The benefits of donating blood are both for the physical and mental health of the donor and for the rest of society. Surely you know a family member or friend who is a blood donor, or you yourself are considering being one and want to know what benefits you would have.
Donating blood, as well as receiving, depends both on one's own values and on the influence of the society in which we live. From my experience as the daughter and granddaughter of donors, I consider that blood is the most valuable gift that a person can offer, which is to give life.
When talking about the consequences of donating blood, for example, there is talk of benefits or complications associated with donating. Based on that, many times we can make wrong decisions.
Let's get to know and learn a little more about what it really means to donate. In this way we can differentiate between the real effects on our health and what has been invented and nurtured in different societies, cultures and religions.
There are some statistics and data recently published by the WHO (World Health Organization) that are worth knowing. These numbers explain much of the world situation regarding this important issue.
According to the WHO, fortunately 108 million units of blood are collected in the world each year. And according to the data, around 50% are from high-income countries, which would correspond to 15% of the planet's population..
It is clear that depending on the country we are talking about, we will have different realities and numbers. Currently, in more developed countries there are more donations. All this depends on many factors, including the financial and health resources available to make a totally safe transfusion possible..
Regarding the latest data taken from the WHO, we have to:
-According to the information registered by 162 countries, between 2004 and 2012 there was an increase of 8.6 million in the units donated by unpaid voluntary donors.
-In 2012, 73 countries reported collecting a 90% supply from voluntary and unpaid blood donors. Of these, 60 collected 100% of blood from volunteers and unpaid people. But there are still 72 countries where donations through volunteers and unpaid people do not reach 50%.
-In these 72 countries, more than 50% of the blood supply continues to depend on donations from relatives or close friends and from paid donors (8 high-income, 48 middle-income and 16 low-income countries).
-In 2012, paid donations continued to be collected in 25 countries, totaling close to one and a half million donations.
The benefits of being a blood donor can be divided into three groups: biological, psychological and social benefits.
When giving a blood transfusion, the health of both the donor and the recipient is involved. You should know that for this, you need to meet certain criteria as well as the recipient, depending on your blood group. You can see it in the following table:
You can only donate blood if you are totally healthy and free from any type of disease. . Before donating blood, you have to go through a few simple tests that are totally free. For example, you can know if your blood pressure is too high or low, detect anemia, hepatitis or other.
This will help diagnose any possible disease early, before it develops. In addition, you can choose to be informed if they find any abnormality.
Regular blood donations help keep iron levels in the body under control, especially in men. This has been shown to reduce heart disease.
Although iron is an essential element for the proper functioning of the body, accumulated excess iron can lead to excessive oxidative damage, which is the main culprit of premature aging, heart attacks, strokes, etc..
According to the data, if you donate blood every 6 months for about 6 years, you can reduce up to 90% the probability of contracting cardiovascular disease.
A blood donation helps you burn 650 kilocalories, thereby helping you lose weight. However, blood can only be donated once every two to three months. This will depend on your health status and your iron and hemoglobin levels..
While a person who suffers from cholesterol, for example, will not completely eliminate triglycerides, but he does have the opportunity to regenerate lower values more quickly. The concentration in blood will be the same, but if the donation is followed by a proper diet it will be easier to achieve improvements than if you had not donated blood.
According to a study published in the "Journal of the National Cancer Institute," iron increases free radical damage in the body and has been linked to an increased risk of cancer and premature aging. People who donate have lower iron levels and therefore lower risk of cancer.
According to a study in Health Psychology, those volunteers who donated blood altruistically had a significantly lower risk of mortality. These could even reach 4 more years of life, compared to those who did so for other reasons, such as economic.
As for the side effects that may appear, they are quite infrequent, such as: dizziness or a bruise from a bad puncture, but nothing serious. Still, if the person meets certain parameters and those conditions are ensured, there will be no negative effect on their health..
Various scientific studies show that the act of donating causes oxytocin, the pleasure hormone, to be activated, therefore our reward mechanism is activated..
Paul Zak, head of the Neuroscience department at the University of Claremont, in California, through his studies, showed that the level of oxytocin increased up to 80% in our body every time we did an act of generosity. Therefore, solidarity is within the reach of anyone.
Just as solidarity is promoted, we increase both our own empathy and those of others.
As you will know, empathy is knowing how to put yourself in the place of the other person, so if we have decided to be a donor, it means that we are totally committed to this cause, that is, saving lives.
In addition, by showing our satisfaction and being able to share it with our closest friends, we can make their generosity increase, and why not, they are encouraged to be donors.
All this would not be possible not only because of the values that each person has, but also because of what the political systems themselves do in this regard, that is, they are in charge of promoting collective behavior, where solidarity, tolerance and tolerance are promoted. I respect.
Human beings are altruistic by nature, but not everyone develops or carries it out in their day-to-day lives. For me, being altruistic is a way of life, where the essential thing is to share, help, be attentive, respect, etc., with everyone who needs it at some point in their life..
Being a participant in improving someone's health or even saving their life is something that, according to psychologists and donors themselves, generates a feeling of great joy and lasting satisfaction..
There are frequent circumstances in which, due to an unforeseen event, people from the same family become blood donors and recipients. If the health difficulty is overcome, it is proven that the people involved reestablish a better affective bond or strengthen the one they already had.
According to some studies, when a loved one or simply an acquaintance needs blood precisely of the blood group that we have, it can put us in the middle of a conflict.
We feel like we want to help you but we are also very fearful of what a blood draw involves. Health risks, the fear of feeling bad, that the procedure hurts makes us question whether we really have to do it.
Different therapeutic currents agree that a personal, almost ethical conflict is established between what I should do and what I want to do. They also agree that it is healthy for our minds to face and resolve these types of conflicts..
By being a blood donor you are indirectly promoting both tolerance and respect for your peers, without making a distinction between races, ethnicities or gender. The ultimate goal is to help and save lives regardless of differences.
This experience, when shared with your friends or family, makes it possible for them to be more tolerant and respectful with other people, no matter how small, since at any time one of us or a family member may need from the help of others.
A phrase that I like a lot is: "Helping those who need it is not only part of duty, but also of happiness" by José Martí.
When you are in an extreme life situation, such as needing blood to continue living, life is revalued. Realizing how vulnerable we can be brings us closer to the true dimension of who we are. At any time someone from your family, friends or even you, you may need it.
The most important and the most valuable is without a doubt saving lives. According to the data of the Red Cross with a single donation, three people benefit from it. This is the greatest benefit we can obtain from being a blood donor.
And you, are you a blood donor? Tell us about your experience and the benefits it brings you
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