Blood donation is perhaps the easiest and quickest way to save the precious life of a human being. Every drop you give can be a worthwhile gift to treat a potential patient. That is why, it is a worthwhile idea to consider donating blood at some part of your life.

Puwadon / Pexels / If a drop of your blood can be a savior of a precious life, opting for it is a worthwhile decision.

Nonetheless, the national blood donation rate has decreased throughout the US. Recently, The American Red Cross made a public statement that they are seeing a “10% decrease in blood donation” and termed it a national blood donation crisis. “Since the pandemic, we have been witnessing a drastic decrease in people donating blood,” the statement said. It is pertinent to mention here that the COVID-19 restrictions have constricted the process of blood donation. From the scarcity of medical staff to the mass fear of catching the virus, blood donation has lowered at the national level.

But keeping all aside, donating blood is the need of every age and era. Be it a pandemic and national crisis or not, the need for blood donation has always been - and will always be - a crying need. After all, it saves human life.

My Pune Pulse / Blood donation has always been - and will always be - a crying need.

However, before donating blood, one has to be properly educated. Meaning that the donator should know all the implications that it comes with. Here are some of the basic know-hows of blood donation that you should know prior to donating blood.

What is the Eligibility for Blood Donation?

The foremost requirement of blood donation is health. Before you go for donating the precious drop of your body, you need to ensure that your current health is sound and you have no symptoms of fever - even minor ones. Secondly, you would want to check the general rules of blood donation. These include your:

The Daily Checkup / As long as your overall health is sound and has no symptoms of chronic diseases, you can donate blood.

• Age.
• Weight.
• Height.
• Blood type.
• And overall physical and mental health.

With these fundamental requirements, you are good to donate blood. Nonetheless, if you have symptoms of minor illnesses like high blood pressure or diabetes - and your body is under control - you are still eligible for blood donation. On the other hand, if you have more chronic diseases like HIV, tuberculosis, or hepatitis, you can not donate blood.

What are the Available Options for Blood Donation?

If you are eligible and willing to donate blood, there are two major options for blood donation: Donating whole blood and Power Red (Partial) donation. The first one is a widely popular form of blood donation. In this form of donation, you donate all of your running blood. This is ideal because patients can be treated through the whole blood that actually flows in the veins. According to the American Red Cross, you can donate your whole every 56 days and 7 times a year.

Secondly, Power Red is another option for blood donation. As a less popular form of donation, Power Red donation means you donate a part of your blood - not the whole blood. The Red Cross does not recommend Power Red as it is less effective in saving lives.