My last post on the covid 19 outbreak covered some things we can do with our spare time due to business closures, working from home, and layoffs for self-improvement. Today I want to talk specifically about donating blood. Not only does it benefit others, but it is also amazingly healthy for the donors as well.

The American Red Cross now faces a severe blood shortage due to an unprecedented number of blood drive cancellations during this coronavirus outbreak. Healthy individuals are needed to donate now to help patients counting on lifesaving blood. Donating blood is a safe process and people should not hesitate to give or receive blood. Right now, eligible and healthy donors are strongly urged to make an appointment to give soon.

Who Benefits from Your Blood Donation

Cancer Patients need plasma especially because some cancer patients can’t produce their own. Plasma is the fluid portion of blood.

Trauma Patients need blood transfusions due to loss of blood. AB plasma is very important because it helps stop bleeding.  The American Red Cross site has a profile of one patient that needed thirty-six transfusions and thirteen plasma treatments during his recovery.

Sickle cell anemia patients need whole blood, especially from African-American donors, because sickle cell patients require multiple transfusions and must be very closely matched to the donor’s blood type, usually from the same racial and ethnic group. Some patients need transfusions every six weeks.

Burn patients need AB plasma because it helps maintain blood pressure and other vital functions.

Patients with chronic diseases need regular blood transfusions. The American Red Cross has a heart-warming video about a three-year-old girl who needs transfusions every six weeks due to a rare blood disorder she was born with.

How You Benefit from Donating Blood

Lower blood pressure: Houschyar et al observed an eighteen-point drop in blood pressure compared to controls in a 2010 study.

Gout improvement: In 2003 Faccini found that it decreased the average gout attack frequency from 6.2 to just 2 per year.

Lower blood sugar: Faccini also observed a twenty-five-point drop in blood glucose levels after blood draws.

Lower Hemoglobin A1c: Fernandez-Real observed an eleven percent drop in A1c percent drop after blood draws. A1c is a measure of your average blood sugar level. Lower is better.

Prevents iron overload: Also known as hereditary hemochromatosis, iron levels that are chronically high can cause numerous side effects including extreme fatigue, joint pain, impotence, skin bronzing, palpitations, abdominal pain, depression, diabetes, cirrhosis, gall bladder disease, hypothyroidism, cancer, and death. Genetics, alcoholism, and diet are common causes. Over one million Americans have the genetic form alone. For more information visit https://www.hemochromatosis.org.

Lower risk of cancer: Iron causes oxidation, which can lead to cancer. (1) Regularly donating blood can check runaway iron levels. Lowering iron lowers oxidation levels.

Production of new red blood cells. With each donation, your body is forced to produce new blood cells that will be healthier than the older ones.

You get a mini check-up: Along with the blood pressure and hemoglobin readings, there is a lengthy questionnaire that you need to fill out prior to your appointment. It is extensive and may pick-up additional health issues you may not have been aware of.

You get a temperature reading.

You get a free blood analysis: Donors are tested for syphilis, HIV, hepatitis, and other diseases.

You get a free blood pressure check: The Red Cross takes blood pressure readings before each donation.

You get an instant hemoglobin level check: Your blood hemoglobin carries oxygen within the red blood cells. It needs to be above a certain level in order to be eligible. If your level is too low, they will postpone your donation and give you information on how to raise your level, or refer you to a doctor for monitoring.

Who can donate?

• You must be seventeen (sixteen with parental permission in some states) years old or older.

• You must weigh at least 110 pounds.

• You must not have donated within the last fifty-six days

• You must be feeling well.

• You must be approved by a screener who will consider your answers to the questionnaire, your blood pressure, your hemoglobin level, and any other item they may feel is important.

• Since it does not require any money, everyone can do it.

How do you donate?

• Go to: https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/find-drive. From there you can enter the zip code you are in and a list of blood drive locations will appear.

• Call 1-800- RED-CROSS and schedule by phone.

• Download the Red Cross Blood Donor app: You can find local blood drives and donation centers quickly and easily. You can schedule and reschedule appointments easily. You get notifications about your donation destination. You can easily add your appointment to your calendar. It has your mobile donor card for quick scanning at the drive location. Best of all, you can fill out the questionnaire within 24 hours of your appointment using RapidPass®.

What to expect at the blood drive location

• Register at the door.

• Health History and Mini-Physical — Answer some questions online or in a private interview, and receive a general health check.

• Donate: It usually takes ten to fifteen minutes. You lie on a comfortable table or bed, and the procedure is nearly painless!

• Refresh: there are always snacks and drinks available to make sure you are rehydrated and feeling well.

  Feel awesome

 I donate as much as I can and always feel amazing after the donation. There are many reasons. The reasons why donating blood makes you healthier can be a great incentive to volunteer, but the best reason is that you are saving up to three lives with every donation. If altruism is your goal, a study shows that you will live longer because of it. Sarah Konrath and others determined in 2008 that subjects volunteering for the reasons of altruism and social connection live longer as opposed to those who don’t volunteer, or who do so for personal gain only. (2)

A 2008 study by Borgonovi concluded that voluntary work leads to greater well-being, as measured by self-reported health and happiness. (3) Seelig and Dobelle concluded that lasting improvement in self-esteem is a core element in volunteers. (4) Finally, Musik and Wilson concluded that for people over 65-years-old, volunteering also reduces the risk of depression and loneliness. (5)

In these troubled times, giving blood is a win-win. If you find you have more free time like most of us, why not save a few lives and improve your own?