Four people out of five need blood or a hemopreparate drug during their lifetime. Unfortunately, blood is often scarce. We tell you what you should know about blood donation.
Blood donation is not a trend: in the Swiss population, only five percent are available as donors or donors. But the demand is strong; the daily requirement is situated close to 1000 donations of blood. The major part (19 percent) is used for cancer therapies.
In the body of a healthy human being, weighing 70 kilograms, they flow between five and six liters of blood. This corresponds to about 8 percent of body weight, but the amount can vary depending on age and gender. During a donation, 450 milliliters of blood is taken, therefore about 10 percent of the total quantity. People who weigh less than 50 kilograms cannot donate blood because the amount of blood taken must be less than 13 percent of the total amount.
Actual blood donation lasts only 10 minutes. For the whole procedure, however, about 45 minutes must be foreseen. You must eat enough before sampling, but not too fatty foods, and drink enough. The first hard blood donation, as a rule, a little more, because the interview with the specialized nurse and the withdrawal itself require more time.
A maximum of four donations a year
Compared to the total amount of blood in the body, that of the donated blood is so small that the body quickly compensates for the loss. The reconstitution of new red blood cells in the bone marrow, however, lasts several weeks. For this, you can donate blood at most three or four times a year.
Since the loss of liquid is reconstituted within 24 hours of the donation, at this time you must drink sufficiently and avoid great efforts. If you feel good after the donation, you will resume driving a car after a 30-minute relaxing break. During two days you should avoid the practice of peak sports and scuba diving; for all other sports, you can base yourself on your feelings.
Informative App
Want to know where you can donate blood in your neighborhood? The Blood Donations app shows you how to proceed.