Everything you need to know before donating blood

June 13, 2019

The Author of this article is Dr Mohit Chowdhry, Consultant, Transfusion Medicine, Molecular Biology and Transplant Immunology, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals

New Delhi, June 13, 2019 :

Healthy Soch : Celebrated on 14th June every year, World Blood donor day marks the importance of blood donation as a life-saving act. It is estimated that every two seconds a person needs blood. The demand versus supply gap when it comes to blood donation is huge in our country.  It is important to understand that blood cannot be manufactured. Hence, this immense requirement can only be fulfilled by voluntary blood donation.

Blood donation is a straightforward act, but before you donate blood, it is important to be aware about a few things-

  1. Blood is a complex tissue which is made up of various components like red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma. When you donate blood, it is separated into blood components like red cells, platelets, plasma and cryoprecipitate. From each unit of whole blood, various components can be derived. Thus, it is said that 1 unit of blood can save about three lives.

Donors can donate the whole blood or only donate specific blood components. Special equipment is used for the purpose of donating only certain blood components, in a process which is called apheresis.

  1. Typically only one unit (about 450 ml) is withdrawn from each donor. The reason there is a limitation on how much blood a person can donate in one go is because there is a limited amount of blood in each one’s body which depends upon various factors such as weight, age and height of the person. When a person donates 1 unit, that much amount and its components can be recovered by the body within a span of few hours to weeks without affecting the health of the donor.
  2. Not everyone is eligible to donate blood. As a rule, only people who are above 18 years of age are allowed to donate blood in India. Other essential criteria is body weight which should not be less than 45 kg and overall health which means that one shouldn’t be sick with any kind of bacterial, fungal or viral infection. Pregnant and breast-feeding women should not donate blood.
  3. Before donating blood, it is important to have a wholesome meal at least 2-3 hours prior so that blood sugar level stays stable. To compensate for the loss of fluids from the body, one should stay hydrated with juices and water to avoid low blood pressure. After donating blood, caffeinated beverages should be avoided, and foods which are rich in iron and Vitamin C should be consumed.
  4. The blood which you donate will be utilised by accident victims, people suffering from critical blood disorders like sickle cell, haemophilia, and even cancer patients. Thus, all donated blood is tested for diseases like HIV, hepatitis, syphilis and other infections to make sure that these blood diseases do not get transmitted from one person to another.

Donating blood is a noble act which saves many lives. On average, a person can donate blood after every 3 months. However, this limitation varies for different blood components, as in case of platelets one can donate them after every 3 days but only 24 times in one year. Make a habit of donating blood regularly and encourage others to do the same. In our country, where there is critical shortage of donated blood, each donation matters.

Stay informed with the latest news from HealthySoch. Sign up today for exclusive insights and updates!

We promise we never spam!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Health Tips

Dr. T S Kler Padma Bhushan Awardee
MD, DM, MRCP, FRCP(U.K), FACC, D.Sc
Chairman – Fortis Heart Institute Gurugram

Precautions to avoid Corona Virus:

  1. Stay home as far as possible.
  2. Wash hands with soap and water frequently.
  3. Keep distance from people even your home members.
  4. Keep atleast 1-2 metres away from anybody coughing.
  5. Don’t touch your face, nose and mouth.

 

Dr. K.K Says

Archives

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
    123
45678910
18192021222324
25262728293031
       
   1234
567891011
12131415161718
26272829   
       
891011121314
293031    
       
    123
45678910
11121314151617
25262728293031
       
  12345
6789101112
13141516171819
27282930   
       
      1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
3031     
     12
17181920212223
24252627282930
31      
   1234
567891011
12131415161718
2627282930  
       
1234567
891011121314
22232425262728
293031    
       
     12
3456789
17181920212223
24252627282930
       
  12345
6789101112
       
  12345
13141516171819
2728     
       
      1
9101112131415
3031     
   1234
567891011
       
282930    
       
    123
45678910
       
  12345
27282930   
       
      1
3031     
    123
11121314151617
       
28      
       
2930     
       
    123
       
       
       
      1
9101112131415
3031     
     12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
242526272829 
       
  12345
13141516171819
2728293031  
       
      1
23242526272829
3031     
    123
       
    123
25262728   
       
78910111213
28293031   
       
293031    
       
14151617181920
28293031   
       
   1234
567891011
       
   1234
567891011
262728    
       
891011121314
293031    
       
    123
18192021222324
25262728293031
       
  12345
27282930   
       
      1
2345678
16171819202122
3031     
    123
45678910
18192021222324
       
28293031   
       
     12
31      
   1234
       
  12345
6789101112
       
HealthySoch

Don't Miss

Union Budget 2019 will reduce mental stress for a large section of the Indian population

“Pro-poor and pro-middle-class policies are the highlight” New Delhi, February

AYUSH Ministry gears up for International Day of Yoga 2020

 “Yoga at Home, Yoga with Family” campaign India heathysoch New