Blood donation is one of the impactful voluntary activities people do to save other people’s lives. For first-timers, blood donation may not be as simple as it seems. It has several eligibility requirements and specific processes you need to observe. This article will give you a quick orientation on blood donation to prepare you for this life-saving process.
Benefits of Blood Donation
As mentioned earlier, donating blood can save someone’s life. Your blood donation will most likely help patients in critical situations — those who got into accidents, lost blood in surgeries, have serious complications in childbirth, and those with cancer or severe anemia.
Aside from helping patients, blood donation can positively affect your health. Specifically, donating blood can help decrease the iron levels in your blood since you will lose some red blood cells. Additionally, it can also help improve cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Donating blood not only benefits your physical health. It also helps enhance your emotional health since you know that through blood donation, you can save someone’s life.
Eligibility Requirements for Blood Donors
Although it’s great to help other people by donating blood, this activity is not for everyone. There are several eligibility requirements for you to be considered a blood donor.
You must be at least 16 years old to be a whole blood donor, while 17 years old is the age requirement for platelet donors. The donor’s weight must be at least 110 pounds (around 50 kilograms). Overall, it is vital that the donor passes the medical assessments and is in good health.
The eligibility requirements may differ depending on the blood bank. But the criteria mentioned were the common ones. Nevertheless, before donating blood, it’s crucial, to be honest about health concerns or problems.
You can read Red Cross Requirements here!
Blood Donation Process
To be a healthy blood donor, there are several processes you need to go through before, during, and after donating blood.
Before
If you want to donate blood, you can contact your local blood bank and check if you are eligible. After that, you can set an appointment with them regarding your blood donation.
Before the activity, you need to eat iron-rich foods (e.g., meat, fish, poultry, fruits, vegetables, and nuts) and keep hydrated. Along with food and fluids, it is also essential to get plenty of sleep.
Before going to your appointment, make sure to wear something comfortable so that you can easily roll up the sleeves to your elbow. Lastly, if you take certain medications, it’s better to bring your prescription.
At the donation site, you will be asked several medical questions to avoid passing bloodborne infections to other people. It is one of the main reasons why not everyone can be a donor.
During
During the procedure, the injection site will be on the elbow area. Initially, they will collect blood into tubes for testing. The test will also re-check your blood type, which is either A, B, AB, or O. Once everything is clear, the process of filling a bag with about half a liter will begin. This process for whole blood donation will only take about 10 minutes. Afterward, they will put a small bandage on the needle site once the needle is removed.
However, if the procedure is apheresis — where a machine will be used to collect and separate the different components of your blood (i.e., platelets, red blood cells, and plasma) — it will take a longer time (typically up to two hours) since you will be hooked up to a machine.
After
Once you’ve successfully donated blood, it’s time to focus on your recovery.
There are times when you’ll be given some snacks and drinks to help you regain energy since your body lost fluids. Take more non-alcoholic drinks for the next one to two days. Since your body is still recuperating, refrain from doing strenuous activities after donating blood.
Regarding side effects, you might feel light-headed at first. When that happens, take a rest and lie down for a while. In addition, the injection site may also cause a bruise. You can use an ice pack to heal the affected area.
Overall, there are no expected long-lasting side effects after donating blood.
If you are thinking of donating blood again, the typical interval recommended is 56 days for whole blood donations. For platelet donations, you can donate every three days maximum of 24 times a year. Lastly, you can donate plasma every 28 days.
In Conclusion
Donating blood is one voluntary activity that could bring fulfillment to your life, especially knowing that you can help others. Today, the need for blood donations continues. It may be for a family member, a friend, or a stranger. But, whatever your reason is, your blood donation will help them.
