What To Do After Blood Donation

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Medical Video: How to Eat After Giving Blood

By donating blood, you give a few drops of your blood to people in need. Your blood will be taken as much as 1 liter and this takes about 10 minutes. Blood donors not only help people who are in need of blood, but actually can also help yourself. Why?

Benefits of blood donation for you

  • Improve your heart health

Regular blood donors can reduce your blood viscosity, which is one of the risk factors for heart disease. In addition, blood donation can also reduce your risk of having a heart attack and stroke. The release of oxidative iron from the body through blood donation makes iron oxidation in the body less, so the risk of heart disease decreases.

  • Reducing the risk of cancer

Blood donors can also reduce the risk of cancer, such as liver cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, and throat cancer. This can happen because when you are a blood donor, you will release oxidative stress in your body when iron comes out of the body through the bloodstream.

  • Burn calories

By donating about 1 liter of your blood, you have actually burned your calories around 650 calories. However, that does not mean regular blood donation can be part of your weight loss program.

What happens after blood donation?

Blood donation is a safe thing for people who can do it, but maybe you will experience the following after donating your blood:

  • Bruises in the area where blood is taken, this can affect 1 in 4 donors. To reduce it, you can put cold water compresses in the bruised area for the first 24 hours.
  • Arm pain, can occur in 1 in 10 donors. You can take painkillers, such as acetaminophen (paracetamol) to reduce this pain. However, you should not take aspirin or ibuprofen.
  • Dizziness and fainting, can occur in 1 in 15 donors. If this happens to you, you should immediately stop the activity you are doing and sit or lie down for a while until you feel better. Drink lots of water and eat snacks.

If the needle puncture marks start bleeding, you should press the area and lift your arms straight up for about 5-10 minutes or until the bleeding stops.

If the following things happen after blood donation, see a doctor immediately

If you feel things like this, you should immediately contact the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) where you donate blood or your doctor.

  • Continue to feel nauseous or dizzy after resting, eating, and drinking.
  • There are lumps, bleeding, or pain in the place of the injection when you release the tape.
  • Feeling pain or tingling under your arms, which can spread to your fingers.
  • Become sick with symptoms of a cold or flu, such as fever, headache, or sore throat, within four days after blood donation. Bacterial infections can be transmitted to other people through blood transfusions. So it is important to notify the blood donor if you are sick after the donor, so that your blood will not be used.

What should be done after blood donation?

After blood donation, you are advised to sit for a while while drinking water or eating small meals. Then you can wake up slowly to make sure you don't feel dizzy. After you donate blood, you must:

  • Limit your physical activity for at least 5 hours after the donor, do not carry out strenuous activities on that day. You should also avoid standing for a long time, such as when lining up long or standing on crowded public transport.
  • Remove the tape at least 4-5 hours after you have finished blood donation. To avoid a rash on the skin, you should clean the area around the tape with soap and water.
  • Avoid heat. You should not stand long in direct sunlight and not drink hot drinks.
  • If you smoke, you should not smoke for two hours after blood donation. Smoking after a blood donor can make you feel dizzy and want to faint. Also, you should stay away from places where there is a lot of cigarette smoke.
  • If you drink alcohol, you should not drink alcohol until 24 hours after the donor.
  • Drink plenty of fluids to replace your lost body fluids, at least you add 4 glasses of water on your day of blood donation. Your body will be able to replace lost fluids within 24 hours after blood donation.
  • Eat foods containing:
    • High iron, like lean red meat, spinach, fish, chicken, and beans. This is done to replace your lost iron.
    • Vitamin C, like oranges, kiwi, and guava. Vitamin C can help absorb iron by the body.
    • Folic acid, like oranges, green vegetables, cereals, and rice. Folic acid can help the formation of new red blood cells.
    • Riboflavin (vitamin B2), like eggs, yogurt, green vegetables, and nuts. Riboflavin can also help the formation of red blood cells.
    • Vitamin B6, such as potatoes, bananas, red meat, fish, eggs, spinach, and beans. Vitamin B6 can help the formation of red blood cells and protein breakdown.

The body takes several weeks to replace red blood cells that are lost after blood donation. At this time, you should keep your food intake so that new, healthier red blood cells are quickly formed.

 

READ ALSO

  • Preparations Must Be Made Before Blood Donation
  • Blood Donation: 8 Things You Must Know
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What To Do After Blood Donation
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