How to Prepare to Donate Blood

Experts agree that donating blood is a safe and simple activity. Most people who are over 16 years old, weigh more than 50 kg and are in good health can donate blood without major problems. ^{[1] X Trusted Source National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Go to the source The} most common risks are mild reactions such as dizziness, fainting, or bruising, but you can reduce these risks with careful preparation. Organizations like the Red Cross recommend that blood donors eat nutritious food and drink plenty of water before donating blood. ^{[2] X Trusted Source Red Cross Blood Donation Services Go to Source Follow} these few simple steps and you’re ready to donate blood.

Table of Contents

Preparing to donate blood

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Determine if you are eligible to donate blood. Each country’s blood donation service has different requirements for blood donation eligibility. These requirements are based on concerns about blood-borne diseases, locations traveled, and the age and weight of the blood donor. In general, you can donate blood if certain criteria are met.

Read the Mayo Clinic’s comprehensive guide to blood donation ^{[3] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to source}
You must be healthy, fit and not currently ill. Avoid donating blood if you have a cold, herpes, cough, viral infection or stomach upset. Taking certain prescription medications, such as antibiotics, may disqualify you from donating blood.
You must have a minimum weight of 50 kg.
You must be old enough to donate blood. In many areas, people aged 16-17 who want to donate blood must have parental consent. Ask a blood donation organization in your area if you are under this age.
You can only donate blood every 56 days if you are a man and 84 days if you are a woman (to ensure iron levels in your blood after your menstrual cycles). If you have donated blood less than 56 days ago, you will not be eligible to donate blood until this period has expired. ^{[4] X Trusted Source Red Cross Blood Donation Services Go to Source}
Do not donate blood if you have had minor dental surgery within 24 hours or major dental surgery within the past month. ^{[5] X Research Sources} Oral surgery in general may pose a risk of bacteria escaping and entering the bloodstream, leading to systemic infection.
If you recently got a piercing or tattoo, you need to wait 6-12 months before you can donate blood. ^{[6] X Trusted Source Red Cross Blood Donation Services Go to Source}

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Make an appointment. Many countries have blood donation centers across the country. These centers need time to prepare their blood donors, so you should make an appointment. That way, you also have time to make sure all requests are met when the appointment date comes. ^{[7] X Trusted Source Red Cross Blood Donation Services Go to Source}

If you do not want to make an appointment, you can search for information about blood donation vehicles. Look for blood donation van notices in your area.

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Eat iron-rich foods. Since iron is essential for the synthesis of hemoglobin, you should eat foods rich in iron within 2 weeks of your blood donation appointment. This ensures good quality blood and helps you recover better after donating blood. Foods high in iron include spinach (spinach), whole grains, fish, poultry, legumes, animal organs, eggs and beef. ^{[8] X Trusted Source Red Cross Blood Donation Services Go to Source}^{[9] X Trusted Source Red Cross Blood Donation Services Go to Source}

Vitamin C also helps the body to absorb iron. You should try to eat citrus fruits, juices or vitamin C supplements.

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Provide water to the body. To prepare your body for blood loss, you need to drink plenty of water or juice the night before and the morning of the day of blood donation. The most common cause of fainting and dizziness when donating blood is low blood pressure or low blood sugar. This risk will be significantly reduced if you keep enough water in your body when you go to the blood donation center. ^{[10] X Research Source}

It is recommended that you drink plenty of water in the 24 hours before donating blood, especially if the weather is hot. Drink 4 large glasses of water or juice in the 3 hours before donating blood. ^{[11] X Research Source}
If donating plasma or platelets, you should drink 4-6 cups of water or liquid (240 ml each) within 2-3 hours before your appointment. ^{[12] X Research Source}

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Get enough sleep at night. You should get enough sleep before donating blood. A good night’s sleep the night before will help you feel stronger and more alert when donating blood, which also reduces the risk of a bad reaction during the blood draw. ^{[13] X Trusted Source Red Cross Blood Donation Services Go to Source}

You should get a full night’s sleep (7-9 hours for an adult) ^{[14] X Source of research} before donating blood.

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Eat within 1-3 hours before donating blood. Never go on an empty stomach to donate blood. Food intake will help stabilize blood sugar levels, so you will feel better after donating blood, and avoid dizziness and fainting. You should eat foods that are nutritious and help fill your stomach but do not cause bloating.

If you’re donating blood in the morning, eat foods like eggs and toast or something that boosts your iron, salt, and water levels. If donating blood in the middle of the day, you should have lunch, such as a sandwich and a piece of fruit. Avoid overeating, but you need to make sure your blood pressure is high enough to get your blood drawn.
Do not eat right before your appointment to avoid nausea during the blood draw.
Avoid high-fat foods for 24 hours before donating blood. High levels of fat in your blood can make the required screening test results on your blood sample after donating blood inaccurate. If the center can’t do all of the tests, they may have to remove the blood you’ve donated.

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Prepare identification documents. The requirements of each blood donation center may be different, but you should at least have some form of identification when you come to donate blood. These usually include a driver’s license, a blood donation card, or two alternative forms of identification, such as a passport and a social security card. Remember to bring these documents with you on the day of your blood donation appointment. ^{[15] X Trusted Source Red Cross Blood Donation Services Go to Source}

A blood donation card is a card issued by a blood donation center and entered into their system. You can request a card online, go to the center to receive it, or ask the staff there when you come to donate blood for the first time to receive the card for the next time. ^{[16] X Trusted Source Red Cross Blood Donation Services Go to Source}

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Avoid certain activities. Within a few hours before your appointment time to donate blood, you need to avoid certain activities that could affect your ability to donate blood or contaminate the blood. You should not smoke for 1 hour and avoid alcoholic beverages for 24 hours before donating blood.

