Is it useful for men to donate blood? Is it harmful to be a donor?

When donating blood, it is drained through a vein. Losing some blood causes your blood pressure to drop. Blood loss stimulates the bone marrow, from which young red blood cells enter the blood. After donating blood, a person feels an influx of strength, freshness, and vigor. Feeling better. Water from the cells rushes into the bloodstream. Thickened blood is liquefied, toxins from tissues enter the kidneys through the blood and are eliminated from the body. This information contains the answer to the question: is it useful or harmful to donate blood to men and women?

Supporters alternative opinion give arguments against. And, they are partially right. Because there are contraindications against donating blood.

In earlier times, it was considered effective medical procedure in the treatment of many diseases. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, the practice of blood transfusion to a victim in case of severe blood loss began to develop. There was a theory according to which blood transfused from a young man to an old man could have a rejuvenating effect.

The pioneers conducted experiments on themselves. After several successful experiments, the death of the Soviet scientist Alexander Bogdanov followed. It turned out that not all blood is suitable for transfusion from one person to another.

Four are open. In addition to them, there is a distinction between blood that has the Rh factor and that is free from it.

Failure to comply with the rules of blood transfusion leads to the destruction of red blood cells in the recipient of blood and fatal outcome. Therefore, for those who are going to, there are special requirements for the donor.

Doctors say that the blood donation procedure is beneficial for the donor. But, there are the following obstacles to donating blood:

It is required to observe the recommended intervals between blood donations;
There should be no contraindications due to the health status of the donor;
The donor should not have infectious, invasive or physical diseases;
It is necessary to take into account his well-being: temperature, pressure, etc.;
The donor should not have tattoos, piercings, etc.;
You cannot donate blood immediately after returning from abroad.

Regarding the benefits of donating blood, you should determine the gender of the donor. To the question: is it useful or harmful to donate blood to men, the answer is clear: useful, provided there are no contraindications to donation. Men over forty benefit from bloodletting more than younger men.

This is not the case with women. It is known that every month, during the period, the body loses a noticeable portion of blood, so ladies need bloodletting to a lesser extent than gentlemen. Therefore, answering the question: is it useful or harmful to donate blood to women, you can answer: you need to know the age of the potential donor.

Bleeding brings women childbearing age less benefit than for men. Therefore, the intervals between blood donations should be longer for them than for men. But, bloodletting brings more benefits to older ladies than to young ones, due to the lack of critical days.

Preparation

Routine procedures are carried out in advance. Assess the health status of a potential donor. It is necessary to make sure that the loss of blood does not harm the health of the donor, and that the donor himself does not suffer from diseases that can be transmitted to the recipient.

The future blood donor has the presence or absence of the Rh factor. Conduct tests for the content of pathogens in the blood of AIDS, syphilis, viral hepatitis and other diseases. There are no age restrictions on donation. The blood of an old man and a young man is equal.

And here, individual characteristics donors have a decisive influence on their suitability to donate blood. People who have undergone certain operations, as well as those with tattoos and piercings and body weight are not allowed to donate.<50 кг. В особом порядке рассматривают пригодность к донорству беременных и кормящих матерей

Donation should not be abused. Excessive or too frequent does not allow it to recover sufficiently. There are a number of diseases in which donation is contraindicated. Failure to comply with such rules for a blood donor can cause irreparable harm to health.

Professional blood donors become so accustomed to donating blood that they feel an irresistible need for it.

What are the benefits of donating blood:

Stimulation of the functioning of hematopoietic organs;
Prevention;
Activation of the immune system;
Normalization of the spleen. Spontaneous unloading of the liver;
helps prevent severe bleeding

All positive changes are achieved without the use of drugs, which allows you to avoid their side effects.

Despite all the advantages of donating blood as a donor, there are certain limitations:

It is not recommended to donate blood more than five times a year for men and once a quarter for women;
Two days before donating blood, it is necessary to limit physical activity;
It is necessary to limit the consumption of eggs, fatty foods, fried foods, and alcohol;
After donating blood, you should not expose yourself to high physical activity or travel for several days.

Plasma donation does not require a long recovery period because the red blood cells return to the donor. In this regard, you can donate plasma twice a month. Contraindications are the same as for blood sampling.

