Is it good to donate blood? Is it good to donate blood

The most common question in medicine is whether it is useful to donate blood for donation. Today, donation is widespread throughout the world, and in some countries it is one of the components of a healthy lifestyle, along with proper nutrition and exercise.

Anyone can apply to become a donor. To do this, he needs to come to any blood transfusion station, which is available in almost any locality, and fill out a donor questionnaire, where he describes in detail his state of health and past diseases. Also, one of the important points for passing the donor commission is a medical examination and blood test, according to the results of which the candidate will be admitted to donation. Specialists conducting a medical examination of a candidate reserve the right to refuse admission to donation, in case of revealing any slightest violations without specific indications of the reasons and explanations why the refusal was given.

If you have successfully passed the commission and become a donor, the laboratory specialists will explain to you the rules, procedure, and the benefits of donating material without harm to your body. Following these rules will allow you to regularly submit material and participate in saving lives around the world, benefiting yourself.

The delivered material is of two types:

1. Whole blood donation occurs by taking from 200 ml to 450 ml of venous blood. The amount of sampling material is determined by how many times you donate blood, for example, if this is your first donation, then the material will be collected in sizes from 150 ml to 250 ml. For subsequent donations, a one-time blood donation of up to 450 ml is considered;
2. Donation of plasma and its components. People who are prone to thrombocytosis need to increase their platelet levels when their body does not produce enough of them. In this case, resort to the use of donor material. For the donor organism, the material harvesting is less perceptible than the harvesting of whole material. Since the desired component is mechanically isolated from the specified amount, and the unused blood is returned back to the donor.

The donor can be sure of the sterility of the manipulations, as the transfusion stations pay special attention to this. As a result of the regular donation of matter, circulation and purification of the circulatory system occur, which will favorably affect the donor's body.

Requirements and contraindications

Certain strict requirements in the selection of candidates can not be. The main thing is that the applicant should not have infectious and viral diseases transmitted with blood.

The donor applicant must meet the following criteria:

• achievement by the candidate of 18 years of age, but not more than 60 years of age;
• body weight must be at least 50 kg.

If these two requirements cannot be met, the specialists of an unsuitable candidate, even before passing the medical examination, will not be able to admit. Also, during the examination, the psychological state of the applicant is also studied in detail, in case of detection of mental abnormalities, doctors will refuse admission to donation.

Contraindications for blood donation for both men and women are the individual characteristics of the body, for example, anemia, leukemia, etc.

Blood donation is also limited in the following situations:

• Material sampling from men can occur no more than once every two months.
• Women are encouraged to donate once every three months. It is necessary to pay attention to the menstrual period, in which female donors are prohibited from donating 5 days before the onset of menstruation and 5 days after they end. It is also forbidden to donate blood to pregnant women, and during the period of breastfeeding, you can return to donating after pregnancy one year after the completion of breastfeeding.
• After the transfer of a disease such as ARVI or ARI, access to donation will be allowed a month after the final recovery.

These requirements are mandatory and must be followed by every donor. The use of such drastic measures is necessary to ensure the safety of both the donor and the recipient.

Why You Shouldn't Donate Blood Frequently

The circulatory system is replenished and renewed, thanks to the content in it of such substances as platelets, leukocytes, erythrocytes. Nature in the human body has a renewal of blood and its constant circulation, the body contains a certain amount of it.

The blood norm for a person is up to 6 liters, while this indicator maintains the normal functioning of the entire organ system. Each cell of the inner world is supplied with oxygen, and can perform all its functions fully.

Frequent blood sampling from a donor may affect his health, as the level of vital material will be reduced, therefore, the body will eat in a limited mode and may be in a state of oxygen starvation, which can lead to the death of organ cells. Such damage can be compared with the strongest blood loss or hemorrhage, so it is very important to comply with the permitted number of donations per year.

