Weight Requirement For Blood Donation

Why You May Not Be Allowed To Give Blood:

Blood Donation Eligibility Basic Requirements

Before we get too deep into giving blood restrictions, lets cover a few requirements that dont have anything to do with your health. In order to donate blood, you must:

• Be at least 17 years old. In some states, you can give blood at 16 years-of-age with parental consent.
• Weight at least 110 lbs. The weight limit is enforced because the amount of blood in your body is roughly proportional to your weight the bodies of individuals who weigh less than 110 lbs. may not respond well to the standard amount of blood drawn during donations.

Benefits Of Donating Blood

Blood donation is extremely important for medical care. It allows doctors to perform certain medical procedures and complex surgeries. In addition, blood donation can improve a patients cardiovascular health, help with obesity, and reduce the risk of damage to the pancreas and the liver.

However, in approximately 45 countries including Mexico, demand is always higher than supply. But why isnt there enough blood? because most people get anxious by simply considering the idea of donating blood. Therefore, on this article we would like to share with you some useful tips on:

• What to do before donating blood.
• What to do during and after blood donation.
• How to avoid possible adverse reactions.

Recommended Reading: Top Number Of Blood Pressure High

Blood Donation Benefits For Females

There are various health benefits of donating blood such as reduced risk of cancer, burning of calories, reduced risk of hemochromatosis, reduced risk of liver and pancreas damage, limiting obesity, and improving the cardiovascular health of human body, irrespective of the gender of the donor. Thus, donors from both the genders need to contribute to this noble cause while taking the benefit of such donation.

A healthy male can repeat the cycle of donation after a minimum of twelve weeks. A healthy women donors repeat the cycle of donation after a minimum period of sixteen weeks.

Medically Reviewed By

Is There A Weight Limit For Donating Blood

To be eligible for blood donation, you must weigh at least 110 pounds for your own safety. The volume of blood in the body is proportional to its weight. There is no maximum weight limit as long as your weight does not exceed the weight limit of the donor bed or couch you are using. If this was the case, then they would have to give you a lighter bed or couch.

However, if you weigh over 200 pounds, it may be difficult or impossible to donate blood because most donors’ beds and couches are not designed to hold such a large weight.

The blood supply is limited, so it’s important that all potential donors make an effort to help others by giving blood. The weight limit for donors is 100 pounds, but this rule is rarely enforced.

There is no specific age limit for blood donations, although people under 18 years old can be asked to get parental permission before they can donate. Children who have not yet reached puberty are usually given a choice between saying “no” to blood donation or being excluded from future opportunities to donate. Those who say “no” will still be allowed to donate blood when they are an adult. People who have a history of heart problems or stroke are often advised not to donate blood because it puts them at risk of having another episode if they need it later.

Those who accept blood donations will ask you many questions about your lifestyle and medical history.

Don’t Miss: Does Medicare Cover Blood Pressure Monitors

Now Lets Talk About How To Donate Blood

In order to donate blood, you will need to fast for about 4 hours. Make sure to go to the blood bank completely rested, with at least six hours of good sleep. In addition, you should avoid drinking alcohol in the 72 hours prior to your donation. We also recommend carrying an official ID with you.

Once you arrive at the blood bank, you will be interviewed in order to rule out any impediments, such as the consumption of certain medications, simple diseases and infections, or very thin veins.

Finally, if everything goes well, they will take a blood sample from you. After this, your blood sample will be analyzed to rule out any unwanted conditions such as anemia, which could make donating impossible. Ultimately, If your sample is eligible, the blood bank technician will allow you to continue with your blood donation.

What Are The Requirements For Donating Blood

Since January was National Blood Donors Month, you probably saw ads and requests to donate blood. The beginning of the year sees record lows, and theres a strong need for men and women to step up and give. However, blood is needed year-round so its important that people donate whenever possible. If youre considering giving, youll need to make sure you are qualified.

So what are the requirements for donating blood? Heres what you need to know.

Recommended Reading: What Are The Types Of Blood

What Are Some Reasons To Not Donate Blood

Minimum Weight If youve recently lost a lot of weight or youre just naturally thin, you may not be eligible to donate blood. The American Red Cross requires donors to weigh at least 110 pounds 2. It notes that additional weight requirements apply to donors age 18 and younger and to all high school donors. Healthy Diet

How Many Calories Do You Burn When You Donate Blood

The University of California San Diego notes that people who donate blood burn about 650 calories in the process. But before you abandon your workout plan in favor of blood donation, keep in mind that you need to wait 56 days before youre eligible to donate again. You also must meet all of the eligibility requirements each time you donate.

Read Also: What Causes Blood To Hemolyze

Blood Donor Eligibility Guidelines

THERE HAVE BEEN MANY CHANGES TO ELIGIBILITY!

