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Donating Whole Blood takes about 40-50 minutes. The time is spent completing a health questionnaire, taking a mini-physical (temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, iron level) and having some chocolate milk, juice and cookies after you have donated.
Donating Platelets Apheresis is a special kind of donation that collects one specific component of whole blood. During the two hour process, blood is withdrawn in a manner very similar to a whole blood donation. The platelets are separated from the blood and the blood is returned to the donor. All of this is done in a comfortable setting and you can enjoy chocolate mile, juice and cookies after you have donated.
Beyond proper nutrition as important in maintaining your body’s normal functions and overall general health, adequate iron intake and balance is important in maintaining your body’s normal function of manufacturing blood cells.
At the Blood Center, a finger-stick blood count determination (sometimes called iron level) is used as a screening test to qualify you for blood donation. A minimum acceptable result in this test is set in order to avoid temporarily lowering your blood count through blood donation to below normal levels. If your blood count was below this minimum acceptable level for blood donors today, you may wish to consider increased dietary iron intake in order to stimulate increased blood cell production in anticipation of future blood donations.
The following information about iron nutrition will help you as you plan to increase your iron intake through the foods you eat. (Note: consultation with your personal physician is recommended prior to beginning a course of iron supplementation beyond dietary intake.)
- All types of red meat, fish and poultry are excellent dietary sources of iron, since iron from these sources is most easily absorbed by your body.
- Many vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans and grains are also good dietary sources of iron, but iron from plant sources such as these is not absorbed efficiently by your body. Vitamin C enhances iron absorption from such plant sources, so eating vitamin C- containing foods (grapefruit, oranges, tomatoes, broccoli, and strawberries) in combination with iron-rich vegetables, fruits, nuts, etc. is recommended.
- Caffeinated beverages (coffee, tea, soda) taken with meals can act as iron blockers, as might excess consumption of high fiber foods or bran supplements.
- The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for pre-menopausal women is 15 mg. per day. The RDA for men and post-menopausal women is 10 mg. per day.
- View a List of Iron Foods (PDF: 101KB)
Low iron is one of the most frequent reasons donor candidates are deferred from giving blood.
It is usually a temporary, easily remedied condition but should be a priority to correct. Someone who is iron-deficient will absorb more iron than someone whose iron level is adequate. Iron is best absorbed from animal food and seafood – not from milk or dairy products.
Every day normal bone marrow makes and releases nearly one trillion red blood cells to replace the dying red cells in the blood stream. The red color of blood is due to a high content of hemoglobin, a protein. Hemoglobin cannot be produced in the bone marrow unless the body has a good supply of iron.
Red blood cells carry oxygen form the lungs to all other tissues in the body. From the tissues, they pick-up carbon dioxide that is carried back and released into the lungs to be exhaled. The average body contains approximately 25 trillion red blood cells – 600 to 700 times as many as white cells. Red blood cells are round and tiny – about 3,000 end-to-end would equal one inch. Their life span is about 120 days.
Protein and Vitamin C are needed in order for the body to absorb and use the iron you intake. Vitamin C improves the body’s ability to absorb iron from food. Eat one or more servings of Vitamin C-rich foods or juices daily.
Some foods prevent the body from absorbing iron. The amount of iron absorbed from food also depends on the combination of food you eat, because some foods, beverages and minerals may prevent the body from absorbing iron. As an example, calcium (dairy products) and caffeine can block iron absorption.
A slight iron deficiency that may cause deferral from donating can often be overcome in one to two days by taking iron supplements and eating iron-rich foods. If relying on iron supplements, it may be helpful to take them after dinner with a glass of orange juice, rather than in the morning when dairy and caffeine are in the diet.
And finally, would you guess eating popcorn and chocolates are also ways of getting iron into your diet?
Serious iron deficiency treatment should be done only under a doctor’s care.
- Questions?
Please feel free to contact one of our Donor Specialists.
Here are some instructions to follow after your donation:
1. Leave your bandage on for a minimum of 4 hours. If you see any bleeding, apply pressure for 2-5 minutes, then raise hand/arm over your head and replace the bandage for an additional 4 hours.
2. Eat and drink something before leaving. Drink extra fluids for the next 3 days to replace the fluid volume lost with your donation. It is especially important to drink extra fluids in the first 4 hours following a donation. Refrain from smoking for 4 hours after the donation.
3. Avoid heavy lifting and strenuous exercise for twelve hours. This will help prevent bruising, help the needle site heal and allow your body to readjust to the blood loss.
4. If you feel like you are going to faint or if you experience dizziness or lightheadedness, sit down with your legs elevated as soon as possible to avoid a potential fall and injury. Remain in this position until the sensation subsides. If symptoms persist, either telephone (see below), return to the donation site, or see your physician.
5. If you develop any type of illness in the next few days or if you feel there is a reason your blood should not be used for transfusion, or if you realized after donating you did not meet the screening criteria, please notify the Blood Center as soon as possible so that your blood may be discarded if necessary.
- Call the Donor Call-Back line at (253) 984-8881 or call the Assistant Director of Donor Collections at (253) 383-2553, x270.
Copyright 2005 Cascade Regional Blood Services
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