After donating plasma, the body quickly recovers

List of contraindications

There are absolute and temporary contraindications for donating blood. The unconditional ones include:

Infectious diseases;
Infestations;
Diseases of the nervous system;
Emphysema;
Angina pectoris;
Recurrent obstructive bronchitis;
Cholecystitis;
Chronic hepatitis and hepatosis;
Ulcers of the digestive system;
Urolithiasis disease;
Kidney diseases;
Blindness;
Inflammation of the ENT organs;
Skin diseases.

Temporary contraindications include:

Transfusion;
Postoperative recovery;
Foreign business trip > 2 months;
Visiting tropical countries > 3 months;
Contact with patients with hepatitis;
Flu, ARVI;
Angina;
Removal of a tooth;
Menstruation;
Pregnancy;
Breast-feeding;
Reception medicines;
Drinking alcoholic beverages;
Recent vaccinations.

Other points of delivery

It is dangerous to be a donor if the rules are not followed. You need to donate blood at special collection points, provided necessary equipment and qualified personnel. You cannot give consent to blood sampling without preliminary tests and examination by a doctor.

Donating blood is a free procedure. To recuperate, a person is given a paid day off. The blood collection process lasts about 30 minutes.

Sometimes, a transfusion from a donor involves taking not blood, but some part of it. For example, red blood cells, white blood cells or plasma. In this case, the donor's blood passes through a centrifuge, where the components necessary for transfusion are selected, and the remaining parts of the blood are returned to the donor vessel.

There is no clear answer to the question of what are the harms and benefits of donating blood. Therefore, adhere to the rule that everything is good in moderation. Of course, you do not need to donate blood on days when you are sick or feel unwell. It is also not recommended to donate blood more often than once every 60 days, and plasma - more often than once every 2 weeks. In general, you can donate blood 3-5 times a year, and plasma 6-12 times. The rest of the time the body should have the opportunity to recover.

Any person over 18 years of age who has good health and can physically donate blood without causing harm your own body. The standard amount of blood that can be taken from a healthy person without affecting his well-being and physiological functions, is 450 ml.

Before donating blood, you will be thoroughly examined by a doctor who will confirm its safety. this process for the donor. In general, humans are evolutionarily adapted to blood donation, although previously this was encountered only during injuries and therapeutic bloodletting. In addition, bloodletting in moderate doses has a very positive effect on human body and makes him healthier.

Benefits of donating blood:

*decrease in the amount of iron contained in the blood.

* prevention of the condition of the body, it becomes more resistant to blood loss in possible accidents, injuries, burns, severe operations and other cases.

* prolongation of the body's youth due to stimulation of hematopoiesis, as well as promoting self-renewal of the human body.

* prevention of various cardiovascular diseases.

*disease prevention immune system, and various violations digestive system, liver, pancreas.

* prevention of atherosclerosis.

*removing excess blood and substances contained in it from the body.

* correction blood pressure.

*for women before menopause, donating blood prolongs youth.

* receiving moral satisfaction from doing a good deed.

* the donor has the right to the benefit of receiving two days off from work (one on the day of blood donation, and the second on any other day).

* honorary donors, that is, those who have donated blood 40 times or plasma 60 times, are entitled to monthly allowance, as well as some other benefits.

When donating blood, the hematopoietic system (red cells bone marrow) activates, improves immune defense. Those organs that are involved in the process of removing dead red blood cells from the body are “unloaded,” namely the spleen and liver.

Recent data from American and Finnish scientists indicate that with periodic blood donation, the overall risk of developing coronary disease, thrombus formation and atherosclerosis decreases tenfold.

Male donors are much less susceptible to heart attacks, they suffer fewer heart attacks, and their blood cholesterol levels are kept low.

Interesting fact: if a woman donates plasma before planning a pregnancy, the baby will be a girl, and if a man donates plasma, it will be a boy.

Donors who regularly donate blood are the most healthy people planet, according to WHO, they live 5 years longer than the average person.

Don’t be afraid to donate blood, because the donor’s blood is mandatory Before delivery, it is checked for infections. If any infections are detected in the blood, the donor is offered a course of free examinations, as well as treatment if necessary. Also, the editors of the website www.site want to assure readers that harm from donating blood cannot be applied to the donor during the collection process itself, because all systems for this have long been disposable.

After treatment, the donor does not have the right to donate blood for another 6 months. But even after quarantine, blood will need to be tested again, as new infections may be detected.

And remember that your blood can save someone's life. Maybe to your acquaintance, friend, and maybe to you. After all, no one is safe from misfortune.

