According to studies, laboratory examinations are 60-80% helpful in establishing a diagnosis.Of course, this is not the only thing that influences the diagnosis.To do this, it is necessary to compare the patient’s complete medical history and accompanying symptoms, but without tests, diagnosis is almost impossible, since they allow one to see the full picture.Therefore, it is extremely important to ensure that nothing interferes with the test results, as this will 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 potent poison.When consuming even a small amount of an adult beverage, the immune system is activated, attacking the harmful substance and trying to neutralize it.Protective reactions are activated aimed at quickly removing toxins and combating harmful effects.Under the influence of decay products, the chemical and qualitative composition of blood, seminal fluid, and urine changes.The immune system is weakened, as blood cells are destroyed, their membranes are destroyed, and the blood coagulates, forming blood clots.The kidneys and liver begin to work harder.Their cells are destroyed, lipid-fat metabolism is disrupted, and severe intoxication occurs.The poison is not removed 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.In addition, the breakdown products of ethyl alcohol can react with substances that are used in laboratory research.This also makes it difficult to accurately determine the presence of diseases and confuses medical workers.
Once in the stomach, alcohol poison is first absorbed into the blood and causes changes in it that last for several days.As a result, the membranes of blood cells are damaged, blood clots form, hemoglobin and sugar levels decrease, and cholesterol increases.All this increases the likelihood of incorrect diagnoses.The doctor may not recognize such serious diseases 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.The concentration of lactic and uric acids increases, which will also spoil the results of biochemical analysis.Calcium, magnesium, phosphorus are washed out.When sampling from a vein, this is even more important for accurately depicting the patient's condition.
Alcohol-containing drinks also change hormonal levels, increasing stress hormones, as ethanol affects the functioning of the adrenal glands and thyroid gland.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 decreased immunity, a false positive result for viral infections such as hepatitis and HIV is possible.Therefore, if the recommendations are not followed, it is better to warn the doctor about this 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 the doctor will not be able to determine the presence of anemia, if any.
Thus, the doctor is able to miss the presence of such serious diseases 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 may feel worse after the procedure, lose consciousness, and become nauseated and vomiting.
The effect of alcohol on urine analysis
Alcohol and its breakdown products remain in the urine much longer than in the blood.How long 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 acids increases, which significantly distorts the results.Glucose readings will also not correspond to reality.Glucose is formed in the liver, which is known to be the first to be injured.
The kidneys, whose task is cleansing, will work hard to complete their task.They will actively get rid of the breakdown products of alcohol 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 your urine using diuretics.This will indeed 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 spermogram
Semen is a highly volatile fluid that is easily affected by the toxins found in recreational drinks.The main indication for a spermogram is infertility.Since alcohol greatly affects the ability of the seed to fertilize, consuming this product is highly undesirable before this procedure.
Due to exposure to ethanol in seminal fluid, the number of viable sperm is reduced, their motility decreases, the number of sperm decreases and the number of defective cells increases.This leads to a deterioration in sperm count, 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 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 the male reproductive cells.
If a defective sperm fertilizes an egg, then fetal pathologies, miscarriages, and mutations are possible.Therefore, ethyl harms not only indicators, but also prevents the conception of a healthy child.You should avoid it while planning a pregnancy to avoid such consequences.
What may be the test results if you do not follow the recommendations?
Drinking even a small dose of ethyl alcohol before collecting samples for laboratory testing greatly distorts the results.As stated above, this leads to misdiagnosis.A specialist may fail to notice serious illnesses and fail to prescribe the necessary treatment in a timely manner.It is also likely that the wrong treatment will be prescribed, which will lead to a worsening of the condition.Untimely treatment of some diseases sometimes leads to irreversible consequences and to a condition where treatment will no longer have an effect.
It is possible that the doctor will make a false diagnosis of 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, since it is unknown how an intoxicated person will react to the intervention itself, to anesthesia.In addition, doctors risk making mistakes during surgery, relying on incorrect data obtained while the patient is hungover.Such mistakes can have dire consequences.
How to prepare for testing
Most blood tests are carried out in the morning after fasting for eight to twelve Alcohol and tests: influence on the results.hours.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 test.It is also necessary to exclude possible hormone surges due to stress or overexertion, and not to 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.Physical activity, chewing gum, caffeine and tobacco products are prohibited on this day.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 your sugar level, it is also forbidden to brush your teeth.
Before donating urine, it is not recommended to eat foods that are colored a different color, or drink 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 urination after waking up.
A week before the spermogram, you should give up alcohol.It is recommended to refrain from ejaculation 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.