World Thalassemia Day 2019: All you need to know about blood donation

Constant blood supply is essential to keep a thalassemia patient alive. As we celebrate World Thalassemia Day today, here is a low-down on blood donation.

Editorial Team | Published: May 8, 2019 11:46 am

If you are a thalassemia patient yourself, or have a close one suffering from the condition who you want to donate blood to, here is all you need to know about blood donation. © Shutterstock

World Thalassemia Day is celebrated every year on the 8th of May to honour the people who have lost their lives to thalassemia and encourage people to live better with this blood disorder. This global campaign also aims to educate people about thalassemia in order to equip them to fight against the condition. Like every year, this year also World Thalassemia Day has a theme: Universal access to quality thalassemia healthcare services: Building bridges with and for patients”.

Thalassemia is a blood disorder which you inherit from your parents. In this condition in your body doesn’t make enough haemoglobin due to which red blood cells do not function properly and last for a shorter duration resulting in lower than normal red blood cells in the body. Thalassemia manifests itself through symptoms like fatigue, severe weakness, yellowish skin, delayed growth, dark urine, and facial bone deformities. The standard treatment for this condition is blood transfusion. So, a constant source of blood supply is necessary for a thalassemia patient to survive. If you are a thalassemia patient yourself, or have a close one suffering from the condition who you want to donate blood to, here is all you need to know about blood donation.

Eligibility for blood donation

The age of a blood donor must be between 18 and 60 years and his/her weight should be at least 50Kg.
Blood groups should match.
Anyone with good health parameters who is not suffering from any transmittable disease can donate blood.
Donor’s haemoglobin level should be at least 12.5 per cent.
There must be a gap of three months between two blood donations. For women, the gap should be at least 4 months.
Donor’s pulse rate must be between 50 to 100mm without any irregularities.
Body temperature must be normal and oral temperature should not be more than 99.5°F.

Who shouldn’t you take blood from?

Avoid taking blood from people experiencing problems like cold, sore throat, flu, stomach bug or any other infection. A person suffering from diseases like hypertension, kidney alignments, cardiac arrest, epilepsy or diabetics also shouldn’t be in your list of donors. Women who experienced miscarriage should wait for at least 6 months to donate blood. Your donor should not suffer from HIV. A person who has received any vaccine within the past one month, has consumed alcohol within 24 hours of the donation time, or awaiting any dental surgery in next 24 hour should also not be your option.

Blood group compatibilities

There are 4 major types of blood groups (A, B, O, and AB) and 8 blood types (A positive or A negative, B positive or B negative, AB positive or AB negative and O positive or O negative). Your blood group is decided on the basis of antigens A and B your blood type is determined by another antigen, Rh factor present (positive or negative). Your blood type and group are formed by the combination of antigens (living on the surface your red blood cells ) and antibodies (residing in your plasma). For safe and effective transfusion blood groups need to match. For example, a person with group B blood can receive blood safely from group B. However, if the group doesn’t match it can lead to extreme outcomes like death for the person receiving transfusion. Reason? The antibodies of the recipient’s blood will clash with the cells of the donor’s leading to a toxic reaction. However, the blood types needn’t be an exact match. They just need to be compatible. Here is a blood compatibility table for you.

Advantages of blood donation

Blood donation doesn’t only benefit the receiver but the donor as well. Yes, you read it right. If you are a donor, you can prevent hemochromatosis, a condition also known as iron overload. In this condition, your body absorbs too much of this nutrient. You may inherit this condition or get it due to liver diseases, alcoholism, so on and so forth. Donating blood take the load off. Also, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, blood donation reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes. If you do not donate blood at all, the excess iron in your body may cause free radical damage and increase your risk of cancer and ageing. In fact, in case of obese people, it has been found that regular blood donation can reduce their weight. Post blood donation, your body actually works to replenish the blood loss. This stimulates new blood cell production and helps in maintaining good health.

Keep these in mind if you are donating blood

You must avoid donating blood empty stomach. Have foods rich in iron including nuts, spinach etc. and water in the night and three hours before blood donation. Also, do not eat fatty foods like cheese, whole eggs, fatty fish etc. Avoid consuming caffeine beverages and alcohol before heading to donate blood.

Though rare, you may experience slight dizziness or weakness after blood donation. To avoid it, you should take 5 to 20 minutes’ rest and drink juices with high sugar content. This will rejuvenate your body. Also, have a meal rich in protein and avoid consuming alcohol after 8 hours of donating blood. Indulging in heavy exercise or work should also be avoided immediately after donation. Minor pain or bruising is common among donors. In rare cases, bleeding for the needle site can take a little time to stop. In this case, you are supposed to put pressure on the site and keep your arm raised above your heart for a while.

Published: May 8, 2019 11:46 am

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