Men can donate blood no more than 6 times a year, women no more than 4 times. These indicators are calculated for the donation of whole blood, you can donate material for components every two to three weeks in compliance with all requirements and contraindications. The number of times for taking material for components should not exceed 12 times a year.

Benefits of donation

Observing all the requirements for conducting and preparing the donation of material, not exceeding the recommended amount of blood sampling, the body does not experience discomfort and does not receive harm. In addition, by donating material for donation, your body can be regularly updated, in connection with which the circulatory system is cleansed, this is a definite benefit. For many diseases or allergic reactions, doctors prescribe a patient's blood transfusion without the use of donor material. Such measures help to renew blood components, and often get rid of many unwanted infections and reactions.

Also, with regular donation of material, the donor's body, in case of a threat, will more easily accept donated blood. This process is due to the regular replenishment and restoration of the circulatory system. The benefits of transfusion and donation are obvious. By becoming a donor, you help not only yourself and your body, but also thousands of other people who need a transfusion.

The main thing is to approach this issue correctly and with special responsibility. Becoming a donor, you should understand that you should forget about bad habits, donation is inherently a healthy lifestyle, in which it is important to follow all the details from proper nutrition to sleep and rest.

Blood is a living organ, and its artificial analogue has not yet been created. Every third inhabitant of the planet at least once in his life needs it ..

Essentially, a blood transfusion is a transplant of living tissue, a transplant. In many cases, it is donated blood that saves the patient's life.

A bit of history

Blood transfusion originated in Russia at the beginning of the 19th century. In 1832, G. Wolf for the first time transfused blood to a woman and thereby saved her from uterine bleeding after childbirth.

AB0 system It provides for the presence in red blood cells (erythrocytes) of specific proteins - agglutinogens A and B. According to this system, four blood groups are distinguished: the first (0) - agglutinogens are absent, the second (A) - agglutinogen A is present, the third (B) - - respectively, there is agglutinogen B and the fourth (AB) - there are both agglutinogens, the rarest blood type.

However, scientifically based blood transfusion became possible only after the creation of the doctrine of immunity (I. I. Mechnikov, P. Ehrlich, 1908) and the discovery of blood groups of the ABO system by the Austrian scientist Kirl Landsteiner (1900), for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930 .

Why donating blood is useful

Donating blood is not harmful. Doctors believe that it is even useful. Since the Middle Ages, many diseases have been treated with bloodletting. And still it is used in some conditions. It is useful, for example, in hypertension, in women in menopause. And men, adapting their body to possible blood loss - with injuries, stomach ulcers and for other reasons. In general, regular blood donation triggers self-renewal processes in the body and, according to numerous studies, serves as a prevention of cardiovascular diseases. For example, in male donors, the risk of getting a heart attack is reduced several times. In addition, doctors say that blood donation is a great moral satisfaction and a mood lift for a long time.

Who rents

Rh factor This is an antigen (protein) that is found on the surface of red blood cells - erythrocytes. About 85% of Europeans (99% of Indians and Asians) have an Rh factor and, accordingly, are Rh-positive. The remaining 15% (7% of Africans) who do not have it are Rh-negative.

Anyone can become a donor, all you need is a passport and a desire. At the blood transfusion point, the necessary tests will be taken from you and they will be done immediately. The following are determined: blood group and Rh factor, data from a general blood test (hemoglobin, leukocytes, erythrocytes, ESR), as well as markers of pathogens of blood-borne infections: syphilis, HIV and hepatitis B and C viruses. All results are, of course, confidential.

Next, you will be taken to a medical examination, during which the doctor will measure your blood pressure, temperature, check your pulse, and ask about your well-being. You will be asked to fill out a "donor questionnaire" with detailed questions about your health and past medical conditions.

There is a whole list of withdrawals from donating blood. To become a donor, you must be in good health and not be at risk of blood-borne and sexually transmitted infections. You can’t donate blood if you had a surgical operation within six months, and had a piercing or tattoo done within a year. Women have more withdrawals: pregnancy, breastfeeding, menstruation.

