Many people fear to donate blood because they think it will cause them harm. It is sometimes very difficult to convince some people otherwise. While some resist donating blood for health reasons, others resist it because of religious reasons. But blood donation does not just benefit the recipient, the donor also benefits by donating blood. Below are some of such benefits to both donors and recipients:

By donating blood, the donor enjoys the following:

1. Free health checkup – Before being qualified to donate blood, the donor must be checked to be sure he or she is fit to donate blood. This free health checkup can help detect some underlying medical problems that have been there without giving any symptoms. The following are checked before being certified fit for donating blood:

1. 1. Pulse rate
   2. Blood pressure
   3. Haemoglobin level
   4. Hepatitis B
   5. Hepatitis C
   6. HIV
2. Reduced risk of heart disease – This is because blood donation helps to reduce the body iron store. Excess iron store has negative effects on the heart and can increase the risk of heart attack. As iron has no specific way of excreting it from the body, blood donation serves the purpose of reducing iron load in the body, which improves the heart functions.
3. Production of new red blood cells – Donating blood gets rid of old circulating blood cells and stimulates the bone marrow to produce new red blood cells that function better.
4. Improved blood circulation – New red cells, produced in response to blood donation circulate better and faster than the old red cells which have undergone some wears and tears during their lifetime.
5. Sense of satisfaction – The act of blood donation and helping others to survive has been shown to reduce stress, create a sense of accomplishment and purpose.

Is there side effect to donating blood?

Blood donation is generally safe. There is no risk of contracting diseases as a result of donating blood because new and sterile equipment is used for each person and discarded thereafter. The following are minor side effects of blood donation on the donor:

1. Dizziness or lightheadedness: This occurs if you stand up immediately after donating blood. To prevent this, it is advisable to remain in the same position for some minutes after donating blood. This time allows the body to adjust to the remaining blood volume in the body and redistribute the remaining blood in the body. Drinking water may also help, as the water is absorbed into the blood to increase blood volume in the interim.
2. Bleeding at the site of needle puncture – This requires raising the hand and applying pressure at the point of the bleeding. With this, the bleeding may stop within few minutes.