June 14 is World Blood Donor Day. According to VTsIOM, over the past 11 years, the number of blood donors in the country has increased from 36 to 45%, with 19% of respondents admitting to donating blood more than three times. As Rossiyskaya Gazeta wrote, there are now 1 million 283 thousand donors in the country, but experts insist: it is not the quantity that is important - the quality of the blood collected, but the number of free regular donors should be 100%. Read about how you donated blood in Soviet times, whether there are risks, benefits, what myths hinder the donor movement, about the specifics of making money “from blood” and the “donor traffic light” in the material of Izvestia.
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What a future donor should know
The human body is a false system, and its stimulation can only be carried out in compliance with all the rules. There are not only general rules for working with the received material, but also requirements for the person who submits them.
Men and women aged 18 to 60 years with a body weight of at least 50 kg are eligible to donate blood.
Before you go to the donation station, you need to prepare. 2 days before the procedure you should not drink alcohol or smoke. If you violate this recommendation, the ALT (alanine aminotransferase) level in the blood will increase.
The value of this component can be increased by consuming butter, meat, mayonnaise, and sour cream the day before. The day before donating blood, it is also recommended to avoid the listed foods, as well as smoked and fried foods. You should not eat citrus fruits, nuts, bananas. For two days before the procedure, the diet should consist of cereals, vegetables, fish and other foods. It is preferable to steam hot dishes.
On a note! A person whose ALT level is elevated will be allowed for sampling after 3 months.
You cannot go to the blood collection point on an empty stomach; you must have breakfast. Also, you should not go without enough sleep or during a period of active mental or physical work, for example, during a session.
If you took any medications before the procedure, you should definitely inform the doctor during the medical examination, since blood donation is not allowed after medications containing aspirin and analgesics.
Quiet feat
More than 18 thousand Muscovites became donors at mobile points in 2017
If the assistance coordinator of the Vera Foundation at the field service and reception department of the Moscow Multidisciplinary Center for Palliative Care, Artem Shalimov, collected all his “donor” days off, he could take a vacation of 100 days or even more. Over the course of eight years, he donated so much blood that it would be enough for not one, but two “Honorary Donor of Russia” badges. But he does not use this right, and he always donated blood for free.
“If I disappear for a day every 3-4 weeks, and then ask for a day off, as expected, then relationships with colleagues and management deteriorate. I used to work in financial organizations and never voiced where I was going. I returned with a bandage on my arm - I honestly don’t remember how I explained it. Most likely, at first he said that tests needed to be done. I never brought a certificate and never took a day off - I was absent for the first half of the day. I somehow decided that I could sacrifice this weekend.”
In the summer, says Artem Shalimov, there are not enough donors: regular donors go on vacation or cannot leave work because they are working for themselves and a fellow vacationer.
donor
Photo: Moscow city news agency/Kirill Zykov
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“And then he also has to ask the management for time off in order to donate blood. Unfortunately, not all managers understand this, and sometimes there is such work that you cannot ask for time off. Everyone really wants blood to be taken on weekends. But, firstly, the employer will then generally stop letting anyone go anywhere, and people will start wasting their day off. Secondly, if everyone comes on weekends, then it will be empty on weekdays, but a regular flow is needed.”
Artem pondered his first donor campaign for a year: he read, analyzed, until on March 29, 2010, explosions occurred in the metro.
“I checked the list of contraindications and realized: as much as you can think and read about it, you have to take it and go! Now I donate blood once a month, mostly platelets,” says Artem Shalimov. - There is no need to wait for any calls, troubles, tragedies, accidents (many for some reason donate blood this way, thinking that the blood can be sold, that it is not needed, almost given to vampires to quench their thirst). You need to donate blood regularly near your home or work. Even according to world statistics: every third person may need donor blood once in his life. And people, when they get to the hospital, are usually surprised when doctors tell them: “You are about to have an operation, you need blood donors, could you look among your friends?” - “Do you really have no blood donors? It can not be". Naturally, doctors ask them the question: “Have you donated blood yourself? Or do you have many friends who donated blood?” At this point, a person gets lost, because he understands that something like this exists, but he himself has never thought about it.”
Requirements for those donating donor material
Donors are volunteers who donate material free of charge. There are age restrictions: from 18 to 60 years. Before the procedure, a person must undergo a medical examination for diseases and contraindications.
When donating blood, a person must have certain medical indicators:
- body temperature not higher than 37 °C;
- body weight over 50 kg;
- pressure: systolic – 90-160 mm. Hg Art., diastolic – 60-100 mm. Hg Art.;
- hemoglobin for men is not lower than 130 g/l, for women – 120 g/l.
Myths and rumors
There are many myths about the dangers of blood donation for the body that scare people away. The most common rumor is that during the procedure you can become infected with incurable diseases. This is not true, since moments of sterility at blood donation stations are taken very seriously. When collecting, only disposable sterile instruments are used; they are opened right in front of the donor’s eyes.
Many people fear that donation is harmful. The volume of blood taken from the body is restored very quickly. In fact, the procedure, on the contrary, is very beneficial for health if all the rules are followed.
On a note! Also, do not be afraid that the procedure takes a lot of time. The collection process is organized in such a way as to avoid long queues. The fence takes no more than 15-20 minutes.
Other possible problems
Contraindications to blood donation are not limited to diseases of internal organs. There is also no point in going to the transfusion station if you had any of the following diseases.