What do they donate blood for?

Blood is taken either whole or its components - plasma, erythrocyte mass or platelets. If you donate whole blood, then a certain volume will be taken from you at a time: the maximum dose is 450 ml, it can be less, the doctor decides, and in time it will take about 15 minutes. When taking components, such as plasmapheresis, your blood is passed through a special system that separates the plasma from the cells and collects it in a separate container. The remaining blood is returned to the donor. This procedure takes about 40 minutes.

Plasma after donation is restored in the body in a few days, blood - within a month. It is recommended to donate blood for men no more than five times a year, for women no more than four times a year. Plasma can be donated more often.

Every third needs blood

Every year, one and a half million Russians need blood. Every third inhabitant of the Earth at least once in his life needs a blood transfusion.

There are people who need blood products for life. This is primarily patients with hemophilia - blood incoagulability. In such people, platelets are not produced in the body, they need adequate maintenance therapy since childhood, and then they live, no different from ordinary people. And without blood coagulation factors, the life of such patients is simply impossible.

Patients with oncological diseases are in dire need of donated blood. The harsh treatment of malignant tumors involves the killing of cancer cells, but healthy ones also die along with them, and normal hematopoiesis stops for a while. It is during this period that the patient needs maintenance therapy with donor blood components, in particular platelets, for which there is no artificial replacement and is not even theoretically expected in the near future.

Donor blood is needed for patients with surgical pathology. These are people who need joint prosthetics, cardiosurgical patients. Surgical operations are associated with trauma to blood vessels, tissues and the need to restore lost blood components.

Blood transfusions are often required for women during childbirth. Always a certain number of women in childbirth are threatened by blood loss, which must also be correctly compensated in order to save the life of the mother and child.

Also in the practice of pediatrics there is hemolytic disease of the newborn, which can be diagnosed early and cured. For the period of such treatment, sick children need transfusions of a large number of various blood components.

Every year the promotion of donation increases. Donating blood is an important mission that helps save the lives of a huge number of people. Blood supplies are needed for people with cancer, during various operations, childbirth, etc.

Many people think about whether it is harmful to donate blood as a donor and how such a procedure affects the state of health. A lot of research and experimentation has been done to understand this topic.

Is it safe to donate blood?

If a person came to donate blood as a donor, then they usually take about 450 ml from him. Since the hematopoietic system is a self-regulating process, the amount of blood taken is restored in 2 weeks.

Benefits of regular blood donation:

1. The renewal process is stimulated, and this has a positive effect on the functioning of the pancreas and digestive system.
2. Donation is an excellent prevention of the occurrence of diseases of the cardiovascular system. There is a correction of blood pressure.
3. It improves, and a person better resists various diseases.
4. There is an unloading of the liver and spleen, and this is an excellent prevention of the development of diseases of these organs.

Another significant benefit is that people who donate blood regularly are more likely to survive serious injuries. As you can see, the process of donating blood is very beneficial for the body, the main thing is to follow the existing rules.

Many people, speaking about why it is harmful to donate blood, mention that during the process itself and after it, a person is in a fainting state, but this is quite normal. If you do not get up abruptly immediately after taking blood, then the discomfort will soon disappear.

Is it safe to donate blood frequently?

Since the body needs time to restore blood levels, it is often not recommended to donate blood. Men can do this no more than 5 times a year, and women - 4 times.

Hemorrhage is a process to which the human body has adapted over the centuries in the process of all kinds of conflicts: wars, fights. From a medical point of view, donation is natural and beneficial for a person. Experts from all over the world have repeatedly proved that this procedure gives a healing effect.

The usual dose of blood that is lost during donation is 450 ml, and only platelets are taken. With such an amount of blood loss, the body does not suffer, the state of health does not worsen. Today, blood donation for donation takes place under the strict control of physicians. Everyone who wants to donate blood will have to undergo a mandatory medical examination, in the first place - since a potential donor with low hemoglobin needs treatment himself - and types of hepatitis, which is not discussed. At the consultation, they talk in detail about how it is useful to donate blood, how it is done. Therefore, the slightest risks to health are excluded. The state takes care of the safety of people who agreed to come to the blood transfusion center.

