Blood is one in all the foremost essential fluids of our body that helps within the smooth functioning of our body. If the body loses blood in excessive amounts, people urge deadly diseases and even die. On a daily basis, blood transfusions occur that saves lives of the many people everywhere the globe. Donating blood is nice for the health of donors additionally as those that need it. It’s important that blood donation takes place during a hospital, a clinic, or a bank, within the presence of doctors. Donors should make sure that they’re in a physiological state to avoid any health issues post-transfusion to people who use it.
Donating blood can help in treating patients full of cancer, bleeding disorders, chronic anemia related to cancer, red blood cell anemia, and other hereditary blood abnormalities. It’s important to grasp that human blood can’t be manufactured; people are the sole source of it which is why it’s important to donate blood and help those that need it. It’s also possible to store our own blood for our future needs. Confirm the blood is stored at an honest bank.
In order to raise awareness about this life-saving procedure, the world observes 14th June as Blood Donor Day. It promotes blood donation and urges people to save lives by donating blood. Most importantly, on this day, the WHO organizes a campaign that invites people to donate blood. A person eligible to donate blood must fall in the age bracket of 17-66 years of age. They must weigh more than 50 kgs and have sound health. People suffering from diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and more cannot donate blood.
A mini health exam that includes a checklist for diseases related to blood pressure and infectious diseases should be conducted before initiating the collection of blood. Those who have medical conditions such as AIDS and hepatitis should not donate blood. People who have taken vaccinations or have undergone any surgery or have cancer, diabetes, cold, and flu should consult health experts before donating blood. Pregnant women should seek expert advice before donating blood.
Health Benefits of Donating Blood –
Donating blood has benefits for our emotional and physical health. The health benefits of donating blood are mentioned below:
- Donating blood reduces our risk of heart disease and cholesterol. According to studies published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, blood donors are 33% less likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease and 88% less likely to suffer a heart attack. When donating blood, people are removing 225 to 250mg of iron from their body, reducing their risk of health complications.
- Health benefits of blood donation include reduced risk of hemochromatosis. Hemochromatosis is a health condition that arises due to excess absorption of iron by the body. This may be inherited or may be caused due to alcoholism, anemia, or other disorders. Regular blood donation may help in reducing iron overload. Make sure that the donor meets the standard blood donation eligibility criteria.
- Blood donation helps in lowering the risk of cancer. By donating blood the iron stores in the body are maintained at healthy levels. A reduction in the iron level in the body is linked with low cancer risk.
- A one-time blood donation can burn up to 650 calories, as the body has to work hard to replenish itself. Although there are many benefits to donating blood just one time, the people who benefit from blood donations are regular donors. A donor can only give blood every 56 days.
- Regular blood donation reduces the weight of the donors. This is helpful to those who are obese and are at higher risk of cardiovascular diseases and other health disorders. However, blood donation should not be very frequent and we may consult our doctor before donating blood to avoid any health issues.
- After donating blood, the body works to replenish the blood loss. This stimulates the production of new blood cells and in turn, helps in maintaining good health.
Blood donation is safe for healthy adults. There’s no risk of contracting the disease. New, sterile equipment is employed for every donor. Some people may feel nauseous, lightheaded, or dizzy after donating blood. If this happens, it should only last some minutes. A donor can lie with their feet up until they feel better. A donor might also experience some bleeding at the positioning of the needle. Applying pressure and raising their arm for a pair of minutes will usually stop this.
In addition, blood donation makes the work of blood banks easier. It stabilizes their collection which helps others get blood urgently. The demand continues to be above the provision in blood banks, so we must donate more and more of it to assist people.
Other than that, blood donation also helps us realize our bodies. As a blood donation requires a preliminary health check-up, we get a whole diagnosis. It makes us tuned in to the amount of iron, hemoglobin, cholesterol, and more. Thus, we see that blood donation is a crucial procedure in saving human life. It’s a good initiative that has to be encouraged everywhere.
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