According to studies, laboratory tests are 60-80% helpful in making a diagnosis.Of course, this is not the only thing that affects the diagnosis.To do this, it is necessary to compare the patient's complete medical history and accompanying symptoms.However, without tests, a diagnosis is almost impossible as they provide a complete overview.Therefore, it is extremely important to ensure that nothing interferes with the test results as this may affect the accurate diagnosis.
Alcohol is one of the factors that complicate diagnosis and can seriously affect test results.Below we describe in more detail the reasons why its use before such medical procedures is generally not recommended.
The effect of alcohol on blood tests
It has been scientifically proven that ethyl acts as a strong poison on the human body.Even consuming a small amount of an adult beverage activates the immune system, which attacks the pollutant and tries 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, semen and urine changes.The immune system is weakened as blood cells are destroyed, their membranes are destroyed, and the blood clots and forms blood clots.The kidneys and liver begin to work harder.Their cells are destroyed, fat metabolism is disrupted and serious poisoning occurs.The poison is not quickly removed from the body.This process takes two to three to seven days depending on your metabolic rate.
Of course, these processes have a significant impact on blood, urine and semen tests.Without the influence of ethanol, they do not allow you to see the true picture of what is happening in the body.In addition, the breakdown 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 medical staff.
Once in the stomach, alcohol poison is first absorbed into the blood and causes changes that last for several days.As a result, the membranes of the blood cells are damaged, blood clots form, hemoglobin and sugar levels fall and cholesterol levels rise.All of 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 a timely manner.
In addition, alcohol has an extremely negative effect on the biochemical composition of the blood, distorting the concentration of micro and macro elements, minerals and metals.The concentration of lactic and uric acid increases, which also affects the results of biochemical analysis.Calcium, magnesium and phosphorus are washed out.When taking a sample from a vein, this is even more important in order to accurately depict the patient's condition.
Drinks containing alcohol also alter hormone levels and increase stress hormones because ethanol impairs adrenal and thyroid function.These glands are responsible for producing important hormones.Deviations from normal levels of these hormones may indicate serious diseases that require timely treatment.
Due to reduced immunity, a false positive result is possible in viral infections such as hepatitis and HIV.Therefore, if the recommendations are not followed, it is better to inform the doctor about this and postpone the procedure for another day.
Interestingly, different types of strong drinks have different effects on the body.For example, dark beer increases hemoglobin levels due to its high iron content.This means that the doctor will not be able to determine the presence of any anemia.
This allows the doctor to miss the presence of such serious diseases as malignant neoplasms, diabetes, hepatitis and HIV infections, etc.For this reason, it is not recommended to consume strong drinks two to 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 suffer from nausea and vomiting.
The effect of alcohol on urinalysis
Alcohol and its breakdown products remain in the urine significantly longer than in the blood.How long alcohol remains in the urine depends on individual characteristics, including metabolism.However, it is better to be safe and not drink for five to seven days before the test than to get false results.
With alcohol poisoning, the concentration of uric and lactic acid increases, which significantly distorts the results.The glucose levels will also not correspond to reality.Glucose is produced in the liver, which is known to be the first to be damaged.
The kidneys, whose job is cleansing, will work hard to do their job.They actively eliminate the breakdown products of alcohol poison, which leads to a high concentration in the urine.However, you should not try to speed up the removal of toxins from your urine with diuretics.Although this contributes to accelerated cleansing, it leads to greater dehydration, additional stress on the kidneys and increased urine concentration, and complete excretion of harmful substances is still not possible.
The effect of alcohol on the spermogram
Semen is a very volatile fluid that is easily affected by the toxins found in recreational drinks.The main indication for a spermogram is infertility.Since alcohol greatly impairs the ability of seeds to fertilize, consumption of this product before this procedure is highly undesirable.
Due to the action of ethanol in semen, the number of viable sperm cells decreases, their motility decreases, the number of sperm cells decreases, and the number of defective cells increases.This leads to a deterioration in sperm count, so drinking for seven days beforehand is not recommended.
Low-alcohol drinks also have an effect, as even a low ethanol content worsens the condition of the sperm.Beer is particularly harmful to men's health.Despite the low alcohol content, this drink is dangerous because it contains phytoestrogens.This substance is a plant analogue of the female hormone, an excess of which has a negative effect on male reproductive cells.
If a defective sperm fertilizes an egg, fetal pathologies, miscarriages and mutations are possible.Therefore, ethyl not only harms the indicators, but also prevents the conception of a healthy child.You should avoid it when planning pregnancy to avoid such consequences.
What can be the test results if you do not follow the recommendations?
Drinking even a small dose of ethyl alcohol before collecting samples for laboratory tests significantly distorts the results.As mentioned above, this leads to misdiagnosis.It may be that a specialist does not recognize serious illnesses and does not prescribe the necessary treatment in a timely manner.It is also likely that incorrect treatment will be prescribed, causing the condition to worsen.Untimely treatment of some diseases sometimes leads to irreversible consequences and the fact that the treatment no longer has any effect.
It is possible that due to reduced immunity, the doctor will make an incorrect diagnosis of a viral or infectious disease and prescribe unnecessary treatments, which will only harm the patient.Drinking alcohol before the operation is particularly dangerous, as it is not known how a drunk person will react to the procedure itself, to the anesthesia.In addition, doctors risk making errors during surgery by relying on incorrect data obtained while the patient is hungover.Such mistakes can have dire consequences.
How to prepare for the exam
Most blood tests are done in the morning after a fast of eight to twelve hours.During this time you can only drink water.You need to avoid alcohol for two to three days.Smoking is prohibited one hour before the test.It is also necessary to rule out possible hormonal surges caused by stress or overexertion and to avoid taking medication.
Before a hormone test, it is extremely important to abstain from food for eight to twelve hours and eliminate fatty, sweet, carbonated and alcoholic drinks from the diet a few 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 examination.Brushing your teeth is also prohibited when determining sugar levels.
It is not recommended to eat different colored foods or drink diuretics before donating urine.Genital hygiene is required immediately before collection.It is better for women not to get tested during menstruation.The first amount of urine collected is the first urination after waking up.
You should avoid alcohol for a week before the spermogram.It is recommended to avoid ejaculation and smoking for three days.This allows you to determine the quantity and quality of sperm in the seminal fluid as accurately as possible.