What are the benefits of donating blood for the body?

The most helpful ones include:

• and blood circulation in general, the overall recovery of a person;
• prevention of heart disease, spleen and liver function;
• it has been proven that periodic plasma donation makes it easier to endure various kinds of bleeding and recover faster from them.

These advantages can be obtained without taking medications, which are slightly harmful to health, so the medical benefit of donating blood for a donor lies in the donation itself.

Is blood donation good for men?

It is useful for a modern man to periodically donate blood, because this is how you can get rid of excess iron and various toxins. This stimulates the entire hematopoietic system, trains the body, rejuvenates. Blood volume is updated faster, which means it recovers faster. According to statistics, in men who are donors, myocardial infarction is less common than in those who have never donated blood. Thanks to regular training of blood vessels, pressure can be normalized. Therefore, it is useful to donate blood to a man, because normal blood flow is maintained in all organs, and as an additional effect, a normal erection is provided until old age. For men's health, this factor is very significant.

Why donate blood for women?

Donation is not harmful for girls, women, but on the contrary, it is very useful. It is known that the procedure prolongs life by 5-8 years, increases resistance to blood loss. It is also useful for women to donate blood for donation because all body systems are being updated, so donors age more slowly. This is especially noticeable before the menopause.

There is an opinion that a woman who donated plasma before becoming pregnant will give birth to a girl.

Donation safety

The harm and benefits of donating donor material have been discussed for a long time. We can say with confidence that the procedure is completely safe for the donor. Blood transfusion stations use disposable blood collection instruments. They are opened in front of the donor for his confidence and peace of mind.

There is no health risk from a slight loss of blood volume. No more than 10% of the total blood volume is taken from a person at a time. Immediately upon completion of the procedure, you can get up, drink sweet tea with crackers and go about your business. The amount of the handed over material will be replenished in just one or two days.

Being a donor is an honor. The procedure is disinterested, it can save the life of more than one person. The state gives rewards to donors who have donated plasma more than 40 times. These are annual payments and various benefits: vouchers to a sanatorium, time off.

We talked about the benefits of donation, who should not donate blood and how to become a donor chief doctor of the blood transfusion station of the Moscow Health Department Olga Andreevna Mayorova.

Maya Milic, AiF.ru: - April 20 - National Donor Day. What set of events is planned to be held in Moscow in connection with this date?

Olga Mayorova: - In connection with this date, we are holding a round table dedicated to the National Day of the donor, we are attracting students from secondary specialized educational institutions. It is necessary to educate donors from a very early age, so we will have young people as our guests. In addition, the transition of our service to work seven days a week was timed to coincide with the national donor day. The blood transfusion station is now open 7 days a week, except for public holidays. We consider this our achievement, because we are the first blood transfusion station in Russia that fully adapts to the interests of donors and works seven days a week.

As part of the preparations for the National Donor Day, we also have large outreach campaigns with the participation of various institutions and universities. After the holiday, we plan to hold field actions with student youth.

— How is donation popularized today?

“I would like to believe that the active propaganda measures that we are carrying out with targeted categories will lead to results and the influx of donors will increase. As practice has shown, just hanging large posters on the street has little power. Now we are working with targeted categories, with executive authorities, with school teachers, with educational institutions, and not only medical ones, with bikers who actively come and donate blood. We are trying to work more targeted and targeted, in order to attract entire communities of people.

Contraindications

What diseases prevent people from becoming blood donors?

- People from 18 years old and up to any age can donate blood, if there are no contraindications in the form of serious illnesses, somatic diseases, hepatitis, infectious diseases, vegetative-vascular dystonia. Temporary contraindications are allergic diseases in the acute stage, pregnancy, menstruation, antibiotics.

