What To Do After Giving Blood

How Long After Donating Blood Can You Exercise

While you should avoid strenuous workouts after giving blood, you don’t have to sit on the couch all day. After you’ve had a chance to drink some fluids , it’s generally safe to enjoy some light to moderate activity â like a brisk walk or a casual bike ride â if you feel up to it.

If you feel dizzy or lightheaded during or after post-donation exercise, sit or lie down until you feel better. Make sure you’re drinking plenty of fluids and contact your donation center or health care provider if you are concerned about any symptoms you experience after giving blood.

Related Reading

A Happier Longer Life

One blood donation can save up to three lives, according to Dr. DeSimone. People usually donate because it feels good to help others, and altruism and volunteering have been linked to positive health outcomes, including a lower risk for depression and greater longevity.

Giving blood is a way to engage in the immediate community and help people around you, Dr. Vossoughi adds. People who do these types of things and engage in their community in this way tend to have better health and longer lives.

It is also a way to feel that you have positively helped during the COVID-19 crisis. Donating blood is safe if you have had the COVID-19 vaccine. It is also safe if you have had COVID-19, though you must be symptom-free for two weeks and have not had a positive diagnostic test for COVID-19 in the last 14 days, Dr. DeSimone says. If you have any COVID-19 symptoms like a fever or cough, do not give blood. Donating blood is safe as donors are socially-distanced and required to wear a face mask covering their nose and mouth, regardless of vaccination status.

Creating moments of kindness during a time of need does wonders for your mental health and feeling of well-being, Dr. DeSimone says.

Remember To Stay Hydrated

Immediately after your donation, expect to be offered a snack. In fact, if you’re a frequent blood donor, you might wonder why donation centers dole out cookies, chips, crackers and such.

It’s nice to treat yourself for doing good, but there’s more to it than that. When you eat salty snacks, you’re inclined to drink something â and hydrating after donating blood is really, really important to keep you from becoming lightheaded.

“The highest risk time for fainting is within 15 minutes of donation â that’s when your body is squishing fluid back into your veins, so the cookie is just an excuse to make you drink something,” says Jed Gorlin, MD, MBA, medical director and vice president of medical and quality affairs for Innovative Blood Resources in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Help yourself to bottled water, juice or a sports drink to replenish some of the fluid you lost by donating blood. Or better yet, bring your own reusable water bottle from home to drink when you’re done.

And don’t stop pumping fluids after you leave the donation center. Try to boost your fluid intake for the next 24 to 48 hours, per the nonprofit Advancing Transfusion and Cellular Therapies Worldwide , which represents blood banks.

Need a way to easily track your daily water intake? to do the job, so you can stay focused and achieve your goals!

“If your urine is clear, you’ve done a great job of hydrating,” Dr. Gorlin says.

Recommended Reading: What Is The Order Of Blood Flow

How Is Donated Blood Used To Help Others

Donating blood is one of the most important types of donation because it can help a person survive. The donated blood is not used as it is. This blood is first screened for various diseases that have a possibility of getting transmitted through blood. For example, HIV or hepatitis.

The components are transferred to a patient through a process called intravenous blood transfusion. This process can improve the quality of life for people that are diagnosed with an illness which cannot be cured.

Things To Know On Your Donation Day

When donating blood, take these steps to make sure you stay safe and healthy:

• Drink an extra 16 ounces of water or other nonalcoholic beverage before your appointment.
• Eat a healthy meal, avoiding fatty foods like hamburgers, fries, or ice cream.
• Wear a shirt with sleeves that you can roll up above your elbows.
• Have somebody else drive you to and from the blood bank.
• Have something to eat and drink after donating. Most blood banks will have snacks for you when you’ve finished giving blood.

When you get to the blood bank, you’ll answer a few questions about your medical history. You’ll also be asked about any recent travel, infections you may have, and medicines you take. Your answers help the blood bank staff know if you are healthy enough to give blood. Then they’ll check your temperature, pulse, blood pressure, and blood count.

Recommended Reading: What Is Lymphocytes Blood Test

What To Eat After Giving Blood

Once you’ve given blood, does it really matter what you eat? Actually, it kind of does.

“Focusing on iron-rich foods is going to be key because we want to start getting the mineral back into our body as soon as possible,” says Maxine C. Yeung, RD, owner of The Wellness Whisk and a certified personal trainer in California’s South Bay area.

Iron supports the production of hemoglobin, which helps move oxygen to your tissues and becomes depleted when you donate, Yeung tells LIVESTRONG.com.

