Before deciding to give blood, you might be interested in learning about what donating blood can do to your body in further depth. In that case, everything you need to know can be found in this in-depth guide.<\/p>\n
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What Are the Side Effects of Donating Blood?<\/h2>\n
For the most part, voluntary donors tolerate blood donations easily.<\/p>\n
However, some people experience \u201cadverse reactions\u201d including:<\/p>\n
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- Bruising<\/li>\n
- Continued bleeding<\/li>\n
- Dizziness, lightheadedness, and nausea<\/li>\n
- Pain<\/li>\n
- Physical weakness<\/li>\n
- Vomiting<\/li>\n
- Fainting<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Studies as to why these side effects occur are inconclusive, but common sense will tell you that you will naturally feel different after losing a pint of blood. A study conducted by Crocco<\/strong><\/a> in 2005 was conducted to estimate the plausibility of incurring side effects and attempted to determine the reason.<\/p>\n
Of the 4,906 donors were analyzed, only 63 volunteers experienced a side effect. To put things in perspective, around 1.08% of the subjects experienced mild side effects (weakness, nausea, swelling, etc.) and approximately 0.02% of the subjects experienced severe side effects (vomiting and fainting.)<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\nFew people will experience side effects. Giving blood still affects your body. If you are contemplating giving blood, there are several things to consider to reduce the risks.<\/p>\n
What Happens to Your Body When You Donate Blood?<\/h2>\n
To donate blood, you must be a registered donor. This requires your complete medical history, a mini-physical examination, and test to ensure you have blood that is safe to donate.<\/p>\n
In the U.S., you\u2019re able to begin the process online through portals like the American Association for Clinical Chemistry<\/a><\/strong>. The organization will test your blood for blood type and purity. As for the mini-physical exam, think of it as a sort of bonus. After all, the exam is performed to make sure you are a sound candidate that is free of specific health concerns.<\/p>\n
The donation is the most straightforward aspect. A donor\u2019s arm is cleaned, prepped, and inserted with a small needle connected to a collection tube and bag. Blood is collected until the bag is full, which is almost a pint. According to the American Red Cross<\/strong><\/a>, the process of giving blood takes only 8-10 minutes. If the donor is donating platelets or plasma, the session can last as much as 2 hours.<\/p>\n
Once you have given blood, you will be asked to sit quietly for around 10-15 minutes and will be offered food and refreshments. This is a standard protocol to ensure donors do not experience any adverse side effects.<\/p>\n
But what\u2019s going on inside of your body?<\/p>\n
1) Red Blood Cells<\/h3>\n
Donating blood leads to a loss of red blood cells. Red blood cells are important<\/a><\/strong> to help your body function correctly.<\/p>\n
There are a couple of critical components to consider here. It\u2019s not just regular blood cells that need to be replenished. Replenishing the general volume of the blood usually takes up to 1-2 days. In fact, your body can make about 2 million new red blood cells per second.<\/p>\n
However, the other elements can take up to eight to twelve weeks to fully replenish. Such elements include white cells, platelets, and even special red blood cells produced in the bone marrow (which take longer to produce as they follow a separate production process.)<\/p>\n
2) Hemoglobin Levels<\/h3>\n
These are the red proteins in charge of making sure your body is getting the oxygen you need.<\/p>\n
One of the many preliminary checks pre-donation includes a hemoglobin level check. The World Health Organization set up what they call a \u201ccut-off\u201d level wherein hemoglobin levels must exceed 12.5g\/l for women and 13.0g\/l for men.<\/p>\n
Low hemoglobin levels hint at possible anemia. This means, the donor\u2019s body will not be able to replenish blood cells quickly and might lead to increased risk of side effects. These are often related to the next element \u2014 the donor\u2019s iron levels.<\/p>\n
3) Iron Levels<\/h3>\n
If a donor has an iron deficiency, then your body will have a difficult time replenishing the healthy red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout the body.<\/p>\n
Screening for a blood test will help you determine if you are anemic. The best way to recover from a donation (or to be able to donate) is to stock up on iron. This can be done through normal dietary changes or by taking iron supplements.<\/p>\n
In fact, a study funded by the National Institution of health<\/strong><\/a> recently discovered that supplementing iron after donating can help shorten the recovery of one\u2019s hemoglobin levels. In this study, recovery time was cut about 25-35 percent.<\/p>\n
4) Hydration<\/h3>\n
Something else that the donor must consider is how hydrated your body is. Around 55% of blood is made of plasma, and 90% of that is water. In that sense, hydrating yourself after a donation will ensure that your body can replace the fluids needed to replenish the bulk of the blood volume lost.<\/p>\n
What Are the Health Benefits of Donating Blood?<\/h2>\n
Donating blood is not all that different from volunteer work, and you can feel good about yourself for saving a life. This is due to benefits regarding the donor\u2019s emotional and physical health, which, as reported by the Mental Health Foundation<\/a><\/strong>, can ease the following:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Stress<\/li>\n
- Negative feelings<\/li>\n
- Isolation<\/li>\n
- Emotional well-being<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Of course, these benefits are not only in the mind. As briefly mentioned above, scientific research has discovered some surprising physical benefits for people that donate blood experience.<\/p>\n
1) Free Medical Checkup<\/h3>\n
One of the most foremost benefits is the free health checkup requisite required before donation. For this, the medical team will\u00a0study your pulse, blood pressure, body temperature, and hemoglobin levels to make sure that your body can withstand losing the amount of blood required for a full transfusion.<\/p>\n
This checkup is useful for uncovering possible health problems and diseases<\/strong><\/a> you might have. Diseases like Hepatitis B and C, HIV, Chronic fatigue syndrome and Syphilis prevent your blood from being transfused.<\/p>\n
It should be noted that a medical check-up is not as thorough as a general checkup by your doctor, but you\u2019ll be able to keep track of your body\u2019s current status which can give you peace of mind.<\/p>\n
2) Lowers Risk of Heart Disease<\/h3>\n
Another significant benefit is the opportunity to lower the risk of potential heart diseases, or even an impending heart attack.<\/p>\n
Some studies suggest donating blood can decrease your chances of a heart attack by at least 88%. Other studies, like one conducted in 2013, found that donors who regularly donated blood benefited from lowered cholesterol. This is consistent with enhancing cardiovascular health.<\/p>\n
3) Lowers Risk of Cancer<\/h3>\n
Although not as present as the other two, the reduced risk of cancer is another strong benefit linked to the donation of blood. This is connected to the reduction of iron in the body, which has been said to reduce the risk of cancers. Including liver, colon, lung, stomach, and esophagus cancer.<\/p>\n
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