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Steps


Determine if you are eligible to donate blood.

Prior to donating blood


Drink plenty of water or fruit juice the night and morning before you donate. The leading cause of faintness and dizziness is a drop in blood pressure. Getting lots of water or fruit juice into your body helps keep your blood pressure up. The Australian Red Cross Blood Service advises that you drink well in the 24 hours leading to the donation time, especially when it's warm, recommending four good sized glasses of water or juice in the three hours prior to donation.
  • If you are donating plasma or platelets, drink at least 6 to 8 glasses.
  • Avoid drinking caffeinated drinks, as these will cause your body to expel water.
Eat three hours prior to the donation. It's not a good idea to come in with an empty stomach; eating will keep your blood sugar levels stable, helping you to feel better after you have donated blood. Having food in your blood helps to ward off light-headedness.
  • Eat breakfast (cereal, toast, etc.) or a light lunch, such as a sandwich and piece of fruit
  • If you think you might be nauseous during donation don't eat immediately before your appointment.
  • Avoid fatty foods for twenty-four hours before you donate. Increased fat in your blood stream might make it impossible to get accurate readings on some of the mandatory screening tests conducted on samples of your blood after you donate. If they can't run all the tests, they have to discard your donation. You don't want all your effort wasted!
  • Eat iron rich foods for two weeks before your appointment, for example, spinach, whole grains, eggs, and beef. Having good levels of vitamin C will help to increase iron absorption (consume citrus juice and citrus fruit, or take vitamin C pills with your doctor's advice). Your iron level will be tested before you donate to protect you from donating blood--you really need to ensure that recipients receive a potent product.
Prepare all identification and blood donor cards you need to take the day before and put into something that you carry with you.
That way you won't forget to take them if you're feeling nervous. Blood donor cards can help speed up the process as your personal donor number will let the blood bank or service find your details quickly.
  • Answer questions from the staff members or on forms and answer all interview questions honestly. Certain activities increase the chances of blood borne illnesses (i.e., those that can be transmitted through blood) and those who have recently engaged in those activities may be prevented from donating blood for a period of time. Some of the questions regarding sexual activity might be embarrassing, but the people working at blood centers are professionals. They have heard it all before.
  • You might be deferred, but no one will ever know why unless you tell them. If you need a less embarrassing excuse to tell your friends or coworkers, low iron is the most common cause for deferral. Low blood pressure, high blood pressure and high temperature are also good excuses that shouldn't cause embarrassment. Ask the registration personnel if you think you need exact numbers for your made-up excuse.
During the blood donation
  • Expect nurse to check your hemoglobin levels. This will involve a small prick on your finger. It will need to be within the healthy range before you can give blood, to ensure that giving blood won't leave you feeling anemic.
  • Ask for a blanket if your hands or feet start to feel cold. This is a sign that your blood pressure is dropping. A nice warm blanket might help you to relax.
  • Take a deep breath before the needle goes in, or pinch yourself to create a distraction. Don't hold your breath; if you do, you might pass out. Be reassured - most people report little or no pain, with comments such as it feeling like a "pinch". The real issue is discomfort, so the less you tense up, the better. Naturally, know your own limitations - if you're hyper-sensitive, be sure to explain this to staff taking the blood in advance.
  • Relax. Nervousness can also cause your blood pressure to drop and can lead to dizziness. Talk to the person taking your blood if it helps you to feel better, and ask him or her to explain everything that is being done. Find ways to distract yourself--chew gum, sing a song, recite something, contemplate the outcome of a book you're reading or a TV series you follow, listen to your MP3 or CD player, think about the worthy end result of your donation, and even ask the person taking your blood if they know of any cases where donated blood made the difference between life and death.

    After the blood donation
  • Expect to be asked to rest sitting down for 5 to 20 minutes after giving blood. This lets the staff keep an eye on you to make sure that you're in good shape before you leave.
  • Have a snack after the donation. Drink some water or juice and eat a light snack with a high sugar content to get that blood sugar back up. Rest for a few minutes enjoying your snack before leaving the donation site. Let your body adjust a bit before rushing off to the rest of your day. Plan to spend fifteen minutes in the canteen.
  • Avoid driving if you feel the least bit faint. Donating blood is not dangerous, but driving is, and you could be seriously injured if you faint while driving. If you are not well after your donation, call someone to come pick you up.
  • Eat a meal high in protein after your donation: beef, chicken or legumes are excellent choices. You should also eat some vegetables and be sure to drink plenty of water. All these things will help your body make more blood for you soon.
  • Refrain from drinking alcohol for at least 8 hours after giving blood.
  • Excuse yourself from heavy lifting for the rest of the day. This includes weightlifting at the gym, of course as well as working at any job that requires heavy lifting. If you have such a job, you should schedule your blood donations for Fridays. Heavy lifting will almost certainly cause the vein to reopen and bleed into your arm causing a large, painful bruise. If you give it 16-24 hours to heal properly, you shouldn't have any trouble.
  • Avoid strenuous exercise for the rest of the day. Don't go running or dancing or bicycling until tomorrow. You've done enough for today. You helped save a life!
  • a good night's sleep is a must before and after blood donation.
  • If you feel unwell at any stage after giving blood, call the blood service or see your doctor.
  • Getting into a regular habit of donating blood is a generous and potentially life-saving gift.

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