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Originally Posted by Dave N Thanks for the comments and explanations, guys.
So is it a medical urban myth that drinking a few glasses of water before a blood test will make it easier to hit a vein and/or draw blood? |
Yes and no Dave, rehydration or pre-hydration before a venipuncture is useful "if" ones total blood volume is on the edge. Meaning that the body will equilibrate or distribute the available blood volume to what it determines is the vital organs (brain, GI, coronary and other core organs). Arms veins are low priority.
There are many other factors that will increase the accessibility of extremity veins. A good example is good muscle tone (forearms and bicep/triceps) that forces more flow thru surface vasculature and % of body fat.
Ever notice the veins of an body builder?