Blood is an important cell that acts as a transport medium to supply oxygen and nutrients essential to maintain life. Blood is considered to be the most precious thing in this world a human can have. This precious little thing cannot be manufactured even with all the advanced scientific technology that we currently possess. It can only be produced inside a living being.
If someone has an acute need of blood, it can be obtained only through generous donations. Therefore it is right to say that the blood you donate gives someone another chance at life.
Blood goes through a life cycle – old blood cells die and new ones are formed. This turnover spans for a period of 3 months. It also means that a small amount of blood lost during blood donation will be regenerated within 3 months which means you don’t lose a thing.
On the contrary, blood donation is packed with benefits which include:
- Saving precious lives: There is no clear statistical data about blood requirements. However, a few reports suggest that there is a need for more than 41000 blood transfusions every day! One pint of blood (100ml) can save up to 3 lives each time. A crying mother may not be able to save her son’s or daughter’s life; but a pint of blood can, and this to me is the most important reason why you should donate blood. You might read many stories where lives have changed after blood transfusions. You can create a story of your own through the simple act of donating blood; it will hardly take 20 minutes of your time and you have nothing to lose.
- A free health check: A physical check up and screening of the donor is an essential pre-requisite before blood transfusion. Infections and some lifestyle diseases are screened without burning a hole into your pocket at the blood bank. Conditions such as HIV, hepatitis, hypertension, jaundice and anaemia are commonly screened in India. Some other countries also screen for HPV and other communicable infections before accepting blood donors. Furthermore, the tests are not charged for, if the donors are rejected during the screening. Therefore, if you wish to get a mini health check up done while helping others, step into the nearest blood bank.
- Improves blood flow: Atherosclerosis is a potentially dangerous condition. It causes blockages within arteries. If this is not treated at an early stage, it might lead to coronary artery disease and strokes. Though there are no robust evidences to prove that blood donation prevents atherosclerosis, a few medical journals claim that regular blood donors are 88% less likely to suffer from a heart attack. The figures could be biased; but perhaps physical examination and screening of blood before blood donation is responsible for identifying risks at an early stage and thereby keeping donors fit and healthy.
- Balances iron needs: Iron depletion is one of the leading causes of anaemia, especially in developing nations. However, excess of iron is also harmful. When iron is produced in excess, it is stored abnormally in the body, especially in the liver, causing severe complications. Some studies also prove that high iron stores are linked to cancer. It is a good thing that blood donations can balance iron stores in the body.
- Longevity – People who voluntarily donate blood for altruistic reasons without any personal gain live longer when compared to compatriots.
- Lastly, the blood you donate today may be the same blood that will save your life tomorrow, in case of an emergency or accident.
Donate blood now, to save a life, to live longer, to live healthy and to preserve your own life.
By Dr. Prasad | Health Care Magic
