What should a blood donor do before donating blood?

Published: May 13, 2021Last updated: September 3, 2021before blood donating, Blood, blood donar, blood donar checklist

Blood donation is good for health. Many of us extend a helping hand if we need the blood of a family member or a friend. But remember, just donating blood is not enough. There are several things a donor needs to take care of before and after donating blood.

Quality blood transfusion is very important for a patient’s well-being. Blood cannot be prepared artificially.

If blood is needed, it has to be collected from the blood donor. There are several ingredients that can be taken out of a bag of blood. And so it is said, one bag of blood can save three lives.

Things to do before donating blood

Let’s find out what a blood donor should do before donating blood:

Eat nutritious or liquid foods:

Nutritious food should be eaten two to three hours before blood donation so that blood sugar levels remain stable. As a large amount of fluid will be excreted from the body, the blood donor should drink an adequate amount of liquid food such as water, fruit juice, etc., so that the blood pressure does not fall.

Do not donate on an empty or full stomach:

Blood should not be given on an empty stomach or on a full stomach. Blood should be given within half an hour to one hour of taking light food. Drink plenty of water before donating blood. No food should be eaten immediately after giving blood. Food should be eaten after one hour.

Enough sleep and do not take medication:

Good sleep keeps both body and mind well. The night before blood donation should be more sleep than any other day. You need to fall asleep earlier than usual. If you sleep a lot on the day before giving blood, the body will feel better during and after giving blood on the day of giving blood. It will take less fatigue.

Do not smoke on the day you donate blood:

Smoking means poisoning. There is no risk of taking a smoker’s blood. However, on the day the smoker donates blood, he should refrain from smoking for his own safety. This is because if you smoke after donating blood, the smoker’s body may feel bad or weak.

Matching blood groups before donating blood:

Blood should never be given if blood groups do not match. This can lead to the death of the patient. It is very important to match the blood groups of the patient and the blood donor before blood transfusion as well as cross-matching and screening tests. In this test, it is known whether there is any blood-borne disease in the blood of the blood donor.

Before donating blood, the age and weight of the blood donor should be checked:

Blood donors must be 18 years of age or older to donate blood. If the weight is below 45 kg, the person will not be able to donate blood. In addition, the person will not be able to donate blood even if they are infected with any type of bacteria, virus, or fungal disease.

Blood donation should be made a regular habit of every healthy person.