Save a Life: Give Blood

February 4th, 2009 | No Comments | Posted in Family Health

If you had the chance to save another person’s life, wouldn’t you take action without thinking twice about it? It is in our nature to want to help people and save them whenever possible. You actually have this opportunity right now…by donating blood. Giving blood is something anyone can do and it will save a life.

The blood supply in most places is so low that it would only last a few days in a true emergency. Very few people give blood on a regular basis. In fact less than 5% of those who can give blood willingly do so. Because of the low number of blood donors, the blood supply in most places only last for three days. The blood at the blood banks is only good for 42 days. It is easy to see how they are always low on blood. In many cases, certain blood types are in critical shortages.

What is Done with the Donated Blood?

Many people think that blood donations are used for emergency situations like accidents. While the donated blood is used for these, donated blood isn’t exclusively used for these. There are other situations wherein donated blood is used. The following are some other common uses for blood donations.

*When a person has an aneurysm, a blood vessel breaks in his body and so he loses a lot of blood. This type of patient may need as much as 4 or 6 units of blood after an aneurysm bursts.

*A bone marrow transplant is done when someone with cancer or another illness needs to replace their bone marrow. Bone marrow recipients must get blood infusions for about a month after their surgery as well as platelet infusions every day for four to six weeks.

*Diseases of the blood like anemia may require a person to undergo frequent blood transfusions to replace the bad blood in his system.

*Sometimes people with cancer are required to have daily blood transfusions of as much as 2 to 6 units of red blood cells and platelets every day over several weeks for their treatment.

*When a person has had an organ transplant, often blood is needed to make up for the blood lost during the surgery. How much blood is needed depends on what organ is affected.

*During birth, a situation can arise that would require either the mother or baby or both to need a blood transfusion. Babies born early also often need blood transfusions.

In just under an hour you can save a life and help one of the millions and millions of people who need blood every year. Donating bloods is an easy way to make a difference. Give blood as often as you can. When you give blood, you have no idea who you are helping but you can be sure that those people you’ve helped will be grateful and so will their family and loved ones.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Giving Blood Doesn’t Have to be Scary

January 18th, 2009 | No Comments | Posted in Family Health

There is always a need for blood donations especially since such a small percentage of people, around 5%, actually donate. Some people are afraid of donating blood. Many may think that they are going to have problems or side effects from donating blood or that they might catch a disease from the needle. In reality, giving blood is perfectly safe. Here are some facts about donating blood.

*Blood banks do not want blood that is not safe. They protect donors and those who receive the blood by carefully sorting through donors in order to weed out ones with potential problems. You will have to answer a series of questions about your medical history and they will test a small drop of your blood before letting you donate. They will also do a few on-the-spot checks to make sure you are healthy enough to donate.

*You have no chance of catching any kind of infection when donating blood. All blood banks have to follow strict guidelines and dispose of used needles and other equipment right away.

*It isn’t incredibly painful to give blood. It only hurts for a second and the pain is very mild, kind of like being pinched.

*If you were not allowed to donate previously, you might be eligible now. Often you are turned away for conditions that are temporary or for issues that may not be a problem today. Try donating blood again even if you were turned down before.

*There is no problem with a decrease in your blood supply from giving blood. The blood bank will only take a limited amount of blood, which your body can easily replenish in about 24 hours. The red blood cells that you lose will return to normal levels in a week and you won’t be affected in the meantime.

*It is very rare that anyone has a problem after giving blood. A very small percentage, around 2%, may feel dizzy or weak and some people may have bruises. Giving blood is very safe for the majority of people since there are so many precautions taken.

*You’ll be given time to recover if you need it after giving blood. They usually have juice and cookies and a place to sit down available which will help your body get back to normal. As soon as you feel ready, you will be free to go. You should be able to go on with your day as long as you don’t try and do anything too physical for a few hours.

Giving blood is easy and there are really no dangers. It is something simple that you can do that will mean so much to those who need the blood. Don’t be afraid, go give blood today.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,