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Donate Blood!

Atiq-ur-Rehman on 12, Jan 2012 | 21 Comments | in Category: Health Talk

Atiq-ur-Rehman

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Despite the fact that we Pakistanis are very active in charity, we have a very low ratio of blood donors. There are few volunteers that donate blood frequently.

The main factors behind the scene are no proper education at the school level. There is no mention of the benefits of blood donation in the current curriculum of public and private sector schools. In developed countries there are thousands of volunteers that donate blood frequently but in our country people only donate when a friend or relative is in need. According to the annual WHO report, 65 % of blood is donated by the pacific countries. Some countries including Pakistan are donating less than 10 % of their population.

Blood Can be Donated if:
1.      You are between the age of 18-60 with good health and physique.
2.      Your weight is at least 50 kg or 110 pounds.
3.     You are free of infections like cold, flu, sore throat, lung infection and fever.In order to donate blood you have to wait till you get free of these infections.

4.      If you Diabetes in under control it is safe for you to donate blood.
5.      If you have had surgery in recent months you should not donate blood.
6.      Pregnant women cannot donate their blood during pregnancy and have to wait 2 months after delivery.
7.      You cannot donate your blood if you are a hepatitis B, C or HIV patient.
8.      You can donate your blood after 56 days of your last donation.

How Your Blood Gets Replaced :

Blood is constituted of two main parts

1.      The liquid part: Plasma
2.      The cellular part: Red blood cells, white blood cells and
platelets.
The liquid part is replenished in donors between 2-3 days after donation, while the cellular part takes an average time of 29-56 days.

Benefits of Donating Blood:

 
 Reduce Chances Of Cardiovascular Diseases:

- Donating blood simply means lower iron levels in your blood and lower iron levels helps reduce cardiovascular diseases. According to medical reports, high blood iron levels have the potential to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease because iron accelerates the oxidation process of cholesterol in the body, which damages arteries and causes many cardiovascular diseases.

 
- Florida Blood Services reports that blood donors who have been regularly donating blood over the years have an 88 percent lower risk of heart attacks and a 33 percent lower risk of stroke.

Reduces Risk of Cancer:

Consistent blood donation is associated with lowered risks for cancers including lung, liver, colon, stomach and throat cancers.

Helps in fighting Hemochromitosis:

Hemochromitosis is a genetic disorder and is also known as iron overload disorder where iron accumulates in the body tissue because of improper iron metabolism. This condition may lead to tissue and organ damage.

Enhance the production of new Red Blood Cells:

As the blood is withdrawn from the donors body there is decrease in blood cells.

To replenish it, new cells are immediately produced by the bone marrow.

Therefore donating blood helps in stimulating generation of new blood cells and refreshing your circulatory system.

Burns calories:

 
One can lose fats by donating blood regularly. One pint of blood (450 ml) when donated burns 650 calories in the donor’s body.

Basic blood test is done:

Before donating, your blood is tested for various diseases that include Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV, etc. The donor is immediately informed if any of these test found to be positive.

Saves Lives:

Blood donation is a noble cause that allows you to save the lives of others. So let’s spread a simple message:

 Donate your blood, save a life

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