Donating blood can be beneficial to you and the recipient. It is a noble deed, but you still need to watch out for your health. Before you decide to donate blood, you have to remember that not everyone is eligible. And if you are qualified to give out your blood, you will need to be well-prepared before the blood collection.
If you are scheduled for a blood collection soon, you should be prepared. Hence, we will share with you some tips that can help you prepare for the blood donation properly. It will also support you to ensure that you are healthy and eligible to donate blood.
Have Enough Rest
You must get sufficient sleep before the donation, especially the night before the blood collection. Unfortunately, many people overlook this step. If you forget about getting enough rest, you might experience a bit of lightheadedness after the donation.
You can also encounter restlessness and dizziness. The possibility of fainting is high if you will not prioritize having enough sleep before the blood collection. If this happens, you can get into an accident, especially if you are driving home or walking alone.
You’re required to have enough rest by sleeping well before the day of the blood extraction schedule. It is one of the ways you can help your body prepare for the donation. In addition, it would be best to avoid any strenuous activities like lifting heavy weights or doing intense exercise routines.
Hydrate and Eat the Right Food
Another proper way to prepare for blood donation is to eat the right food and drink plenty of water. As a rule of thumb, you should eat a healthy breakfast to prepare your body and help it acquire enough nutrients for recovery.
It would be best if you ate sufficient before the schedule of your blood collection because having a full stomach will help stabilize your blood pressure. As a result, you will feel less lightheaded after the donation. In addition, you should eat foods rich in iron like beef, lamb, liver, broccoli, spinach, and the like.
Vitamin C-rich foods should also be a part of your diet. Additionally, staying hydrated also plays a significant role in a successful blood donation. Remember, you will lose around two cups of fluid if you donate blood, so you better ensure you are well-hydrated before the donation. Drink 12 ounces of water thirty minutes before the blood collection. You must also drink another 32 ounces of water after the donation to revitalize your system.
Avoid drinking coffee in the morning of your donation schedule. Juice and other fluids should also be avoided. If you need hydration, only drink water throughout the day.
Fill up the Donor’s Form
Once you are ready, you will be requested to fill up the donor’s form. This form will be given to you upon your arrival. It is a registration form that will sign you in as a donor. You will need to present a valid ID and be asked to read vital information regarding the procedure.
Interview
After filling up the form, you will be interviewed by a representative. You will be asked about your health history and the places you traveled. You should also disclose any prescriptions or OTC medicines that you are drinking that might be in your system.
Your temperature and pulse rate will also be checked, as your hemoglobin level. Other questions that are not mentioned here might be asked, but they should only be limited to your health history.
Go to Counseling
Counseling is a vital step to prepare you further for the upcoming blood donation. It is a discussion between you as the donor and the counselor. You can rest assured that this dialogue will be confidential and only between you and the advisor. The main objective of this counseling is to discuss issues regarding the donor’s health and explain the donation process.
Blood transfusion is a crucial sector of the healthcare system. To ensure a reliable and sufficient blood supply, the Blood Transfusion Services (BTS) should create and maintain a pool of safe, uncompensated blood donor volunteers.
Undergo Thorough Medical Examination
The medical examination will evaluate your general health to know if you are eligible to donate blood. Both first-time donors and returning donors should undergo medical examination before donating blood.
If you want to donate blood, you should be in good health; It is why the pre-donation examination is vital. The examination will check for:
Poor physique
- Debilitation
- Plethora
- Jaundice
- Under-nutrition
- Correct Weight
- Dyspnoea
- Intoxication
- Mental instability
- Cyanosis
Although it is vital to know where you belong under the different blood types, you will not undergo blood typing during the examination. Instead, the blood typing will be done after they acquire your blood.
The examination will only focus on your general health for you and the recipient’s safety. Expect that your weight will be taken when you undergo the examination. Take note that the minimum legal donor weight accepted is 50kg.
The Importance of Preparing Before a Blood Donation
Preparing before you donate blood is vital to ensure your safety and the safety of the blood recipient. Although blood donation provides benefits, you can still experience short-term adverse effects, such as nausea, dizziness, and sometimes fainting.
Some even feel weak after the blood extraction and develop a bruise or raised bump on the extraction site. However, these adverse effects can only last for a short period. To ensure that your body can go through this stage post-extraction, you should strengthen your body through the mentioned preparation.
Aside from preparing to ensure your safety as a donor, it also ensures that the recipient is safe to receive donated blood with the help of the screening or examination process. In addition, your blood will be drawn and go through tests for HIV, Hepatitis B, Hep C, Syphilis, and Malaria.
If you tested at least one of these four infectious disease markers, you would not be eligible to donate blood.
Are You Ready to Donate Blood?
Many people are afraid to donate blood, but you must know that donating blood can be good for you. However, with the proper preparations suggested in this article, you should not be afraid to donate blood anymore.
