Blood Donation is Actually Beneficial for Your Body’s Health
13 November, 2017
Have you ever donated your blood? Blood donation is an act of giving away a small amount of blood in the body to help other people. Around 480 ml of blood is taken from the body. After laboratory tests for safety and suitability, the blood will be given away to patients in need. Such measure is even required sometimes in order to save their lives. Generally, blood donation is needed for the following conditions:
- Blood transfusion for victims of accident who lose a lot of blood.
- Patients of certain illness who will undergo a major surgery.
- Certain cases of dengue
- For patients of thalassemia major.
Not only that it is beneficial for other people, blood donation also brings many advantages for the donors. These are some of the benefits:
- Getting health check-up
Prior to blood donation, a blood donor candidate will get an examination that include weight, blood pressure, pulse frequency, haemoglobin (Hb) level, and medical check-up by physician. This is really beneficial as you can have routine health check-up free of charge.
- Healthy heart
The next benefit of blood donation is that the donor will have lower risks of heart disease. It’s been proven scientifically. According to studies published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, blood donors are 88% less likely to suffer from heart attack and 33% less likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease.
- Decrease iron level in the body
Each time someone donates blood, it reduces iron level in his/her body. Lower iron level in the body can help reducing risks of heart disease. High iron level is potential to increase risks of cardiovascular disease because iron accelerates cholesterol oxidation process in the body, which damages arteries and will eventually cause atherosclerosis.
- Reduce risks of cancer
Regular blood donation is advantageous for lowering risks of cancer, including cancers that attack liver, lungs, colon, stomach, and throat. The decrease of risks relates to how often donors donate their blood. [You can safely donate blood every 3 months (for men) and 4 months (for women)].
- Blood cells regeneration
When someone donates blood, his/her body will replace blood volume within 48 hours after donating, and all transfused red blood cells will be replenished in four to eight weeks with the new ones. The process of red blood cell regeneration will keep the body healthy so it can work more efficiently and productively. As well as regeneration of blood cells in the body. We need to continue to improve our lives, and move on to be better than our present condition. Wuling believes in contributing to a better life, through the uncompromising quality of automotive products, ceaselessly understanding its market, landscape, and unchanging community expectations. Wuling continues to move forward with the community to become a vehicle that is relevant to them.
- Calorie burning
People burn approximately 650 calories per donation of one pint of blood (500 ml), according to the University of California, San Diego. A donor who regularly donates blood can lose a significant amount of weight, but it should not be thought of as a weight loss plan by any means.
- Free blood test
Prior to donating blood, donor candidates will have laboratory tests for syphilis, HIV, hepatitis, and other diseases. Such tests are required to decide whether someone is eligible as a blood donor or not.
You haven’t experience donating blood? Here are some basic requirements to take part in blood donation events in Indonesia:
- Aged 17 to 65 years old
- Minimum body weight of 45 kg
- Systolic blood pressure of 100-170 and diastolic blood pressure of 70-100
- Haemoglobin level of around 12.5-17 g/dl.
If you meet the requirements above, check whether you have the following conditions. These are the factors based on stipulation from Indonesian Red Cross (PMI), which define people who are not eligible for blood donation:
- Not allowed by doctor to donate blood due to health condition.
- Have diabetes.
- Suffer from cancer.
- Have heart and lung diseases.
- Have high blood pressure.
- Suffer from epilepsy or spastic paraplegia.
- Have syphilis
- Suffer from or had suffered from hepatitis B and/or C.
- Have abnormal bleeding or blood disorders such as hemophilia.
- Suffer from or have high risks of HIV/AIDS, such as commercial sex workers and drug users.
If you have never donated blood before, there’s nothing wrong with trying to have the experience. You’ll get many benefits both for humanity and your body’s health.