Donating blood from a finger or vein when visiting a clinic is a common occurrence for any person. Of particular concern This procedure does not cause any problems for anyone. It’s another matter when a person becomes a donor, because he has to donate a large amount of blood. Donor blood is in great demand in every country in the world. There is a group of people who require blood products for life. For example, these are patients suffering from a blood clotting disorder (hemophilia). People with oncological diseases, cardiac surgery patients, women during childbirth. The need for donor blood arises during accidents, catastrophes, and military conflicts. Therefore, it is quite natural that some people who decide to become donors are overcome by the question: is it harmful to donate blood?

How does donating blood affect your health?

It should be noted right away that there is no cause for concern. Donating blood (usually 450 milliliters) is not at all harmful. Regular donation of blood does not affect human health. The hematopoietic system is a unique self-regulating process, so within two weeks the volume of donated blood is completely restored. Nature has prepared the human body for periodic blood loss, for example, with minor stab injuries, and menstruation in women is generally important physiological process. Bloodletting has long been used to treat many diseases, and even today this method is used for plethora (excessive red blood cells) and hypertension (high blood pressure).

Moreover, it is scientifically proven that it is even beneficial for people who are overweight to donate blood. Self-renewal of blood is the improvement of the body, the prevention of disorders of the pancreas, liver, digestive organs, immune system, and the prevention of heart and vascular diseases. It is interesting that, according to statistics, male donors are much less likely to suffer from diseases of cardio-vascular system. In addition, a donor whose body is adapted to periodic blood donation has a much greater chance of surviving extreme situations accompanied by large blood loss. At the same time, people who want to become donors should remember that there must be no contraindications for donating blood: epilepsy, HIV infection, brucellosis, tuberculosis, hepatitis B, C and others serious pathologies. You cannot donate blood to women during menstruation.

Is donation safe?

Some people spread various rumors about the negative factors of donating blood - the duration of the procedure, nationality, the possibility of infection, etc. However, all these unfounded allegations are completely unfounded. The maximum danger that can await a person when donating blood is minor damage to the vein after insertion of the needle. But this happens rarely and refers to force majeure situations. Such a noble cause as donating blood takes a small amount of time, about a quarter of an hour. More long time required only for donating plasma and other blood components.

People differ from each other only by blood type and Rh factor. Otherwise, the cellular composition of the blood is the same for everyone (platelets, erythrocytes, lymphocytes, etc.), so nationality is not taken into account. As for possible infection with any disease when donating blood, today such a situation is impossible. All needles, tubes and other medical devices used are disposable, absolutely sterile and are opened directly in front of the donor.

Of course, after donating blood, the body needs some time to recover. Therefore, the donor is required to provide an additional day off for rest and good nutrition. Products such as hematogen, chocolate, and red wine help replenish donated blood components.

So, if a person does not have any restrictions, you can safely join the donation. The only thing he loses is his own time. The conclusion from all of the above is the following: when it comes to saving a human life, the question of whether it is harmful to donate blood becomes irrelevant.

Donor blood transfusion has a history of almost a century. Despite the fact that this procedure is quite familiar to many people, the process of donating blood is still surrounded by numerous myths. Today we set out to debunk the most common of them.

Source: depositphotos.com

Donating blood is harmful to health

The amount of blood circulating in the body of an adult is on average 4000 ml. It has been proven that a periodic loss of 12% of a given volume not only has no effect negative influence for health, but also works as a kind of training, activating hematopoiesis and stimulating resistance to stress.

The volume of a one-time donation of donor blood does not exceed 500 ml (of which about 40 ml is taken for the purpose of testing). The body quickly replaces blood loss without any negative consequences.

The blood donation procedure is painful and tiring

Modern donor centers are equipped with everything necessary to make the person donating blood feel comfortable. Unpleasant sensations donor are reduced to instant pain at the moment of needle insertion. Further procedure absolutely painless.

Donating whole blood takes about a quarter of an hour. After its completion, the donor may experience slight fatigue, so on the day of the procedure it is not recommended to engage in heavy physical labor or go on a long trip. Donating blood components (plasma, platelets or red blood cells) can take up to one and a half hours.

There is a risk of donor infection

Many people believe that the donor runs the risk of receiving one of dangerous infections blood-borne diseases (for example, hepatitis C virus or HIV). Currently, this is absolutely excluded: only disposable instruments and devices are used for blood collection, which are unpacked in the presence of the donor, and after the procedure they are immediately disposed of.

