This was a few years ago when he was at university in Oregon. Now a year-old high school teacher, he says it wasn't an experience he minded. Each plasma donation typically takes one hour, with whole blood being drawn from the patient. The plasma is then separated in a machine next to the bed, before the blood cells are returned to the person in saline solution.
In countries such as the UK, where blood donation is entirely voluntary and unpaid, paying for it might seem distasteful or exploitative.
But in nations such as the US, Germany, Austria, and certain provinces of Canada, people do indeed get remunerated for giving blood, and business is booming. There is in fact a huge multi-billion dollar global market in the sale of plasma.
Plasma can be sold globally because unlike whole blood it has a very long shelf life. While whole blood is typically kept refrigerated and needs to be used within 42 days, plasma can be stored for up to 10 years as long as it is kept frozen.
This makes it relatively easy for plasma to be shipped over the world, where the or so proteins it contains are increasingly used to help treat a multitude of diseases and health conditions. In Canada, two provinces currently allow private companies to pay people for their blood plasma - Saskatchewan and New Brunswick. People with immune deficiencies can be given extra immunoglobulins, a protein molecule, to boost the levels in their bloodstream, helping them fight infections.
The effects last three to four weeks. Some research has suggested that donating blood may also reduce blood pressure. In , scientists monitored the blood pressure of donors who gave blood one to four times over the course of a year. Around half had high blood pressure. Overall, those with high blood pressure saw an improvement in their readings.
The more often a person gave blood, the more significant the improvement. Other experts have pointed out that because blood pressure testing is an integral part of blood donation, it is a good chance for people to become aware of their reading and, if necessary, learn how to reduce it. In , researchers looked at the data of over 1 million blood donors. A study took a fresh look at the same data. The U. However, there are some potential disadvantages of donating blood.
The following sections will discuss these in more detail. Some ways of minimizing these effects after donation include drinking plenty of fluids and eating well-balanced meals over the next 24—48 hours. In rare cases, a person may experience a more severe adverse effect, such as:. These effects are more likely to affect younger donors, those with a low weight, and individuals who are donating for the first time.
Some studies claim that donating blood can reduce athletic performance, due to its effect on iron levels and the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. However, a review concludes that there is not enough evidence to confirm this. On arriving at the donation center, they will need to :. These steps help ensure that a person has not had exposure to diseases that could affect others through a blood donation.
The person will donate one unit of blood, and this will take 6—10 minutes. The whole process will take around 45—60 minutes. The donor will usually need to wait for 10—15 minutes before leaving, during which time they will receive some refreshments. If the needle prick is bleeding after donation, the donor should apply pressure and raise the arm for 3—5 minutes.
If there is bruising or bleeding under the skin, they can apply a cold pack intermittently for 24 hours, then alternate with warm packs.
It takes only 24 hours for the body to replenish its plasma, but it can take 4—6 weeks to replace the missing blood. For this reason, most people cannot donate more than once every 8 weeks. According to the American Red Cross , someone in the U. Around 6. Donating blood can be a worthwhile and rewarding activity.
During a whole blood donation, you typically donate a pint about a half liter of whole blood. During apheresis you're hooked up to a machine that collects and separates blood components and returns unused components to you. Apheresis takes up to two hours, which is longer than it takes to donate whole blood. And with apheresis, you may donate more frequently than you can with whole blood donation.
When you donate blood, you're helping others and giving back to your community. Donated blood benefits people in area hospitals who need blood transfusions. Donated blood helps meet many medical needs, including those of people who have lost blood due to trauma, an organ transplant or other major surgery. There is no substitute for human blood — all transfusions use blood from a donor.
And the inventory of donated blood must be constantly replenished. Platelets from a whole blood donation or apheresis are good for only five days. Red cells from a whole blood donation are good for 42 days under refrigeration. At Mayo Clinic donor centers, you'll have access to wireless internet, a television and movies during the donation process. To donate, you must weigh at least pounds about 50 kilograms and be at least 16 or 17 years old, depending on the law in your state.
Some states allow legal minors to donate with parental permission. You must be in good health and able to pass the physical and a confidential health-history assessment to help make sure blood donation is safe for both you and the recipient of the blood. Those who have tested positive for COIVD antibodies but didn't have a diagnostic test and never developed symptoms can donate without a waiting period or having a diagnostic test done before donation.
Travel to some countries may make you ineligible to donate blood for varying periods of time, depending on whether certain diseases, such as malaria, are common in the country visited.
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