Blood Donation: Why should I donate?

Giving blood is a really vital cause which helps save lives every day. In this blog we will talk about why you should donate, the pros and cons of donating and our Reslife event coming up where you can sign up to give blood on April 7th.

By giving blood, in just one hour you can save 3 lives. The whole experience of giving blood is quite simple and no where near as scary as some people may think. After signing up when you arrive at the blood donation centre it takes around an hour for the whole process. You will need a quick health check to check you are suitable for giving blood. You will then get a finger prick which will test your iron levels to see that all is okay. It is then time to give blood which is a relaxed procedure only taking around 5-10 minutes where they will insert a short needle into your arm and you will just sit for 10 minutes and then you’re all done. You’ll then sit with a drink and a snack and you’re all done. It is as simple as that to save lives.

Your blood can be used to save lives for those receiving emergency treatment or those in long term care who need blood. It is vital for those receiving medical treatment.

There is certain blood groups which are needed more than others such as O group blood types and the subtype RO.

There is around 140,000 new blood donors needed every year to meet the medical demand and replace those who are no longer able to donate. 

Pros and Cons of Blood donation:

Pros

- There are also health advantages of giving blood to yourself as the process aids with iron regulations in the body and it also allows you to have your blood pressure and iron levels checked whilst in the donation centre. The process also prompts the body to create new blood cells which can help you to maintain a healthy blood cell count. 

- You are saving lives and doing it for a great cause.

- It can also help lower the chances of heart attacks and strokes by removing excess iron.

- It can have emotional and psychological benefits by creating a feeling that you have done something for a good cause and increasing your self esteem.

Cons-—

- It can cause temporary dizziness for some donors. However, this does subside after some water and food,

-It is important not to donate too often as this can cause problems with your iron  levels.

-It can take up time and effort to do but this is definitely worth it due to the difference you are making



There is some reasons people cannot or choose not to donate blood. They are the following:

- Certain health conditions mean people can not donate blood. This is things such as having certain heart conditions, having had certain cancers, having HIV, having had an organ transplant in the past.

- People who are pregnant or have had a baby in the past 6 months.

- For certain religious reasons.

- If you have recently had a tattoo done.

We are hosting an NHS giving blood event on Tuesday April 9th:

Come along to Bishop Gate at 4pm. Here we will have members from the NHS running the stall. This is a great opportunity to find out more about giving blood. Also, have you ever been curious about what your blood type is? This event allows for blood type testing so you can find out.

Also if you have any queries about if you are able to give blood it is a great chance to ask any questions you may have. You can also register as a blood donor and make a difference.

We hope this blog has given you some more information about giving blood and be sure to come alone to our event on Tuesday to find out even more.