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Can Alcohol Be Consumed Before Blood Test: How It Affects The Test Results

Drinking Alcohol Before Blood Test

Have you got a boozy party coming up, followed by a blood test the next day? Wondering if you can drink alcohol before blood test? Read on to find out!

Overview

Even if you might not have an in-depth biological knowledge of how alcohol works in our body, we bet you already know that once consumed, the alcohol in our body does not get digested but is ingested straight into the bloodstream. If you have a blood test the next day for which your doctor has specifically instructed you to fast and suddenly have plans for some booze tonight, you must have found yourself googling, ‘Can you drink alcohol before a blood test?’ Well, let’s check out the answer, shall we?

What is a blood test?

In simple words, blood tests are scientific examinations performed on a sample of blood to detect abnormalities. There are different types of blood tests depending on the problem that needs to be investigated.

Alcohol and blood test

So, is alcohol before blood test okay? Let’s find out. Based on the type of test you will be going forwards with, you might or might not be asked by your health care provider to make some preparations beforehand. These include fasting for about 8-12 hours before the sample collection. Eat or drink something, the substances get broken down in our stomach and get absorbed into the bloodstream. This is why fasting before a blood test is essential for preparing for the test. If your doctor has recommended fasting, know that this includes preventing alcohol before blood test.

Alcohol contains ‘ethanol’, a psychoactive substance, which tends to have an impact on our mood, confidence, and socialisation skills. Because alcohol can stay in our bloodstream for a while, you should make sure that you strictly avoid alcohol before a blood test.

How long does alcohol stay in the system?

Regardless of the amount consumed, alcohol has at least some effects on our bodies. Our body metabolises alcohol at a constant rate. Generally, alcohol takes up to 12 hours to get out of our bloodstream. However, even then tiniest amounts can be traced in our bloodstream after several days of consumption. Mostly, the blood alcohol concentration, or BAC, can be expected to start dropping at a rate of 0.015 per hour, meaning the alcohol in our body will get metabolised and eventually eliminated at a steady rate of 0.015.

In simplest terms, the time taken for alcohol elimination depends on the amount of consumed alcohol. The more drinks you have had, the longer you might have to wait to get it out of your system. So, can you drink alcohol before a blood test?

Alcohol impact on a blood test report

Alcohol consumption may cause irregular enzyme levels, which might interfere with a blood examination. This makes strict fasting before blood tests an essential step, which ensures that your blood test report is not influenced by temporary changes and helps get a clearer picture of the diagnosis.

Conclusion

Alcohol, once consumed, gets absorbed into our bloodstream, and this is a huge factor that might cause an inaccurate blood test report. This is why doctors recommend fasting for at least 8-12 hours before a blood test.

FAQs

Q. Will alcohol mess up my blood test?

A. Yes. Alcohol tends to cause temporary irregularities in our bloodstream, which might further cause inaccuracy in our blood test reports.

Q. Is drinking alcohol before blood test okay?

A. No. Alcohol before blood test needs to be kept at pause for a while until the blood tests are done to ensure accurate test results.

Q. Is drinking alcohol before blood sugar test allowed?

A. Drinking alcohol before blood test is strictly prohibited. Because alcohol can have its effects on our blood sugar levels and fat levels, drinking alcohol prior to a blood test can produce a false blood test report.

Q. Can a blood test show heavy drinking?

A. In short, yes. Blood testing can surely detect heavy alcohol use. However, timing also matters when it comes to the accuracy of the blood alcohol examination. Generally, blood alcohol test results show accuracy if the sample was collected between 6-12 hours of alcohol consumption.

Q. For how long does alcohol last in our body?

A. Alcohol lasts for about 8-12 hours in our bloodstream, which makes it obvious that it can be detected in blood if you consume alcohol before blood test. A urine test can detect alcohol for up to 48 hours while breath tests can show alcohol use for up to 24 hours. However, alcohol can show up in a hair test for up to 90 days.