1. Eye problems: residual manifestations of uveitis (chorioretinitis, iridocyclitis, iritis), trachoma, myopia more than 6 diopters, complete blindness.
2. Diseases of the ENT organs: severe purulent-inflammatory diseases, ozena.
3. Skin problems: fungal infections (athlete's foot, trichophytosis, favus, microsporia), deep mycoses, eczema, sycosis, psoriasis, lupus erythematosus, erythroderma, blistering dermatoses, pustular lesions (furunculosis, pyoderma).
By order of the Ministry of Health, these diseases are also included in the list of absolute contraindications.
Pros and cons of blood donation
There are many advantages of donation. First of all, this is an opportunity to save another human life, since sometimes this can only be done with a transfusion.
A few additional advantages:
- regular free medical examination conducted by a therapist before each procedure;
- strengthening the body, restoring the functioning of many internal organs of the body;
- the donor becomes much more resistant to blood loss due to injuries and accidents;
- donor life expectancy is on average 5 years longer;
- blood circulation in the brain improves;
- renewal of the body.
But these are not all the positive aspects of donation. Regular blood donation has pros and cons for the body. The latter occur in rare situations. Donation has a negative effect if the rules of preparation and implementation are not followed.
Benefits for the body
Regular blood donation also becomes an excellent prevention against many pathologies:
- cardiac ischemia;
- pathologies of the pancreas and liver;
- diseases of the digestive system;
- thrombophlebitis;
- cardiovascular diseases.
After a small loss of blood, the body quickly activates, the immune system is strengthened, and resistance to various diseases increases. Cholesterol levels are reduced, which minimizes the likelihood of a heart attack.
On a note! Donating blood is also beneficial from a psychological perspective. A person, helping people to save themselves, feels joy and positivity. Positive emotions are necessary for every person.
In addition to the general benefits for the body, donation (collection of donor blood) has a positive effect on women's health. Regular procedures prolong youth by preventing the early development of menopause.
Also, female donors are less likely to experience severe bleeding during childbirth. The body, accustomed to regular blood sampling, recovers more easily from blood loss, including menstruation.
Men who are regular donors are less likely to suffer from heart disease. The likelihood of a heart attack is reduced.
Harm
Despite the obvious advantages, there are also disadvantages. When donating blood, the number of red blood cells decreases. Accordingly, hemoglobin levels decrease. If your body is susceptible to anemia, then you should not become a donor on a regular basis. For a quick recovery, you need to watch your food. Prefer foods fortified with calcium, such as seasonal fruits and vegetables.
In order not to harm the recipient of the donor material, it is important to adhere to all preparation rules. For example, if the donor is a person who drank alcoholic beverages for 2 days, then during childbirth during a blood transfusion there is a high probability that the child will be poisoned.
Benefits for the body
Taking 450 ml of blood (or 200 ml - half the dose) should not have any impact on the life of a healthy person. True, for this the donor must be rested. To maintain good health, a person must have breakfast before the procedure. After blood donation:
— the liver and spleen are unloaded, because they are responsible for the disposal of dead red blood cells;
- immunity to minor blood loss that occurs during operations, accidents, injuries, wounds, and severe burns is developed;
- the hematopoietic function is activated, the blood self-renews.
In addition, donation is a prevention of many diseases of the digestive system and cardiovascular system.
Recovery after surrender
After collecting the donor material, you need to rest a little. For the first 15-20 minutes, it’s enough to just sit quietly and drink weak sweet tea.
On a note! If you feel dizzy, nauseous or feel unwell after resting, you should tell your healthcare professional.
In order to comply with all the rules, no important events or intense physical activity are planned on the day of blood donation. On this day it is better to just relax.
After collection, the bandage is not removed for about 3-4 hours. This will help prevent the formation of a hematoma at the injection site. If a bruise has formed, make a compress with heparin ointment. The drug Troxevasin helps get rid of bruising.
Equally important for recovery is proper nutrition. The daily menu is organized so that it contains various microelements. Monitor the amount of fluid you drink: at least 2 liters of water should be drunk per day.
Where to donate blood for money in Moscow?
Each city has special blood collection points. Moscow has more than 25 blood transfusion centers , where any resident of the city and its environs can go. It is important to note that you cannot become a donor in every one of them.
It is also worth noting that for this you must have a residence permit. But federal branches work with those who are registered in the region.
So far, all centers adhere to this procedure, but it is planned to create a common donor base and people will be able to apply to any blood transfusion centers in the country, regardless of location.
How often can I take it?
Many people donate more than once, but come for a repeat procedure. True, it is often not possible to donate donor material. The break must be at least 2 months. Men are allowed to donate up to 5 times a year, and women - 4. This is the norm if whole blood is donated.
If components are handed in, then other deadlines are set:
- donation of plasma and other components is allowed at intervals of 30 days;
- There is a 14-day break for plasmapheresis, leukocytapheresis, and plateletpheresis.
Possible harm
Most doctors claim that donation is good for the health of the person donating blood, and there is no question of any harm, as long as there are no contraindications and all the rules for donation are followed. The only disadvantages could be considered a minor wound from an injection on the arm and the time spent. This is where the so-called harm ends, the rest is benefit.
There is an opinion that regular donation changes metabolism, and a person cannot do without it, otherwise his health may worsen.
