World Blood Donor Day is observed on June 14 every year. Blood is an important force that sustains life by delivering oxygen to every cell in the body. Medical science may have advanced by leaps and bounds but still, no substitute of blood has been found.
The only way to restore the lost blood quickly is through donation. That is why donating blood is seen as a noble act and to celebrate this selfless deed by paying gratitude to the donors and urge more people to donate blood, this day is observed.
On World Blood Donor Day 2019, here’s looking at how you can donate blood and save a life!
Importance of blood donation
The most important aspect of blood donation is that it helps to save lives. Patients require blood due to health conditions like cancer or in the case of accidents. Donated blood can save women from complications of pregnancy, children suffering anemia, people undergoing physical trauma and patients who have been operated upon.
Blood can be decayed quickly and that is the reason it cannot be stored indefinitely. It has to be discarded after a period of time. Regular blood donation helps to maintain a sufficient amount in the banks for patients in need.
Rules for blood donation
- The blood donor’s age to donate the blood varies. If you belong to the 18-65 age group then you can safely donate the blood.
- The first time donors should not be over 60 years. If you want to donate only a component of blood like plasma, white cells, red cells, you have to be between 18-60 years of age.
- You cannot donate blood if you have transmittable diseases like HIV, hepatitis B or C.
- If you have heart diseases, hypertension, cancer, epilepsy, kidney problems, and diabetes then you cannot donate blood
- If you have undergone piercing or tattoo in the past six months then you cannot donate blood.
- You are not ineligible to donate if you have received vaccines in the last month.
- You cannot donate blood if you work as an aircrew member, distance vehicle driver or emergency service if you plan to donate blood in less than 24 hours before the next shift.
How to Donate Blood
To donate blood, find out if there’s a blood donation camp happening close to where you live. Once you finalize the date and time, here are some blood donation tips to remember.
- Do not consume alcohol for 24 hours before donating the blood
- Do not donate blood empty stomach. The last meal should be taken at least four hours before you donate.
- Fill up a medical questionnaire first to test whether you are eligible for blood donation or not
- Drink plenty of fluids on the day you wish to donate the blood
- Before blood donation, a health check-up will be done to rule out possibilities of health problems
- If you are allergic to iodine, make that very clear to the medical attendants who may use it to clean the puncture points.
- Do not rush out as soon as the donation process is over. Stay and eat some refreshment provided by the center until you feel strong enough to go.
- The intake of fluids should be increased for the next 24-48 hours
- Avoid lifting of heavyweights for the next five hours
- Do not smoke or drink alcohol for the next 24 hours
