It’s world blood donor day: These tips will make the process easier

The 14th of June is World Blood Donor Day. Human blood is an important part of modern medicine and used in a variety of applications for saving lives from blood transfusions to the collection of platelets and scientific research. Here are five things everyone should know about donating blood and saving lives.

Do you meet the requirements?

In order to donate blood in South Africa, you need to meet the minimum requirements. Donors need to weigh a minimum of 50kgs and be between the ages of 16 and 65. They also need to lead a sexually safe life, and most importantly, consider their own blood safe for transfusion. That last requirement asks you to be honest with yourself and evaluate truthfully what state your blood may be in. Have you travelled overseas recently? Have you been feeling light-headed or anaemic? Have you been drinking heavily and if so, will your blood still have alcohol in it? All these things should be considered before offering to put your blood inside someone else.

When did you last donate?

Donors in South Africa may only donate once every 56 days to save them from doing any damage to their own bodies. Be aware of when you last donated.

Before you donate, eat something.

If you want to donate the cleanest, healthiest blood then what you eat should be a consideration for a few days before you actually go. Eat lean food, rich in iron. Fish, poultry, spinach, bran and fruits are all great in the lead up to your donation.

Before you actually donate you will need to eat a healthy meal. If you aim to donate in the morning make sure you have a good supper, and a solid breakfast and lunch if you aim to do so in the afternoon.

After donating, your blood will be tested for infectious diseases like hepatitis C and HIV. Too much fat in the bloodstream can affect the screening. If they are unable to get an accurate reading of your blood, your donation will be discarded. This means that in the meal, or meals, leading up to your donation you should avoid eating burgers, chips or anything else that could add excess fat into your blood.

You will also want to make sure you are well hydrated before you donate blood to ensure you recover as quickly as possible.

What to wear

While it’s not strictly important, wearing loose-fitting comfortable clothing can help you feel relaxed, which in turn can speed up the donation. Importantly, however, you will want to wear sleeves that can be easily rolled up and down.

After you donate

Most donations centres won’t let you stand up straight away and they will likely give you a cookie and a glass of juice to get your blood sugar levels up. You will need to take it easy for the rest of the day. Avoid any strenuous activities like sport, or lifting heavy objects. You should also eat well, and in a healthy manner. Foods that are rich in iron like livers will help your body replace the lost blood more quickly. Make sure you stay off alcohol as it will now hit you vastly quicker and harder than usual, and will make it difficult for your body to focus on the valuable task of replenishing its lost supplies.

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