There are situations when you need to take tests, but the person drank. Accordingly, the question arises, is it possible to drink alcohol before donating blood? First of all, people are not interested in rumors, but what authoritative scientific studies say about the effect of alcohol on blood tests.
Alcohol and blood composition
You should know: alcohol affects all organs and systems of the body due to the fact that it is instantly absorbed into the blood and changes its composition. This is the main reason that alcohol affects the blood test and changes the indicators.
That is why, if you want to get accurate results and 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 may turn out to be small, and in some cases the indicators will not change much: a lot depends on the individual characteristics of the body, the amount drunk, the type of analysis, and the type of alcohol. But still, it’s better not to take risks: if the analysis is paid, you can lose serious money.
And if it’s more or less clear with vodka, then when it comes to a low-alcohol drink, in order for an alcohol lover to understand whether it is possible to drink beer before taking it, you need to understand exactly how alcohol drunk before 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 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 more difficult it is for the body to cope with infections.
Of course, drinking one or two doses of alcohol is unlikely to negatively affect the functioning of the immune system. But if a lot of alcohol is drunk, this is a completely different story. If some time after drinking a person feels intoxicated, this is an accurate indicator that the immune system is being harmed. With such quantities 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 causes them to stick together with each other. Because of this, clumps of red blood cells are often unable to pass into narrow vessels, and block blood flow in the capillaries. This significantly reduces the supply of tissues with oxygen, and the cells of the body begin to experience oxygen starvation. This negatively affects the state of health, and, accordingly, 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 the plasma. These data are needed by the doctor in order 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 drinking can lead to an imbalance in the acid-base balance and change the level of all indicators, which will affect the results of the analysis.
Drinking alcohol negatively affects the functioning of the cardiovascular system. Therefore, if the doctor prescribes tests aimed at diagnosing her work, the results will be negative. For example, if we talk about how alcohol affects total cholesterol (needed to create brain tissues, 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, as it is the cause of atherosclerosis.
Another type of blood test that is heavily affected by alcohol consumption is the tests that check liver function. Basically, they measure whether the enzymes that it produces have deviated from the norm. Their number after alcohol can be either increased or decreased, depending on the state of the liver.
After drinking alcohol, the level of ammonia in the blood increases, 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 the 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 doing 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 certain 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 the 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 disrupted, which will be reflected in the test results. Therefore, answering the question whether it is possible to drink alcohol before donating blood for hormones, the answer 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 has a negative effect on all these processes, which affects the results of the analysis, and is the answer, is it possible to drink alcohol before donating blood. If you take alcohol constantly, 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 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 of 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 the activity of the brain, since it does not store glucose, but is completely dependent on the supply of this substance by the blood.
Alcohol disrupts the activity of all these glands, due to which glucose metabolism slows down, and its level is below normal. But there can also be a jump in the big direction. For example, in chronic alcoholics, on the contrary, the level of glucose in the blood is increased, which causes a decrease in the susceptibility of receptors to insulin.
In any case, the deviation of sugar from the norm is an alarming sign. That is why if a person donates blood for sugar after drinking alcohol, the doctor may suspect he has diabetes.
When is it allowed to take
Thus, it is obvious that alcohol, having a negative impact on the work of many organs and systems, is the reason that the blood test gives negative results, causing the doctor to sound the alarm. How long it takes the body to get it working depends on:
- how much time has passed since the last dose 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 a day. If you need to pass a biochemical or other analysis that requires more thorough preparation, it is allowed to come to the analysis after three days. In the case of taking a serious dose of alcohol, it is necessary to withstand a longer period before taking the tests. To get the most accurate data, it is better to wait two weeks.