The need for donor blood is low

Patients undergoing complex surgical operations, women in labor with complicated childbirth, and people with severe injuries or burns need blood transfusions. Donor blood and its components are used in the treatment of leukemia and other oncological diseases. There are artificial blood and plasma substitutes, but their use has a number of contraindications, as they sometimes lead to negative side effects.

To fully provide the healthcare system with the required amount of blood, 40-50 people out of 1000 must be donors. In some European countries This ratio has been achieved, but in Russia this figure is still significantly below the norm.

According to statistics, every third person on our planet needs a blood or plasma transfusion at least once in their life. At the same time, the blood of absolutely all groups is in demand, and not just rare ones, as is sometimes believed.

Anyone can become a donor

This is far from true. In Russia you cannot become a donor:

under the age of 18 or over 60 years of age;
having a body weight of less than 50 kg;
being infected with hepatitis, human immunodeficiency virus or tuberculosis;
having any blood disorders or diseases of the blood (blood-forming organs);
suffering from cancer.

Temporary restrictions on blood donation apply:

for pregnant women (blood will be accepted no earlier than one year after birth);
for nursing mothers (they can become donors three months after the end of lactation);
for women during menstruation (blood donation is allowed at least a week before it starts or a week after it ends);
for people who had the flu or acute respiratory viral infection less than a month ago;
for patients who have undergone dental surgery (at least ten days must pass);
for people who were treated with acupuncture less than a year ago, or who had a tattoo (piercing) of any part of the body;
for patients who have recently undergone vaccination (the period elapsed before donating blood depends on the type of vaccine and ranges from ten days to a year).

In addition, an exemption from donation can be obtained if tests on the day of the procedure show the presence of inflammatory process or traces of alcohol, increased body temperature or if there are serious deviations from normal indicators blood pressure. Men can donate blood no more than five times a year, and women - four times a year.

Donating blood for transfusion requires a responsible attitude. Two days before the procedure, the donor must give up alcoholic beverages. You should refrain from smoking for at least an hour before blood collection. Three days before the procedure, you must stop taking medications that reduce blood clotting (including aspirin and painkillers).

The donor should eat high-calorie foods before and after the procedure

The day before donating blood, you should not eat fatty, dairy, meat foods, eggs, smoked foods, chocolate, bananas, canned food and fast food.

It is important that the future donor does not make mistakes that could negatively affect his health. It is better to donate blood in the first half of the day. Before the procedure, you need to get a good night's sleep, have breakfast, preferring porridge or pastries and sweet tea. After donating blood, you should eat a balanced diet (at least five times a day if possible) and remember to drink plenty of fluids to replace blood loss.

Donating blood may cause weight gain

Donation itself (including regular donation) does not affect body weight in any way. There is a risk of gaining weight for those people who, having misunderstood the recommendations for nutrition, begin to intensively consume high-calorie foods to donate blood and cannot stop in time.

Donation is bad for your appearance

Some women are hesitant to donate blood, believing that this will negatively affect their complexion and skin elasticity. In fact, regular donation activates the work of the hematopoietic organs, causes the blood to renew itself faster, and has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the immune, cardiovascular and digestive systems.

Donors, as a rule, do not have problems with the tone and color of their skin. They are cheerful, fit, active and have a positive attitude.

Regular donation is addictive

In this case, we can talk about addiction only in the sense of the body’s increased resistance to various stresses, diseases and negative effects. external environment. Thus, regular blood donation teaches the body to quickly replenish blood loss, which can play a positive role in the event of an injury or illness from which no one is immune.

It has been clinically proven that donation reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular pathologies. Some men note that regular blood donation has a positive effect on potency.

For a successful blood transfusion, the donor and recipient must be of the same nationality

The statement has nothing to do with reality. The compatibility of the donor and the recipient (the person to whom the blood is transfused) depends solely on the composition of the blood, that is, the presence or absence of certain proteins in it. For transfusion, the compatibility of blood groups (AB0 system) and Rh factor is important. These indicators are distributed almost equally among different races and ethnic groups.

With a suitable protein composition, donor blood can be transfused to the recipient regardless of gender, age or nationality.

Blood is a living organ, and no artificial analogue has yet been created. Every third inhabitant of the planet needs it at least once in their life...

In essence, a blood transfusion is a transplantation of living tissue, a transplantation. In many cases, it is donated blood that saves the patient’s life.

