1. Don’t eat before
Usually, when testing your blood, your doctor will require you to fast a few hours before, typically between 8 and 12 hours. Food may interfere with the outcome of certain types of investigations called ”fasting blood tests”.
For example, testing for glucose and cholesterol requires fasting, because they are closely linked to food and the results will be severely altered.
But make sure you check with your doctor to see if this fasting is necessary or not. At the end of the day, nobody wants to starve for nothing, right?
2. Drink water
Are you allowed to drink water before a blood test? The answer is YES, but many people assume that it affects the results of the investigation. These tests are unaffected by having a little greater or lower quantity of water in your system. You can consume either tap or bottled water, but avoid fizzy beverages.
In fact, for anyone who dislikes this procedure, drinking more water than normal is critical.
Why? Dizziness and fainting are caused by low blood pressure, which is a side consequence of dehydration. Staying hydrated will help if you’re prone to fainting when you see blood or needles.
A great way to make sure you are staying on top of your hydration levels is to carry around a reusable water bottle! A good one should be insulating, BPA-free, and leak-free, like this one you can find on Amazon!
3 Responses
Excellent article!
Great explination of the procedure. It was perfect and the exact way it should be done.
Previous experience working in a lab.
Good article. Attention, the name for the rubber band used in the blood draw is a tourniquet.