Blood donation is a voluntary procedure that can help save lives. Donors can opt to give blood at local blood drives sponsored by the American Red Cross or other well-known organizations. Each blood donation can help more than one person. Blood is essential and cannot be manufactured outside the body, so it must be constantly replenished by generous donors. Whole…
Although donating blood is a great contribution, it is important to allow your body time to make new blood cells before donating again. Different Guidelines for Different Types of Donations The American Red Cross has specific guidelines for how often people may donate, based on research and average times to replenish the body’s blood supply. There are four basic types…
While whole blood donation is what most people think of when donating blood. It is certainly the most common, however there are actually four different types of blood donations to be aware of. Each type is needed by recipients to treat different types of diseases and conditions. Whole Blood Donation Whole blood donation consists of one pint (about 475 mL)…
You may have heard about plasma donation centers that pay money for donations. Not all plasma donations are paid – community blood centers such as the American Red Cross and most hospital-based facilities are supplied by volunteer donors, just like for whole blood. While donating plasma definitely fulfills a need and extra money is tempting, it is important to be…
Many people learned about blood types sometime in school but may have forgotten a lot of that information. Let’s review some of the general principles so that you can better understand which blood types are rare, and why. Blood Types Review There are four major blood groups: A, B, AB, and O. These are further divided into positive and negative…
It is natural for first-time blood donors to be a little fearful of the process, especially if they haven’t been around a blood donation drive or center. Those that make the leap and donate blood get to leave feeling good in the knowledge that their donation will help save lives. To ease those first-timer fears, it is helpful to know…
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