A little history

Blood transfusion originated in Russia back in early XIX century. In 1832, G. Wolf for the first time transfused blood to a woman and thereby saved her from uterine bleeding after childbirth.

AB0 system Provides for the presence in red blood cells (erythrocytes) of specific proteins - agglutinogens A and B. According to this system, four blood groups are distinguished: first (0) - agglutinogens are absent, second (A) - agglutinogen A is present, third (B) - - accordingly, there is agglutinogen B and the fourth (AB) - there are both agglutinogens, the most rare group blood.

However, scientifically based blood transfusion became possible only after the creation of the doctrine of immunity (I. I. Mechnikov, P. Ehrlich, 1908) and the discovery of blood groups of the ABO system by the Austrian scientist Kirl Landsteiner (1900), for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930 .

Why is it useful to donate blood?

Donating blood is not harmful. Doctors believe that it is even useful. Since the Middle Ages, bloodletting has been used to treat many diseases. And it is still used for some conditions. It is useful, for example, for hypertension and women in menopause. And for men, adapting their body to possible blood loss - with injuries, stomach ulcers and for other reasons. In general, regular blood donation triggers self-renewal processes in the body and, according to numerous studies, serves as a preventive measure cardiovascular diseases. For example, in male donors the risk of having a heart attack is reduced several times. In addition, doctors note, donating blood is a huge moral satisfaction and a long-term lift in mood.

Who rents

Rh factor This is an antigen (protein) that is found on the surface of red blood cells - erythrocytes. About 85% of Europeans (99% of Indians and Asians) have the Rh factor and are therefore Rh positive. The remaining 15% (7% of Africans) who do not have it are Rh negative.

Anyone can become a donor; all you need is a passport and a desire. At the blood transfusion station they will take your necessary tests and they will do it right away. Determined: blood type and Rh factor, data general analysis blood (hemoglobin, leukocytes, erythrocytes, ESR), as well as markers of pathogens of blood-borne infections: syphilis, HIV and hepatitis B and C viruses. All results, of course, are confidential.

Next you will be taken to medical checkup, during which the doctor will measure your blood pressure, temperature, check your pulse, and ask about your well-being. You will be asked to fill out a “donor questionnaire” with detailed questions about your health and past illnesses.

There is a whole list of exemptions from donating blood. To become a donor, you must be in good health and not be at risk of blood-borne or sexually transmitted infections. You cannot donate blood if you have undergone surgery within six months and have had piercings or tattoos within a year. Women have more challenges: pregnancy, breastfeeding, menstruation.

What is blood donated for?

Blood is taken either whole or its components - plasma, red blood cells or platelets. If you donate whole blood, a certain volume will be taken from you at a time: maximum dose- 450 ml, it can be less, the doctor decides this, - and in time it will take about 15 minutes. When collecting components, such as plasmapheresis, your blood is passed through a special system that separates the plasma from the cells and collects it in a separate container. The remaining blood is poured back into the donor. This procedure takes about 40 minutes.

Plasma after donation is restored in the body within a few days, blood within a month. It is recommended that men donate blood no more than five times a year, women no more than four times a year. Plasma can be donated more often.

Every third person needs blood

Every year, one and a half million Russians need blood. Every third inhabitant of the Earth needs a blood transfusion at least once in his life.

There are people who need blood products for life. These are primarily patients with hemophilia, a blood clotting disorder. In such people, platelets are not produced in the body, they need adequate supportive therapy from childhood, and then they live no different from ordinary people. And without blood clotting factors, the life of such patients is simply impossible.

Patients with cancer are in dire need of donated blood. Hard treatment malignant tumors involves murder cancer cells, but healthy people die along with them, and normal hematopoiesis stops for a while. It is during this period that the patient needs maintenance therapy with components of donor blood, in particular platelets, which artificial replacement no, and it is not even theoretically expected in the near future.

Donor blood is needed for patients with surgical pathology. These are people who need joint replacements, cardiac surgery patients. Surgical operations are associated with trauma to blood vessels, tissues and the need to restore lost blood components.

Blood transfusions are often required for women during childbirth. Always a certain number Women in childbirth are at risk of blood loss, which also needs to be properly compensated in order to save the life of the mother and child.

Also in pediatric practice there is hemolytic disease newborns, which can be diagnosed early and treated. During such treatment, sick children need transfusions large quantity various blood components.