Malarial travel, European deferral, male sex, tattoos and needle sticks have all been updated.

All blood donors must meet Massachusetts General Hospitals eligibility requirements to donate whole blood, platelets or red blood cells. Donors must complete a questionnaire, which includes health and lifestyle questions, at their blood donation appointment to determine eligibility.

Have You Wondered What To Do Before Donating Blood

Here are all the answers you need!

Helping another person with something so important as a blood donation is a gratifying sensation. It is also of grave importance, as blood cannot be created synthetically, which is why it must be collected through voluntary donors. Every year on June 14th, countries around the world celebrate World Blood Donor Day. This event is dedicated to thank every volunteer donor and raise awareness on the need to make regular blood donations.

The slogan of this years World Blood Donor Day is: Be there for someone. Give blood. Share life. Its a campaign to highlight stories of people whose lives have been saved through blood donation. It is also a way of motivating regular blood donors to continue giving blood. In addition, its a way to urge people in good health who have never donated blood before to begin doing so, particularly young people. According to the World Health Organization , these donations provide hope and a higher quality of life for patients with severe and grave diseases.

Read Also: Facts About Red Blood Cells

Can Skinny Guys Donate Blood

People who are slender are ineligible to donate blood, but those who are overweight can donate more blood. Wrong. While a minimum weight of 50 kg is required to give blood, your body size is not a factor in your eligibility. People who are too thin or too fat are not allowed to donate.

The only reason someone would be excluded from donating blood is if they have a disease that can be transmitted through blood products. The most common exclusion factor for people who want to donate blood is if they’re under 18 or over 70. In some cases, even if you appear to be healthy, you may be excluded if you have a family history of certain diseases on the list below. Your blood donor center should tell you about any additional concerns regarding your health and suitability to donate.

Even if you’re healthy and you decide to go ahead and donate blood, there are conditions or issues that could arise during the donation process that might lead to you not being able to give blood. For example, you could experience dizziness or nausea while giving blood and stop before all the cells you’ve donated get used. Or, you could actually harm yourself or someone else by refusing to stop after you’ve given blood because you were in a hurry to finish.

About Article Author

You Have Hepatitis B Hepatitis C Hiv/aids Or May Have Been Exposed To These Diseases Via Sexual Contact

Hepatitis B and C and HIV/AIDs are diseases that can be passed on via blood transfusion, and therefore individuals who suffer from these diseases are ineligible to donate blood. Unfortunately, these aforementioned diseases can be transmitted through sexual contact, so if you are not certain whether or not you may have contracted these diseases from previous sexual partners, consider deferring your donation until you are sure. All donated blood is screened for hepatitis B and C and HIV.

Sexually transmitted diseases and blood donation:

When it comes to blood donation, other STDs are often wrongly lumped into the same category as hepatitis B and C and HIV. In reality, the ARC has separate recommendations for STDs and venereal diseases.

• Gonorrhea and syphilis: You should still defer blood donation if you are not certain whether or not you may have contracted gonorrhea and syphilis. However, if you have contracted gonorrhea or syphilis, you will still donate blood so long as you complete your treatment of the disease and wait 3 full months after the treatment is completed.
• Chlamydia, HPV, and genital herpes: Individuals who suffer from chlamydia, HPV, or genital herpes are eligible to donate blood.

Read Also: What Is Blood Sugar Test Called

You Were Recently Vaccinated

If you have recently received a vaccination or immunization, you may be required to wait for a period of time before being eligible to donate blood. The major exceptions are the Smallpox vaccination andliving in close proximity of someone who receives the Smallpox vaccination. It is requested that you wait 8 weeks after receiving a Smallpox vaccine or after living in close proximity to someone who received the Smallpox vaccine before donating blood. This waiting period should be extended if you experience complications.

COVID-19 vaccination restrictions are, at the time of writing, still subject to change. However, at the present moment, the ACR states that blood donations are Acceptable if you were vaccinated with an Inactivated or RNA based COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Moderna or Pfizer providing you are symptom-free and fever-free. If you received a different type of COVID-19 vaccine or are unsure what type of vaccine you received, you may be subject to a waiting period before you are eligible to donate blood.

You Might Also Be Wondering What To Do After Blood Donation

After your blood donation, you should keep your arm extended and facing upwards, to avoid swelling, pain or bruising. Most likely, you will be offered a snack that you should eat as soon as the procedure is over. Subsequently, if you feel good and strong, the laboratory technician will let you go home. Once you are home, you should avoid performing any physical activity in the next 24 hours after your donation.

Your blood levels will get back to normal after two or three weeks. Therefore, to help your body to recover, you should drink abundant water and maintain a healthy and balanced diet.

