Who can donate blood? The things you must know about

Blood is a very important body fluid that is responsible for transporting oxygen, nutrients, hormones and other substances between individual cells. In addition, it is responsible for the transport and removal of metabolic products from the tissues. In the body of a healthy adult human, there are about 5 liters of it. Despite the development of medicine and technology, blood is still irreplaceable. In the event of its loss, it is necessary to transfuse the unit from a blood bank. How does it get there? Thanks to whole blood donation.

Who can donate blood?

If you want to donate blood, you must meet three the most important criteria. You can donate blood if you are:

• At least 16 years old (in this case, you need parental consent) and under 75 years old;
• In good shape and healthy;
• Weight not less than 110 pounds.

Who cannot donate blood?

Even if you meet all the requirements above, there are some conditions that would make you ineligible to be a donor. You cannot donate blood if you:

• In the past 3 months, had a tattoo or received a blood transfusion;
• In the past 3 months have used injectable drugs;
• Tested positive for hepatitis (B or C);
• Have had a positive test for the HIV;
• In the past 3 months, travelled or lived in the past 3 years in endemic countries;
• Have infection with fever, and are taking antibiotic;
• Are currently pregnant or in the past 6 months you gave birth or had pregnancy termination;
• Are taking psychoactive substances.

Health conditions that exclude from blood donation

• Diseases of the circulatory, digestive, nervous, respiratory and urinary systems
• Infectious diseases such as jaundice, syphilis and HIV
• Diabetes
• Malignant neoplasms
• Psoriasis

How to prepare for blood donation?

Before donating blood, make sure you are properly hydrated - at least 1.5 liters of fluid - and eat a nutritious and easily digestible meal. You must have an identity document with you. In addition, before donating blood, it is also worth taking care of these issues:

• Good dream;
• Avoidance of excessive physical exertion on the day of blood collection;
• Reducing cigarette smoking;
• Not consuming alcohol;
• Not consuming mood-altering agents.

How to become a blood donor?

It is very easy. If you meet all the requirements, you can proceed to donate blood at any time. It is enough to report to the Blood Donation Center and pass the qualification procedures.

What is the procedure for donating blood?

Just before proceeding with the procedure, you must complete the questionnaire and declaration. In the next step, a medical interview with the donor is carried out, during which any doubts should be discussed. Blood can only be donated after all steps have been successfully completed.

The donation itself usually takes 5 to 10 minutes, and you donate around 1 US pint (470 ml) of blood at a time. The procedure is painless, but sometimes you can feel discomfort during inserting the needle into the vein. Fortunately, it takes only a moment.

Before blood is transfused to the patient in need, it's thoroughly tested for HIV, hepatitis B or C, and syphilis. A positive result disqualifies such a unit of blood, and it cannot be transfused. Infection with these viruses occurs through risky contacts and behaviors, mainly related to sexual activity. For this reason, it’s necessary to share all information about health in the form and during health interviews.

How much blood can you donate?

How often can you donate blood? According to the recommendations, you can donate blood every 8 weeks. For men, blood units may be collected no more than 6 times a year. For women, the limit is a maximum of 4 times a year.

How does donating blood help?

There are many people who may need a whole blood transfusion. The main indications for that are extensive life-threatening hemorrhage, blood diseases and diseases causing deficiencies in blood components. How does donating blood help others? Blood transfusions may be needed in oncological patients, including:

• patients suffering from cancer of the bone marrow;
• patients with cancer of the digestive system (some cancers cause internal bleeding);
• patients who develop anemia after long-term treatment;
• patients undergoing surgery;
• patients undergoing chemotherapy and / or radiotherapy (both methods reduce the number of blood cells).