Save Lives by Giving Blood

Not many individuals are comfortable with the idea of blood donation. This could be because there is not much awareness amongst us on this topic. We tend to shy away from something which doesn't affect us one bit yet helps save life.

It requires almost no efforts to give blood. All you need to do is fill up your details in the donor form, your medical history will be taken making sure that privacy and confidentiality is maintained. First a small drop of blood sample is taken to ensure that the donor is not suffering from anemia.

Once this simple process is over, you are escorted for the actual blood donation process which doesn't take more than 10 minutes. This is followed by light refreshment and rest for you. It is a good idea to take tea or some fruit juice in order to replenish fluid and consume a little refreshment. Not many of us know that within just a few minutes our body re-circulates enough blood to fill in for the donated quantity. The blood collected by the blood bank is processed, tested for any possible diseases and when found okay, is stored at optimum temperature.

This collected, tested and stored blood is given to needy people at the time of accident or ill health. The facilities available these days to store blood are state of the art and modern. Once the blood is collected it is processed into different components such as red cells, white cells, plasma and platelets. A unit of blood donated each time helps save at least 4 lives. The government is doing its best to increase the awareness of blood donation and its benefits. There are various camps held from time to time to educate and encourage people to participate in the blood donation activity.

When we donate blood, many of us do not even envisage the uses of it. The blood components are broken down to each segment in order to achieve maximum use of the blood collected. All the functional elements of the whole blood get utilized. When the whole blood is stored, the platelets in blood die and the clotting factor happens to be unsuccessful. In such a scenario the patient is not able to utilize the superior components of blood. It is essential to be careful after donating blood, like eating properly and consuming enough liquids for the next 4 hours.

Neil McBride is an Internet Marketer and Writer. He lives in Minnesota, enjoys being around family and getting out to explore nature.