7 Things to Consider Before Donating Blood
Blood donation is considered to be a very good habit for various reasons. However, there are a few things that you must know before you give blood for the first time. We give you some important things that you should be aware of before you make the donation.
1. Why should you donate blood?
Apart from the fact that you are doing your bit in helping save another life, donating blood can be good for your own health too. Donating regularly not only replenishes your blood, it also improves your cardiovascular health, reduces your iron levels, lessens your risk of a heart attack, cancer, and more.
2. Types of blood donation
There are two ways that you can donate blood: whole blood donation and apheresis donation. While the former lets you donate a pint of whole blood, the latter lets you donate specific blood components like red blood cells. It is important to know that while whole blood donation may take around 15 minutes, the apheresis donation can take up to an hour.
3. How often can you donate blood?
If you wish to donate whole blood, you can do it every 56 days. On the other hand if you are using a separation technology, you can donate your platelets every 7 to 14 days and upto 24 times in a year.
4. Who is eligible to donate?
Apart from many other things, the donor is required to be healthy, be at least 17 years of age and should weigh at least 110 lbs. If you have recently got a tattoo, you may have to wait up to a year to donate blood. Also people who have recently visited or lived in places at risk for malaria, HIV, hepatitis, may be asked to return for the process at a later date. For other eligibility guidelines, you can go online and do extensive research before you go out to donate blood.
