Donating a piece of yourself to help other people is not so difficult. If you are a healthy person, you can just come to the blood transfusion station and find out what is necessary in order to become a donor. There you can also clarify the list of diseases in which you will be refused.
Possible advantages for the body
A couple of years ago, many were interested in blood donation solely as an opportunity to earn extra money. But the introduced changes to the legislation made this procedure free of charge. Therefore, now most people become donors solely to help sick people.
Assessing the pros and cons of blood donation, it must be remembered that sometimes a transfusion is the only way to save a dying person. But this is not the only positive point. The indisputable advantages of donation include the following:
- free medical examination, which is carried out during each blood sampling procedure;
- constant renewal of the body: it was found that donors are less likely to suffer from cardiovascular diseases, women later have a menopause;
- strengthening immunity, adjusting the functioning of some internal organs, including the gastrointestinal tract.
But this is not all the benefits of blood donation. A person who decides on this should lead a healthy lifestyle, monitor nutrition. After all, the blood of people who abuse alcohol and are dependent on nicotine is unlikely to be needed by anyone.
Benefits for the body
The intake of 450 ml of blood (or 200 ml - half the dose) should not be reflected in the life of a healthy person. True, for this the donor must be rested. To maintain good health before the procedure, a person must have breakfast. After blood donation:
- the liver and spleen are unloaded, because they are responsible for the disposal of dead red blood cells;
- immunity to minor blood loss that occurs during operations, accidents, injuries, injuries, and severe burns is developed;
- the function of hematopoiesis is activated, the blood self-renews.
In addition, donation is the prevention of many diseases of the digestive system and the cardiovascular system.
Cons Donation
Despite the obvious advantages, this procedure has disadvantages. So, during blood sampling in humans, the number of red blood cells decreases, and, therefore, hemoglobin decreases. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to nutrition. The rules of blood donation include mandatory recommendations on what should be the diet of people who donate blood. Calcium-rich foods should be ingested in sufficient quantities. The emphasis should be on fresh seasonal vegetables and fruits. Many are advised to additionally consume vitamin-mineral complexes.
After the donation procedure, the body begins to intensively compensate for blood loss. It actively produces red blood cells (those same red blood cells). And they begin to actively deliver oxygen to all organs and tissues of the body. The main thing is to donate blood no more often than advised to do it, and follow the recommendations regarding sleep and nutrition.
Absolute contraindications
Unfortunately, not all people seeking to help others can become donors. Contraindications to blood donation are very extensive. The list includes not only infectious diseases such as AIDS, immunodeficiency virus, various types of viral hepatitis, tuberculosis, but also somatic diseases.
The list of contraindications includes people who have:
- malignant neoplasms;
- diseases of the central nervous system;
- mental illness;
- lack of hearing and voice;
- radiation sickness;
- endocrine diseases accompanied by severe metabolic disorders;
- connective tissue problems;
- there is an addiction (they suffer from alcoholism or are drug addicts);
- blood diseases
- acute or chronic form of osteomyelitis.
But this is not a complete list. In each case, only a doctor should determine whether a person can become a donor. For example, blood donation is contraindicated in the presence of a history of surgical interventions. If during the operation a resection of the stomach, gall bladder, uterus, and spleen was performed, then such a person will never be able to donate blood. And if he just had appendicitis removed, then he will be able to become a donor in 6 months.
The list of diseases related to absolute contraindications
Before you donate your blood, you need to figure out if blood donation will harm your body. Cons for the body will be obvious if you suffer or have a history of diseases that fall into the list of absolute contraindications. These include the following:
- Parasitic infections: leishmaniasis, rishta, trypanosomiasis, toxoplasmosis, filariasis, echinococcosis.
- Cardiovascular problems: coronary heart disease, heart disease, atherosclerosis, obliterating endarteritis, recurring thrombophlebitis, myocarditis, atherosclerotic cardiosclerosis, endocarditis.
- Respiratory diseases: obstructive bronchitis, pulmonary emphysema, bronchiectasis, stage of decompensation of diffuse pneumosclerosis, bronchial asthma.
- Gastrointestinal diseases: peptic ulcer, achilic gastritis.
- Problems with the liver and bile ducts: cirrhosis, calculous cholecystitis, accompanied by recurrent seizures and manifestations of cholangitis, chronic liver disease.
- Diseases of the urinary tract and kidneys: urolithiasis, focal and diffuse lesions of the kidneys.
Other possible problems
Contraindications to blood donation are not limited only to diseases of internal organs. It also makes no sense to go to the transfusion station if you had any of the following diseases.
1. Eye problems: residual manifestations of uveitis (chorioretinitis, iridocyclitis, iritis), trachoma, myopia more than 6 diopters, complete blindness.
2. Diseases of the ENT organs: severe purulent-inflammatory diseases, ozena.
3. Skin problems: fungal infections (epidermophytosis, trichophytosis, favus, microsporia), deep mycoses, eczema, sycosis, psoriasis, lupus erythematosus, erythroderma, vesicular dermatoses, pustular lesions (furunculosis, pyoderma).
By order of the Ministry of Health, these diseases are also included in the list of absolute contraindications.
Blood Donation Rules: Time Limits
If you do not suffer from diseases that are on the list of absolute contraindications, then you should also check separately whether you can go to the transfusion station right now. For example, blood donation will have to be postponed for half a year if you have had transfusions of blood (its components) or surgical interventions (including abortion). But after applying the tattoo will have to wait a year.
Travelers who have spent more than 3 months in tropical and subtropical countries recognized as endemic for malaria will not be able to donate blood for another 3 years. When contacting people with hepatitis A, the break should be more than 3 months, hepatitis B or C - more than 1 year.
All these restrictions are set in order to minimize possible infection factors. Also, you can not donate blood to pregnant and lactating women. At least one year should pass from the time of birth, and 3 months after the end of lactation. You can not become a donor during menstruation. More than 5 days should pass from the moment of its completion.
Past illnesses
Restrictions on blood donation are established in those cases when a person has been ill with infectious diseases. In order for him to become a donor, he must not only fully recover, but also wait out a certain quarantine period.
For example, with malaria (provided that the results of immunological tests are negative and there are no symptoms), 3 years should pass from the day of recovery. With typhoid, this period is 1 year. After acute respiratory viral infections, flu or sore throat, you must wait at least a month.
For other infectious diseases not mentioned above, the quarantine period is slightly longer - 6 months. After tooth extraction, before donating blood, you must wait 10 days. After acute inflammatory processes, recovery lasts at least 1 month.
Restrictions are also imposed on people suffering from allergic diseases. After stopping acute attacks, at least 2 months should pass.
Popular myths
Some are afraid to go to the transfusion station because they have heard many tales about blood donation. The minuses of this procedure they come up with for themselves.
For example, the popular myth is that during the donation you can become infected with incurable diseases. This is not true, because at blood transfusion stations they use only disposable sterile instruments that are opened directly in front of the donor.
Also, do not be afraid that this procedure is harmful to the body. This is not so, the blood volume is restored quickly, and the body is only beneficial. In addition, many are stopped by the information that the procedure takes a lot of time. This is also not true. The work process at many transfusion stations is organized to prevent the creation of queues. Whole blood sampling lasts about 15 minutes. However, if you donate the components of this biological fluid, then the procedure can take 1.5 hours.
