There are situations in which you need to take tests, but the person drank. Thus, the question arises: is it possible to drink alcohol before donating blood? First of all, people are not interested in rumours, but what authoritative scientific studies say about the effect of alcohol on blood tests.
Alcohol and blood composition
You should know: alcohol affects every organ and system in the body due to the fact that it is instantly absorbed into the blood and changes its composition. This is the main reason why alcohol affects the blood test and changes the indicators.
That's why if you want to get accurate results and you drank the day before, you need to think about 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 can be small, and in some cases the indicators will not change much: a lot depends on the individual characteristics of the body, the amount consumed, the type of analysis and the type of alcohol. But still, it is better not to take any risks: if the analysis is paid, you can lose a lot of money.
And if it's more or less clear with vodka, then when it comes to a low-alcohol drink, for an alcohol lover to understand if it's possible to drink beer before drinking it, you need to understand exactly how alcohol is drunk before of the tests affects the body. 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 the blood to thicken. This leads to the fact that a general blood test can show a false increase in the number of leukocytes, erythrocytes, platelets, when not their number has changed, but the amount of water in the blood.
There may be another image. 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 is below normal. The fewer white blood cells in the blood, the harder it is for the body to deal with infections.
Of course, drinking one or two drinks of alcohol is unlikely to negatively affect the functioning of the immune system. But if you drink a lot of alcohol, this is an entirely different story. If some time after drinking a person feels intoxicated, this is an accurate indicator that the immune system is being impaired. With these amounts of alcohol, a lack of nutrients is created, which weakens the immune system. And all this is able to display the analysis.
Alcohol also has a negative effect on red blood cells: it makes them stick together. Because of this, clumps of red blood cells are often unable to pass into narrow vessels and block blood flow in capillaries. This significantly reduces the oxygen supply to the tissues, and the body's cells begin to lack oxygen. This negatively affects the state of health and, consequently, the analysis.
biochemical analysis
Alcohol should not be ingested during any blood test, even if an analysis of the biochemical composition of the plasma is required. This data is needed by the doctor to obtain information about the normal functioning of the kidneys, liver, heart and other important organs.
Indicators of a biochemical blood test include studies of enzymes, proteins, hormones, electrolytes, glucose, potassium, sodium, chlorine, carbon dioxide, and other substances. Excessive or accidental consumption can lead to an imbalance in acid-base balance and change the level of all indicators, which will affect the analysis results.
Drinking alcohol negatively affects the functioning of the cardiovascular system. Therefore, if the doctor prescribes tests intended to diagnose his work, the results will be negative. For example, if we talk about how alcohol affects total cholesterol (necessary 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, too much of it can cause heart disease as it is the cause of atherosclerosis.
Another type of blood test that is heavily affected by alcohol consumption are tests that check liver function. Basically, they measure whether the enzymes it produces have deviated from the norm. Their number after alcohol can be increased or decreased depending on the state of the liver.
After drinking alcohol, the level of ammonia in the blood rises, which is the end product of protein metabolism. It then enters the liver through the portal vein, where it is converted to urea. The level of this toxic substance greatly affects acid-base balance and brain function. Drinking alcohol increases the amount of this toxin in the blood and poisons the tissues.
hormones and alcohol
If a person drinks alcohol before having 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 particular 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 respond correctly, the amount of hormones in the blood must be constantly normal. Drinking alcohol significantly disrupts the activity of glands that produce hormones, having a negative impact on health. That is why if a person drinks before donating blood, the work of the hormonal system will be interrupted, which will be reflected in the test results. So, answering the question whether it is possible to drink alcohol before donating blood for hormones, the answer is no.
An example of alcohol's effect 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 has a negative effect on all these processes, which affects the results of the analysis, and the answer is, it is possible to drink alcohol before donating blood. If you drink alcohol constantly, impotence and infertility often develop.
alcohol and glucose
If you need to donate blood to get sugar (glucose), you should know that, although it is not a hormone, it clearly shows whether two other hormones, insulin and glucagon, which the pancreas produces, are doing their job. The fact is that glucose is the main source of energy in the body, thanks to which cells can grow and develop.
The hormones in the pancreas, as well as the adrenal and pituitary glands, regulate and maintain normal blood glucose levels. For example, insulin's job is to deliver glucose to every cell in the body. Its work is especially important for brain activity, as it does not store glucose, but is completely dependent on the supply of this substance by the blood.
Alcohol stops the activity of all these glands, due to which glucose metabolism slows down and its level is below normal. But there could also be a leap in the big direction. For example, in chronic alcoholics, on the contrary, the level of glucose in the blood increases, which causes a decrease in the susceptibility of the receptors to insulin.
In any case, the deviation of sugar from the norm is an alarming sign. That's why if a person donates blood for sugar after drinking alcohol, the doctor may suspect he has diabetes.
When is it allowed to take
So it is obvious that alcohol, having a negative impact on the work of many organs and systems, is the reason why the blood test gives negative results, causing the doctor to sound the alarm. How long it takes the body to make it work depends on:
- how much time has passed since the last dose was taken;
- how much the person drank;
- How much does he drink in general?
If it was a glass of wine, you can donate blood for a general analysis in one day. If you need to undergo a biochemical analysis or other analysis that requires more thorough preparation, it is allowed to arrive at analysis after three days. In the case of taking a heavy dose of alcohol, it is necessary to wait a longer period before taking the tests. To get the most accurate data, it's best to wait two weeks.