tissues to react properly, the amount of hormones in the blood must be constantly normal. Alcohol consumption significantly disrupts the work of glands that produce hormones, which negatively affects health. Therefore, if a person drinks before donating blood, the work of the hormonal system will be disturbed, which will affect the test results. Therefore, the answer to the question of whether it is possible to drink alcohol before giving blood for hormones is no.
One example of the effect of alcohol on the hormonal system is its effect on sex hormones. Among them, the most important are two groups of hormones - androgens and estrogens. These hormones affect puberty, and various manifestations of secondary and primary sexual characteristics in men and women (hair growth, breast development, menstrual cycle, fertility).
Alcohol negatively affects all these processes, which affects the results of the analysis, and the answer is whether it is possible to drink alcohol before donating blood. If you constantly drink alcohol, impotence and infertility often develop.
alcohol and glucose
If you have to donate blood for sugar (glucose), then you should know that, although it is not a hormone, it clearly shows whether two other hormones, insulin and glucagon, which are produced by the pancreas, do their job. The fact is that glucose is the main source of energy in the body, thanks to which cells can grow and develop.
Hormones of the pancreas, as well as the adrenal and pituitary glands, regulate and maintain normal blood glucose levels. For example, the job of insulin is to deliver glucose to every cell in the body. Its work is especially important for brain activity, because it does not store glucose, but is completely dependent on the blood supply to this substance.
Alcohol disrupts the work of all these glands, which slows down the metabolism of glucose, and its level is below normal. But there can also be a leap in the big direction. For example, in chronic alcoholics, on the other hand, blood glucose levels increase, causing a decrease in insulin receptor sensitivity.
In any case, the deviation of sugar from the norm is an alarming sign. Therefore, if a person gives blood sugar after drinking alcohol, he may suspect that he has diabetes.
When it is allowed to take
So, it is obvious that alcohol, negatively affecting the work of many organs and systems, is the reason that blood tests give negative results, which is why the doctor is alarmed. How long it takes the body to work depends on:
- how much time has passed since the last dose taken;
- how much the person drank;
- How much does he drink at all?
If it was a glass of wine, you can give blood for general analysis in one day. If you need to undergo a biochemical or other analysis that requires more thorough preparation, it is allowed to come to the analysis after three days. In case of taking a serious dose of alcohol, it is necessary to endure a longer period before taking the tests. It is better to wait two weeks to get the most accurate data.