Chewing gum or eating candy can raise the temperature in your mouth like a fever and make you ineligible to donate blood. However, this usually goes away within 5 minutes. ^{[17] X Trusted Source PubMed Central Go to source}
If donating platelets, you should avoid taking aspirin, ibuprofen, or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for 2 days before donating blood.

Blood Donation

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Fill out the blood donation form. When you arrive at the center on the day of your blood donation appointment, you will first be asked to answer many questions about your overall health and will usually fill out a confidential medical record form. Depending on the region, the types of questions may vary, but you should at least be prepared with information on the names of all medications you are taking and any locations visited within the last 3 years.

United Blood Services is regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). FDA guidelines focus on public safety, and people with any behavior, medical condition, or medication use that could pose a risk of contaminating blood or transmitting disease are not eligible to donate. blood. This provision is not intended to be discriminatory.
As such, some activities that increase the risk of blood-borne diseases will be included in the questions. These questions include intravenous drug use, certain sexual activities, certain medications, and length of stay in certain countries. If you answered “yes” to any of the questions above, you may not be eligible to donate blood.
In addition, you also cannot donate blood if you have certain other medical conditions such as hepatitis, HIV, AIDS, and Chagas disease.
Answer all questions honestly. These questions can touch sensitive aspects, but you need to be honest so that the center knows at a glance if they can use your blood. ^{[18] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

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Check your condition. After passing the answer to the questions, you will be tested. Your blood pressure, pulse, and temperature will be taken. The nurse will then prick your finger to check the hemoglobin and iron levels in your blood.

You need to have your blood pressure, pulse, body temperature, hemoglobin and iron levels within normal ranges before donating blood. This ensures that your blood is of good quality and that you do not become anemic after donating blood. ^{[19] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

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Mentally prepare. Many blood donors fear needles or hate being stabbed in the hand. You can distract yourself or mentally prepare yourself to make the donation process easier. Do not look at the needle and take a deep breath before the nurse inserts the needle into your arm. You can also pinch yourself on the side that doesn’t draw blood to distract yourself.

Do not hold your breath. You may pass out if you hold your breath.
You’ll have peace of mind knowing that most blood donors experience little or no pain, just like being pinched in the hand. It’s really just an uncomfortable feeling, so the less stressed you are, the better. ^{[20] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

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Take blood. After the physical examination, you will either sit in a reclining chair or lie down completely. You will have a tourniquet wrapped around your arm to make the veins more prominent and help blood pump faster. The nurse will clean the skin on the inside of the elbow where the needle will be inserted. Next, they will insert a needle attached to a long infusion tube into your arm. You will be asked to hold your hand a few times, and blood will begin to flow.

The nurse will take a few small vials of blood first for testing, and then the blood will be infused into a bag. Normally, each blood donation will take about 450 ml.
Donating blood usually takes about 10-15 minutes. ^{[21] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

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Relax. Stress can also lower blood pressure, leading to dizziness. Talk to the nurse drawing your blood if this helps with your stress. Have them explain everything that’s going on.

Find ways to distract yourself, such as singing a song, retelling a story, contemplating the end of the book you’re reading or the TV series you’re watching, listening to the sound of your device electronically or think about the worthy outcome of donating blood.

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Rest and regain strength. Once you’ve finished donating blood and are bandaged, the medical staff will ask you to sit for about 15 minutes to make sure you don’t faint or get dizzy. You will be given snacks and fruit juices to replace your fluid levels and raise your blood sugar. You will also be told to avoid certain things for the rest of the day and to stay hydrated for the next 48 hours.

You should not lift heavy objects and avoid stressful activities such as high-intensity exercise for the rest of the day.
If you feel dizzy afterward, lie down and elevate your legs.
Leave the bandage on your arm for 4-5 hours after donating blood. If you have severe bruising, you can apply a cold compress. If you are in pain, take an over-the-counter pain reliever. ^{[22] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}
If you’ve been sick for a long time, you should call your doctor to make sure there’s nothing to worry about.

Advice

Bring a large bottle of orange juice. Orange juice will help you quickly regain strength after donating blood.
Lie down completely while donating blood. This position will help you avoid low blood pressure and dizziness, especially when donating blood for the first time.
Once you are familiar with the blood donation process, you can ask about platelet donation. Donating platelets takes longer than donating blood, but you still keep your red blood cells. Platelets play a role in blood clot formation and are an important factor in the treatment of critically ill patients.
If you feel dizzy, let the medical staff know. They will help you to recline in the recliner. If you’ve left the center, bend your head between your knees to increase blood flow to your brain or lie down and elevate your legs. You can avoid this by staying for a while at the center to rest, drink the fluids your healthcare provider recommends, and eat the snacks that are given out.
Note that you NEED to know your blood type before donating blood. People with negative blood type can donate blood to people with positive blood group, but people with positive blood type cannot donate blood to people with negative blood type. Make sure the recipient’s blood matches the mark in your blood type. For example, A+ can donate to AB+, but B- CANNOT donate blood to A-.

Steps

Preparing to donate blood

Blood Donation

Advice

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