This Article is From Jun 14, 2019

World Blood Donor Day: How Does Blood Donation Work?

Blood Donor Day: Your one attempt of donating blood can save upto 3 lives! Read here to know how blood donation works and how you can be prepared for donating blood.

World Blood Donor Day: How Does Blood Donation Work?

World Blood Donor Day: Regular blood donation ensures supply of safe blood to people in need

Highlights

  • World Blood Donor day is meant to encourage people to donate blood
  • Your blood pressure should be normal if you want to donate blood
  • People with low hemoglobin cannot donate blood

Blood donation is one of the noblest tasks that one can do. World Blood Donor Day is one such ocassion which  recognises and encourages blood donors and blood donation at a global level. June 14 is observed as World Blood Donor Day. This day is meant to raise awareness about the importance blood donation and the crucial role it plays in saving lives across the world. World Blood Donor Day aims at thanking voluntary and unpaid donors for their life-saving gift of blood to those in need. The day is also meant to encourage people to donate blood regularly so that individuals and communities across the world have access to affordable and timely supply of safe blood and blood products. On the occasion of World Blood Donor Day, we talk about the basics of donating blood and the procedure behind it.

World Blood Donor Day: How does blood donation work?

The total time for blood donation until you reach the blood donation camp and leave is going to take roughly an hour. The process of blood donation takes nothing more than 8 to 10 minutes.

Also read: All About Blood Donation: Donate Blood, Save A Life

The donor is required to register, which involves details like name, phone number, address, donor identification number. A driver's licence and two other forms of identification cards are required for registration.

After the registration is done, you are required to answer questions about health history and go through a mini physical test. A private and confidential interview is done on your health history and the places that you have travelled. After that, your body temperature, pulse rate, blood pressure and haemoglobin levels are checked. You can donate blood only if all these show normal levels at the time of blood donation.

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World Blood Donor Day: You can donate blood if your haemoglobin level and blood pressure is normal
Photo Credit: iStock

Also read: What Do High TLC And DLC Levels On A Blood Test Report Mean?

Coming over to the donation part, medical experts at the blood donation camp are going to cleanse your arm and insert a new, sterile needle to draw blood. You will feel a slight pinch which goes in a few seconds. It will take a while till the bag fills your blood, around 8 to 10 minutes. Approximately, a pint of blood is collected at once. Once the donation is complete, the expert places a bandage on your arm.

A few minutes of rest is essential after you have donated blood. You can have the refreshments, give your body the time to adjust to a decrease in fluid volume. You should be able to leave the donation site within the next 10 to 15 minutes.

Also read: Hemoglobin: 7 Things You Can Do To Increase Your Blood Count

Where can you donate blood?

Apart from the various blood donation camps that are installed in places like colleges, schools, etc on World Blood Donor Day, you can also donate blood in hospitals, blood banks and blood donation centres throughout the year.

This World Blood Donor Day, make sure you donate blood. One attempt of blood donation can be helpful to save lives of upto 3 people!

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.

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