Health Benefits of Donating Blood

I am happy to know that you have been a blood donor. The information that donating blood may have health benefits is something I read not very long ago. It is just a bonus because when we donated blood, we only wanted to help a fellow human being and not for self-benefits. Please keep donating. For a healthy male adult, it is perfectly okay to donate once every 3 months.

Yes, I didn't know this either. I try to give blood as often as I can, but it's hard to find time. Also, I often have low iron levels (although I'm not anemic) so sometimes I go, but I can't give any! *sigh*

yes we can donate blood once in 3 months. While taking blood itself they are asking about our health and previous date of blood donation like that, I feel very comfort on both the occassion while donatating the blood. No fear or pain.

Hi Kiran8, yours is the kind of responses that I wished to get when the idea for the discussion was mooted. I am certainly happy to know that you will be donating blood again. My blood group is "O+" so my blood can help a lot of people but I can only donate mine once every 3 months. A good way to make blood donation popular is to get the business sector to include blood donation campaigns as part of their social programs. Are these kinds of programs common in where you stay? Let us all help to make this world a little bit better. Thanks for your response.

Some people do have this syndrome but I feel it is a kind of habitual behavior. It is something that can be overcome. I am not an expert but I would try to be relax and keep my concentration so that I would not be affected by the environment to do what I wanted to do. Please try to make yourself stronger to do what is right to do. You can do it if you believe you can. I hope you can join us soon and be a regular donor to help people in need of blood.

I feei ashamed, I a man about blood, want to donate blood,but I will be dizzy.

I am very surprised to know about your hemoglobin problem if it was caused by blood donation. Because hemoglobin test is one of the tests performed to determine if a potential blood donor is fit enough to proceed. Usually only a small amount of blood is taken in the donation and the bone marrow is able to replace it without the donor becoming anemic. Only when large amount of blood is lost like serious accident or injury, then the bone marrow may not be able to replace the red blood cells quickly enough. If one is healthy and is qualified to donate, hemoglobin shouldn't be a problem as one with a lack of it would have been barred from giving away something the person himself needs badly.

Before you are allowed to donate your blood, you will be asked specific questions about your medical history to ensure no harm will be done to your health. You will be examined for your hematocrit or hemoglobin level so that the loss of blood will not make you anemic - this is usually the reason why a donor is not qualified to donate. Your pulse, blood pressure, and body temperature will also be checked. So it is quite safe to donate blood because if you are not healthy enough, you will not be allowed to donate. I hope we all can be a blood donor if we are healthy enough because that is the simplest way to save a life. Even if we are not qualified, please educate others that we know to let them see the good deed that they can do.

Definitely true. I will think about donating sometimes in the near future.

I am happy to know your decision. I am sure you will feel good in doing that.

@jaihobalodiji1 It is great to know that you have been a donor. I hope you will continue to do that more often in future. The purpose I started this discussion is to try to make more people to understand about blood donation, and hopefully, make them be a donor as well. Many people have the misunderstanding that giving blood will hurt the donor's own health. So when I read the information about the health benefits, I thought it would be a good point to get people to re-think and be more willing to help. I am happy with the responses so far. You are one of the participants that make this post a success.

good one just like doctor explaning it.

My blood type is listed as "B Positive" which equates to about 9% of the population. I had an award for having donated 5 Gallons of blood before I got out of the U.S.Army in 1978. I have been donating to the American Red Cross since 1998 and only have 3 Gallons donated since then. The Red Cross Bloodmobile comes to our town about every 2 to 3 months, when we are permitted to give again. I always try to make my schedule fit theirs.

"changing the oil in vehicle" is a nice way of describing donating blood. I will use these words when I try to encourage people to donate blood. How many times have you donated blood? As my country specifies that we can only donate blood in 3 months intervals, the most we can do so is 4 times per year. As my blood group is "O+", my blood can help more people. so I keep to the date to maximize the frequency of my blood donation. Your 45 years of helping people is an inspiration to me. We all should emulate you and do our part to make this a better world.

I think the idea of a blood mobile is a very good one. As we have a lot of small towns in our interior area here in Sabah, Malaysia, having a blood mobile go round collecting blood as well as giving medical help to the people there who are often poor farmers with little formal education. Blood volume counter unit by gallons! WOW! You are really a blood-banker! I hope I can donate as much one day. Do you encourage others to donate as well?

Donating for the sake of helping others is the most important part I think. Sometimes we can donate plasma and get money for it. That encourages some people to donate. I know red cross was having a very big shortage of blood. I see signs a lot of times for blood drives. I remember them doing this at our school when I was in high school. A lot of students donated. I didnt weigh anywhere near enough to donate. My sisters friend used to put roles of coins in her pocket to weigh enough to give blood. I do weigh enough right now I'm right at the limit. Its a phobia I simply cannot donate blood. I sweat like crazy and start to hyperventilate just from getting blood drawn. Donating blood takes even longer.

It is just natural that one would be afraid of having his/her blood drawn. I have donated my blood for a total of 19 times but I am still nervous when the needle is inserted into my vein. I just turn my head around and do not look at the process. It feels just like a mosquito sting, most of the times, I don't feel anything at all. It is just a mind matter. Once you have done it for the first time, you will be okay. The blood donation benefits for our body are there but the most important and satisfying factor in giving our blood is that the blood we give may actually help someone to recover his/her health or even life. My blood group is 'O'. It means my blood can be used for almost any other types of blood groups, so I consider myself blessed that I could be useful for so many people in need. Join us to donate and promote blood donation. It is very simple for us to do and yet so important for the people who need it.

