Drinkers are tempted to drink alcohol before donating blood, what foods are allowed before visiting the hospital?
In order that the results of the examination are not distorted and correspond to reality, it is necessary to adhere to some rules that are usually brought by the doctor to the patient. One of the most important requirements the night before a blood test is the absence of ethanol in it.
How alcohol can affect
Does alcohol affect blood tests and how to properly prepare for the exam? Blood test is one of the most important, it allows you to assess the general condition of the body and make an accurate diagnosis, therefore, proper preparation for blood sampling and compliance with all recommendations of the attending physician is a very important step that affects the results, and shouldtaken seriously. The speed of the patient's recovery, the method of treatment that the doctor prescribes directly depends on the results of the study. Therefore, to the question of whether it is possible to donate blood after alcohol or whether it is possible to drink beer before donating blood, there should be a clear answer - no. Alcohol should not be taken before donating blood.
Usually, specialists warn patients that blood is taken on an empty stomach in the morning, and even coffee and tea should not be consumed. However, some patients do not always follow recommendations and may drink beer or other alcohol consumption before taking the test.
How does ethyl alcohol get into the bloodstream? It causes chemical changes and has various effects on the body:
- there is a decrease in glucose levels - an effect on blood sugar;
- increased uric acid content;
- increased lactate content in plasma;
- some other chemicals in the blood and urine also change.
Drinking alcohol can distort test results quite strongly, and in the best case, you should take the time to re -pass the test. Alcohol also affects urine analysis.
How preparation for the exam should proceed
What foods and beverages should not be taken before donating blood?
Experts strongly recommend the following in preparation for the study. People who will pass the exam should know them:
- avoid drinking alcoholic beverages 48, and preferably 72 hours before blood donation is conducted;
- if a person drank alcohol before the analysis (even accidentally), it is recommended to refuse a visit to the hospital and postpone it to a later date;
- there are studies where the use of alcohol is strictly prohibited (these include tests for hepatitis, HIV, diabetes mellitus, tests for the content of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and some hormones);
- the day before visiting the clinic, the use of sugar (and all foods containing sugar), as well as fried, spicy and fatty foods are prohibited - this can affect the test;
- you should try to avoid stressful situations - you know about its negative impact on the results of the analysis;
- avoid smoking 1-2 hours before donating blood.
Analysis for sugar and the effect of alcohol on its results
The use of beverages and preparations containing ethanol when tested for sugar is strictly prohibited. This is especially true in diabetes mellitus. The point is that alcohol affects the liver. As a result, ethanol breakdown products enter the blood and urine, which radically distorts research results. Ethyl alcohol molecules actively participate in the body’s metabolism, and as a result, glucose is formed. Hence the distortion of the result arises.
In addition to affecting the liver, ethanol can react chemically with medical instruments, resulting in the production of external chemicals that impair research.
Ethanol can significantly reduce the amount of glucose in the blood for a while, as it interferes with the production of glucose in the liver. For this reason, false suspicions about diabetes mellitus may arise.
If you do not want to waste time and money to re -pass the exam, carefully read the rules of preparation and exclude alcohol completely from the diet - even drinks that contain a minimum amount of ethanol, because it is not the best. ways of influencing the reliability of the results.
In some cases, a person is sent for research spontaneously, without preparation. This can happen, for example, at work, when management suspects that an employee has consumed alcohol at work and the employee may be referred to a health facility for testing to avoid workplace injury. In such cases, a urine test for alcohol can also be done.
In some enterprises, there is a medical examination on employees before taking the job. Usually these are enterprises where employees are responsible for people’s lives or operating equipment that can lead to serious consequences if not handled properly.
Such tests do not require special training - only biomaterial sampling is performed. A blood alcohol content of 0. 2 ppm is considered harmful to the body, and 0. 5 ppm is a potentially fatal dose.