Courtesy Bates County Memorial Hospital
Giving blood is one of the most selfless things you can do. It helps people every day, whether the blood is needed for traumas, surgeries or health conditions. Although you won’t know who the recipient of your blood will be, your donation goes a long way towards making sure hospitals have enough supply to meet the daily demands of blood for patients.If you’ve been on the fence about giving blood, it may be because you’re worried that it hurts or that you won’t feel good after you give blood. But don’t let those fears stop you because donating blood is relatively quick, painless and easy to do.
Here’s what you can expect when you arrive for your blood donation:
- When you arrive – You’ll sign in and show your ID. You’ll be asked to fill out a questionnaire about your medical and travel history.
- Screening – In addition to going over the answers you provided on the questionnaire, you’ll have your blood pressure, temperature and other vital signs checked.
- Blood donation – You’ll sit in a comfortable chair or lie on a table. The skin where the donation will be drawn from will be cleaned with alcohol. A single-use sterile needle will be used and you’ll only feel a small prick when the needle is inserted in your arm. Once in, you shouldn’t feel any pain. Your blood will flow through the needle into a sterile bag. It only takes about 10 minutes or less for the collection process. While blood is being collected, you may be given a soft object or ball to roll in your hand to keep the blood flowing. About 500 milliliters of blood will be collected and then the needle will be painlessly removed.
- Recovery – After you’re done donating blood, you will be given a light snack and drink while you rest for 15 to 20 minutes. Some people feel a little lightheaded or nauseous if they get up too soon but this feeling usually goes away after a few minutes of rest and refreshments.
Most people donate whole blood, which can be used for transfusions or separated into its components (platelets, plasma and red blood cells) at a later time. If you are donating platelets, the overall process is similar to donating blood but the collection process takes longer. This is because your platelets are separated out during the donation process and your red blood cells and plasma are returned to you (only the platelets are collected).
3 Tips for Easier Donations
If you’re planning on donating blood, here are a few things that will make the process easier:
- Hydrate – Starting a few days before your donation, drink extra water so your body is well hydrated when it’s time to donate. This will make the collection process go more smoothly.
- Nourish – Eat a small meal or snack shortly before you donate. This makes it less likely you’ll feel lightheaded or woozy after your donation.
- Dress – Wear something comfortable that can easily expose your arm above the elbow during the donation.
Once you’re done donating blood, pat yourself on the back – the small sacrifice you made will help to save up to three lives!