Yes, what you say is true that helping others is more important and satisfactory than any self-benefits that may have in blood donation. In my country, our government is encouraging blood donors by giving preferential access to free hospital stays in first class wards in case the donor is sick. The length of stay for free depends on the number of donations in the record book issued to every donor. Blood donation campaigns that organized by Non-Government Organizations (NGO)will usually get sponsored by private business corporations either by providing space in shopping centers for the activity and/or providing nutritious food samples to every donors. Every donor will also be given a certificate to commend their generosity. Donors with the most number of donations usually will be highlighted in the media and given a gift food hampers. Those are efforts we make to get more blood donors.

A blood donor will be screened and checked first to make sure no averse effect on his/her own health before the donor is allowed to proceed. It is against the principle of medical practitioner to rescue a life by taking another life. So it will never happen in a proper medical center. If anyone is allowed to donate their blood, it will mean that the donor is reasonably healthy and his/her blood is in good stead. It is a recognition that the donor is healthy.

You are a hero! You did the best thing a friend could do. You saved a life! Your testimony is very strong and inspiring. I should know, because I am a parent too. To a blood donor, it may be just some blood, to a person who is in need of the blood, it is the elixir of life. It is just a simple act to give up some blood, and yet it may be the most important gift to be had for some people. Please keep donating blood. Please keep encouraging people around us to do the same. Saving lives is a good deed and blessed be the giver.

Well, I never expect to be called hero because there are 3 of us donated the blood but only my blood was choosen and because there is a greater chance that a baby will be in full recovery. So, their guesses was right, the baby revives. Actually, my friend of mine, we are not that close and I don't want to see her baby fighting desperately to live and she was crying for help. It is a really good feeling to help others without asking for anything in return and see them smiling for me. Do you know that you are a hero too? Each one of us have a hero's heart only that some don't use it due to their earthly pride is too high. If you feel that you are having pity to others and there is a little urge from you to help them, that is your hero's heart.

18 is eligible for blood donation. If you feel that you need your parents' approval, please do explain to them the benefits of helping others. If they are qualified, they may do it together with you or you invite them to go along to see for themselves what it is all about. There is no simpler ways to be able to help to save a life by just donating blood. You are a good young people with compassion.

Thanks for adding more information. I think the authorities usually won't allow under-18's to donate their blood for charity as that age group of people are still growing - they may not be in a position to donate from the point of their health. But in cases of emergency, as long as they are checked and verified that they are in good health, and are with parental permission, they will be allowed. But 16 years old is the minimum age to donate according to the Australian Red Cross Blood Service.

Yah. I should ask their permission as soon as possible. Thanks for your information jkct.

I agree with you that we all should help one another in anyway we can. There are many ways we can do our part to help. Blood donation but just one of them. Let's try to explain blood donation and convey the message to everyone as there are still many people who are not as informed. Thanks for your participation.

donating blood is like need of the hour.

I am a bit confusing. Are you the same as the one in #28? :) Thanks for participation.

Don't worry about the possibility that you may not qualify to donate blood. You will be screened and checked before you can proceed to make sure that it is safe for you to donate. At the same time by doing the examination for your blood, you will know what may be the problem if there is any. So there is no harm to go for a test just to be sure. Sometimes it is all in our mind that we are not healthy but it may not be the actual case. Anyway, we all can do a part to help our society. Help to spread the message. Explain the usefulness of our blood. Who knows, we ourselves may one day need what we are helping others now.

There are many ways we can contribute to help our world. As long as we are willing to help, there must be a way. God has plans for everyone of us. You will know where you are needed. Blood indeed is important for people who is in need of transfusion. Let us all keep doing our part to make this a better world.

Yes! That was what I had in mind! The health benefits are actually secondary. The first point I want to make is to assure the would-be donors that it is safe to do. The second point is that our blood is precious and is able to save lives. I want to let people know that by just donating some blood, they can make a difference in some people's lives. I hope more people will become regular blood donors. Together we can make this a better world.

Giving blood indeed is a noble act. I am thinking of writing to the big corporations in my city to suggest to them in organizing blood donation campaigns as part of their corporate social activities. I am happy to know that there are people like you who is believing in doing the same. You make me feel that there is warmth everywhere. Let us all keep it up and together we make this a better world.

It is the first time I know of this medical condition. But I have read that in Chinese and Indian traditional healing, they have a technique to cut a small wound on the vein to release some blood and thus cures whatever the ill might be. Maybe that is just like you said about letting the body to produce some new, fresh blood to boost the immune system. Logically it seems to work that way but I am not sure. Thank you for sharing your experience. It is another "benefit" (if I can call it) that blood donation can have. Your pledge to donate blood regularly is wonderful. Your community will be glad to have a life saver in you. Thank you.

I just hope this discussion will let more people know that donating blood is safe and that the act of giving blood helps save lives. I am encouraged by the responses. It also makes me realized that more work needs to be done. Let us all spread the message and hopefully, some lives are saved. Thank you for your kind words.