Moreover, during this time period you should avoid:

Recommended Reading: Blood Sugar Tester Without Blood

Your Iron Levels Are Too Low

Hemoglobin, a protein found in your red blood cells plays an essential role in transporting oxygen to your bodys organs and tissues and back to your lungs. Hemoglobin also contains much of your bodys iron. So when someone says that your iron levels are too low, that is actually a misleading way of stating that your hemoglobin levels are too low for you to safely donate blood.

Hemoglobin levels are measured in grams per deciliter. In their eligibility requirements list The American Red Cross states that:

In order to donate blood, a woman must have a hemoglobin level of at least 12.5 g/dL, and a man must have a hemoglobin level of at least 13.0 g/dL. For all donors, the hemoglobin level can be no greater than 20 g/dL.

If youve had trouble giving blood in the past due to low iron/hemoglobin levels, you can combat these deficiencies by eating iron-rich foods, especially meat and animal products . If you are vegetarian, breads and pastas, beans, peanuts, lentils, tofu, and eggs are also good sources of iron, although your body cannot absorb the iron they contain as easily.

Common Blood Donation Requirments For Women And Men

While anybody can be a blood donor, there are some minimum eligibility criteria for successful blood donation. Some of such criteria include

• Age of the donor must be in between 18 and 60
• The weight of the donor must be fifty kilograms or above
• The donor can repeat the activity of blood donation only after three months from the date of last blood donation

Some Of The Blood Donors Who Are Disqualified Or Need To Follow Some Restriction From Donating Blood. According To Who Guidelines Include

• People with diseases which are transmissible such as AIDS and Hepatitis
• People who have undergone body piercing activities without confirming whether the needle used was sterile. Such people need to wait for a minimum period of twelve months prior to donating blood
• People with diabetes who need to inject insulin with a sterile syringe only reused by them
• People with flu cannot donate blood until the time the symptoms are prevalent
• Physically small people with small heights have smaller blood volumes and thus are not encouraged to donate blood as this may make them unstable.
• Pregnant women and nursing mothers are not encouraged for donating blood
• People with anemia are discouraged from donating blood
• Cancer patients are not allowed to be blood donors
• people who have suffered from malaria cannot donate blood till the next twelve months as the malarial parasite can usually lay dormant within the human body for at least a year
• People who are undergoing a course of antibioticsotics

Recommended Reading: Recipes For High Blood Pressure

How Often Can I Donate Blood

• Female donors can give blood every 16 weeks .
• Male donors can now give blood every 12 weeks .
• NIBTS will however continue to send out invitations to both male and female donors approximately every 16 weeks.
• The difference in donation frequency relates specifically to lower iron levels in women. Whilst a donor’s blood volume is restored within a few hours, it can take eight weeks to restore the iron lost after donating. Replacing this iron through diet alone can take a long time, especially with other concurrent losses, for example, menstruation in women.

Blood Donation Requirements For Female Donor

• They should not be menstruating
• They should not be expecting or are pregnant or nursing and breastfeeding mothers
• Females with a bad miscarriage should avoid donating blood for the next 6 months.
• Female donors must be at least 19 years old, at least 55 tall and weigh at least 150 lbs.
• They have low iron levels or are acutely anaemic.

You May Like: How Long Does Blood Donation Take

Information For Teen Donors

Thank you for choosing to help save lives through blood and platelet donations. Young donors, like you, play an important role in helping to make sure that blood is available when and where it is needed most. The American Red Cross wants you to have the best possible donation experience as you begin your life-long donation journey

As a blood donor, you donate one pint of blood, which your body quickly replaces. As someone who is new to donating blood, we encourage you to focus on being a healthy blood donor. Here are a few things you should do to have the best possible experience:

General Guidelines for Blood Donation

• Be in good general health and feeling well.
• Maintaining your iron level is an important part of being a healthy donor. We encourage you to learn more about iron and donating blood
• Be at least 17 years old in most states .
• Weigh at least 110 lbs. Additional height and weight requirements apply for donors 18 years old and younger and all high school student donors.
• Have not donated blood in the last 56 days.

You Have The Cold Flu Or Other Acute Illnesses That Cause Fever

If you have the cold or flu at the time you wish to donate, you will want to reschedule your appointment for a full 7 days after your symptoms have disappeared. Having a cold or the flu doesnt affect the blood youre donating, but blood donation centers turn away sick individuals from donating in an effort to reduce the spread of the flu. If you are running a fever, you will not be permitted to donate blood.

Blood donation rates often go down during the flu season. If you want to help combat this issue, take a moment to read our article on Staying Healthy During the Flu Season.

Also Check: Is 140 Over 80 High Blood Pressure