Foods rich in heme iron, the type found in animal sources, include:

Recipes to Try

• Beef With Potatoes and Broccoli: This meal provides the right combination of nutrients your body needs after giving blood. Skin-on potatoes and beef supply iron while the vitamin C in broccoli helps increase your iron absorption, Yeung says.
• Slow Cooker Vegan Chili: Not a meat-eater? This recipe provides plant-based iron plus vitamin C.
• Vegan Kale Pesto with sliced bell peppers: You’ll get the nutrients you need â iron from the kale and vitamin C from the peppers.

Who Can Donate Blood

To donate blood, you must:

• Be at least 17 years old.
• Weigh at least 110 lb .
• Be in good health.

Some people can’t donate because of health or other issues. For example, you may not be able to donate if:

• You recently donated blood or a blood product. The length of time you must wait between donations depends on the product you are donating, such as whole blood or platelets.
• You don’t have enough hemoglobin in your blood. Before you donate, you will have a test to check your hemoglobin level.
• You are pregnant.
• You have traveled to certain countries.
• Your blood pressure is too high or too low. Your blood pressure will be checked before you donate.
• You take certain medicines.
• You had a recent needlestick or got a tattoo or piercing.

Having a long-term illness, such as diabetes , doesn’t mean you can’t donate. You may be able to give blood if your health problem is under control. But you shouldn’t donate blood if you feel like you’re getting a cold or the flu.

Before you donate, a health professional will ask about your current and past health to make sure that you can donate. Some of these questions are very personal, so you will be asked them in private. You will be asked these questions every time you give blood, because the list of who can give blood may change, or your health may change.

Read Also: What Is Rdw In Blood Tests

Side Effects Of Donating Blood

The side effects after donating blood are not the same for everyone. It depends on your health condition, body weight, diet, etc. Here are the common side effects you may experience:

Sterile equipment is used while taking blood. So, there is no risk of contracting any disease. You may experience some bleeding right after taking blood. But there is nothing to worry about. Just apply pressure and raise your arm a couple of times the bleeding will stop. Some people have a bruise in the area where the needle was inserted. It may last for up to three days. So, itâs very important to eat the right kind of food to make up for the lost iron and vitamins.

What To Avoid After Blood Donation

Donating blood usually does not affect a persons daily routine. However, it can limit what a person can do immediately afterward.

The loss of red blood cells means that there is less oxygen circulating in the body. As a result, a person very strenuous activities right after a donation. This may include:

• cardio exercises

For the rest of the day after donating blood, it is generally a good idea to avoid any activities that get the heart rate up.

Going forward, a person can gradually reintroduce exercise and heavy lifting. Returning to these activities slowly can help prevent any adverse effects of the blood loss. Also, a person should avoid drinking alcohol for the first 24 hours after a donation.

Read Also: What Does Having High Blood Pressure Mean

Can I Give My Baby Bloody Breast Milk

Generally, you can continue giving your baby your expressed milk as you resolve the issues causing the bleeding. Its worth freezing your blood-tinged or strawberry-coloured milk to help improve the taste, which may be better tolerated by your baby than fresh blood-tinged or coloured expressed milk. Worth a try!

You should always seek medical advice for any bleeding that continues in spite of your improved expressing techniques. Its also worthwhile contacting a lactation consultant for ongoing help and support.

Why You Should Not Donate Blood

Other reasons you may not be able to donate blood: Youve experienced hepatitis or jaundice in the last year. Youve had certain types of cancer, or are being treated for cancer. Blood cancers like leukemia or lymphoma and Hodgkins disease disqualify you from donating, to protect both donor and recipient.

Read Also: Carbon Dioxide In Blood Test Low

What Are The Qualifications For Donating Blood

Donating is easy, and its likely that you are eligible if youre 17 or older, weight at least 114 pounds and in good general health. Ifyou have questions about eligibility, call .

Here are some things to remember:

• Bring a valid picture IDyou do not need a social security card to donate or to be a United States citizen.
• Eat a healthy meal prior to donating and arrive hydrated.
• Stay home if you are not feeling well.
• Its safe to donate if you have certain medical conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, under control. However, certain conditionsincluding Hepatitis B or C and HIV/AIDSprevent donation.
• Taking medication does not necessarily mean you cannot donate blood. If you have questions about a specific medication, call .
• There is no upper age limit to donating.

A person should be in good health and feeling well on the day of donation, free of open skin lesions/wounds and infectious diseases, including flu and common cold. Prior to each donation, you will be given a mini-physical and medical interview. A prospective donor may be deferred at any point during the collection and testing process. After the deferral period ends, a donor can return to the San Diego Blood Bank donation center to be reevaluated and resume donation if all donor eligibility requirements are met.

How Blood Travels Through The Body

Blood travels through the body via blood vessels that comprise the circulatory system, and your heart is responsible for pumping blood through those vessels. Blood leaves the heart through blood vessels called arteries, starting with the aorta. As blood travels through the body, carrying its delivery of essential nutrients and oxygen, it then passes through capillaries, which are thin vessels that connect the arteries and veins. The thin walls of capillaries allow oxygen, nutrients, carbon dioxide, and waste to pass to and from tissues in the body.