Sometimes a feature of the structure of the veins can become an obstacle, because donation is the donation of blood in a sufficiently large volume and the veins must be pronounced. If these contraindications are not present, then a person can be a donor even at the age of 70. We even have a few donors who have crossed the 70-year milestone, mostly human plasma donors who have been donating for a very long time. Partly due to their active donor position, they maintain their health and vitality.

Photo: AiF / Ludmila Alekseeva

Avoid stroke

— Tell us about the benefits of donation for a person.

The benefits of donation are undeniable. In personnel donors, the frequency of cardiovascular diseases, in particular strokes, is significantly reduced, because there is an active blood renewal. Our staff donors of both blood and plasma, especially men, are better protected from vascular accidents.

In addition, any donation is, albeit mild, stress for the body. And it has been proven that the presence of just such mild stresses increases a person’s resistance to the effects of adverse environmental factors.

Thanks to donation, blood cells are regularly updated, because they also tend to age. Their natural recovery usually occurs, and in donors this process occurs with greater frequency. There is a theory that the female body is more resistant to negative external factors precisely because monthly blood loss occurs.

Donation is very useful in the presence of a genetic disease - hemochromotosis associated with the accumulation of iron, the excretion of which is impaired. In the United States, half of the blood donors are people who have this hereditary disease. For them, one of the physiological ways of treatment is bloodletting, which makes them feel physically better.

Another category is people with high plasma cholesterol and fat levels. Everyone knows that in this case, plasmapheresis is used for treatment and prevention. In commercial clinics, this procedure is quite expensive. But not everyone knows that donor plasmapheresis is practically the same procedure.

People in their 50s and 60s are very active in donating plasma simply because they feel good afterwards. Donation allows you to prolong youth and lead an active lifestyle.

Do not forget about the psychological factor. Donation is a confirmation of one's own importance, people experience great moral satisfaction. Those are lives saved.

In addition, donors are a certain club, especially plasma donors who come on the same days, at the same time. Dating is being made, which is important given the scarcity of direct communication today due to the rise of social media.

By the way, if your loved one or just a new pretty acquaintance of the opposite sex is a career donor, then everything is possible with him, because he is obviously healthy. After all, being a donor with a frequency of 2 weeks, a person receives a check for the most complex and serious diseases.

How to become a blood donor?

— How to properly prepare for donation and recover after donation?

- First you need to understand for yourself that being a donor is very important, and that there is never a lot of donor blood. In my opinion, every healthy person should be a donor. After all, it is not necessary to donate blood monthly, at least 2 times a year.

First you need to choose the time that is convenient for you. Because you need to come to donate blood or its components in a good mood, thanks to this, there are significantly fewer complications. And when the donor constantly looks at his watch and realizes that in 30 minutes he needs to be at the other end of Moscow, then, of course, the whole procedure will take place in a nervous state.

For 2-3 days, you need to exclude fatty foods, coloring foods from the diet, stop smoking and taking any type of alcohol. All these factors during testing can change the normal parameters of biochemical analysis and such blood will simply be rejected.

The night before, sleep well. On the day of blood donation in the morning - a light breakfast, sweet tea and a sandwich with low-fat cheese. It is better to refuse coffee, it leads to increased vascular tone.

You can visit the nearest blood donation point, it may be a blood transfusion station, it may be a department. In Moscow today there are more than 30 points where you can donate blood.

It is also very important to take a passport with you, without which registration of a donor is impossible. If a person is not a resident of Moscow, then it is desirable to have a confirmation of registration, although today this is not necessary. Then just follow all the instructions that will be received.

After the donation, you will receive either a food package or food compensation. Already from the second time, that is, when a person is no longer the primary donor, you can use social support measures.

At least six months after the first blood donation, you must definitely come back for a second examination. Plasma is quarantined for 6 months and before being released into the medical network, it is necessary to re-examine the donor in order to exclude the possibility of infection if the donor had an incubation period, for example, hepatitis.