Your decision to donate your blood can save a life. Doctors say everyone should donate blood at least once in their lifetime. Every year since 2004, the World Health Organization (WHO) has been observing June 14 as World Blood Donor Day in order to thank all voluntary and unpaid blood donors who have been regularly donating blood and contributing to blood supply for thousands of people in need. This year’s theme for World Blood Donor Day is “Safe blood saves lives” which gives out the slogan “Give blood and make the world a healthier place.” This indicates that the efficacy of medical care is not possible without sufficient blood supply. Today, there are a lot of people who are willing to donate blood, but they lack knowledge about the process and other details of the blood donation. There are many questions which come to a person’s mind about donating blood like – Is it safe? Will it make you feel weak after donating blood? And many more. To help fill this knowledge gap and encourage people to donate blood, we have compiled a list of some of the most common mistakes people make while donating blood. These include:
Not doing enough research
You need to know certain things before going ahead with donating blood. This includes-
- Eat something substantial at least 3 hours before blood donation.
- Don’t smoke 2 hours before donating blood.
- Having a good night’s sleep of 6 to 8 hours the previous night is a must.
- No alcohol should be consumed at least 24 hours before donating blood.
- A healthy adult person above the age of 18, without any underlying health conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes, can donate blood, as far as he or she weighs above 45 kgs.
Not telling others about your experience
Make sure you share your experience with others after donating blood and encourage your close ones about blood donation. And also inform them about the do’s and don’ts of it. This is because the idea of World Blood Donor Day is to increase awareness among people for donating blood willingly, without any remuneration.
Not taking a medical examination
It is very important for you to be healthy and have an optimum weight, with sufficient hemoglobin. It is necessary to weigh more than 45 kgs. Also, your blood pressure should be normal and your hemoglobin must be 12.5g/dL or more. Any underlying health issues like diabetes or a previous surgery, iron deficiency, etc. will determine how capable you are of donating blood.
Not taking a short rest after blood donation
People often make this mistake of getting up immediately after donating blood which may lead to dizziness and headache. But you need to take sufficient rest. So, make sure you lie down for at least 10 minutes after donating blood. This will ensure that the blood flow in your body and the brain gets normal. Keep lying down until you feel completely fine.
Not filling the donor form
Filling up the donor form before going ahead with blood donation is very important. This is done to ensure that your fitness levels are completely on point to donate blood. Also, it is a proof that you are giving your formal consent for voluntarily donating blood for free.