From here, veins take deoxygenated blood back to the heart. As veins get closer to the heart, they get bigger in diameter, eventually merging into two primary veins known as the vena cava. The superior vena cava is responsible for bringing blood from the head and arms, and the inferior vena cava carries blood from the abdomen and legs. The system of blood vessels in an adult human body is over 60,000 miles long, enough to wrap around the earth twice!

Recommended Reading: How Accurate Are Home Blood Pressure Monitors

If I Used To Live In Mexico Can I Donate Blood

Yes. However, if you lived in Mexico for 5 or more years, you must live in the United States with no travel to Mexico for 3 years. This is because you would be considered a resident of a Malaria-endemic country according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you travel to Mexico during the 3-year waiting period, you must wait 3 years from the date of returning from Mexico. Once you have been in the United States for 3 years without travel to Mexico, you can travel to Mexico on occasion and would only be deferred from donating if you visited a region with malaria.

Can I Give Blood After Getting A Tattoo

Yes, but the tattoo must be fully healed and have been applied by a state-regulated facility with fresh ink and sterile needles.

States that do not regulate tattoo parlors: Connecticut Georgia Idaho Maryland Nevada New York Pennsylvania Utah Wyoming

You need to wait 3 months after getting a tattoo in any of the above states or outside the US, so set a calendar reminder.

Recommended Reading: Does Steroids Cause High Blood Pressure

Replenishing Blood After Donating

The average human adult has approximately 10 pints of blood in their body, and a typical donation of blood equals one pint. After losing this blood, your body works to replenish that pint. First, your body will notice that it has lost some red blood cells, and your kidneys will sound the alarm. The peritubular cells in the kidneys will sense the lower level of oxygen and secrete a protein called erythropoietin. This protein is released into the bloodstream and then travels to the bone marrow.

Bone marrow is where the magic happens. This spongy substance found in the center of bones is where stem cells are produced. Stem cells are the foundation of all other cells in the body, as they form the foundation for whatever cells the body needs. In this instance, because of the erythropoietin produced by kidneys, your body knows that these stem cells need to be made into red blood cells. From here, the stem cells will divide and become immature red blood cells that continue to divide and mature until your red blood cell count rebuilds to its original level. Within 24 hours of donating, your blood volume will be replenished however, red blood cells take 4-6 weeks to be replaced entirely.

Blood is vital to our bodies, so its crucial for blood banks to have enough of it on hand to help patients in need. Thats where you come in. Blood banks like The Blood Connection rely on volunteer donors to keep blood supplies stocked, because it cant be made or manufactured anywhere else.

Dont: Exercise Too Much

Exercise and manual labor increase the circulatory systems workload, and it will struggle after a donation. We encourage people to take it easy for a day or so after donating to make sure that they can recover. Nausea, dizziness, and pain can all be signs that a person is pushing themselves too hard after donating.

Those problems can also occur for people who spend too long on their feet, even if they arent doing anything that involves too much exertion. Even something as simple as standing up too quickly can cause problems for some donors. When in doubt, it is best to err on the side of caution.

Don’t Miss: What Is A1c In Blood Work

How Will Donating Blood Affect My Performance

If you participate in endurance sports, like distance running, it may take a month or more to regain your full aerobic capacity after donating blood, according to the Nebraska Community Blood Bank. If you enjoy most other sports, you may only notice a dip in performance for a week or two after you donate blood. No matter your activity, it’s recommended you don’t give blood on the same day of an intense workout or competition.

The Nebraska Community Blood Bank offers a few tips to keep in mind for the day you’re donating blood:

A Free Health Screening

By going to donate blood, you are getting a mini-physical, says Dr. DeSimone.

Before you are allowed to donate, your vital signs will be checked to make sure you are fit enough for the procedure. This exam might turn up a condition that needs medical attention, such as high blood pressure or a heart arrhythmia like atrial fibrillation. In addition, youll be screened for infectious diseases you may be unaware of.

If we detect an issue with your vital signs or another health issue, we would direct you to go to a physician at that point to be checked, Dr. DeSimone says.

The health screening will also reveal if you have a rare blood type. This information can be useful if you ever face surgery or another medical situation in which a transfusion may be required. Plus, youll have the satisfaction of knowing your donation is particularly needed.

Dr. Robert A. DeSimone

Recommended Reading: 160 90 Blood Pressure Anxiety

Does Giving Blood Cause Water Retention

Again, this isnt true. The thread of truth here arises from the fact that it takes a day or two to replenish the fluid volume in the body and three months for the regeneration of red cells to donate more blood. Myth: One is advised to take complete rest for a day after donating blood. Fact: False.