January: National Blood Donor Month
Winnie Spitza
Issue date: 1/27/10 Section: Entertainment
By Winnie Spitza
According to the American Red Cross, every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood. The need for blood transfusions continues to increase, and more than 38,000 blood donations are needed daily. Four million Americans would die each year without a blood transfusion, and the only way to acquire this blood is through the generous donations of healthy individuals worldwide.
January is known as National Blood Donor Month. Throughout January, blood transfusion recipients and centers nationwide thank donors for giving them the gift of life and encourage individuals to give blood regularly in 2010. One donation can help save the lives of up to three people. According the American Red Cross, if you began donating blood at age 17 and donated every 56 days until you reached the age of 76, you would have donated 48 gallons of blood, helping to save the lives of over 1,000 people!
In order to be eligible to give blood, you must be at least 17 years old, weigh more than 110 pounds and be in good general health.
Studies have shown that donating blood benefits the donor as well as the recipient. When donating blood, your body burns about 650 calories. Donating blood also helps with prevent iron overload in your bloodstream, reducing an individual's risk of heart disease.
Blood donation is broken down into four simple steps:
1. Registration and Medical History - Every donor registers to donate blood and completes a brief electronic questionnaire about his or her medical history. By law, information given to the American Red Cross is confidential and may not be released without the donor's permission.
2. Mini-Physical - During this physical, the Red Cross employee checks the donor's temperature, blood pressure and pulse. Each donor also receives a finger prick to check their hematocrit, or red blood cell, level. All this is done to ensure it is completely safe for the donor to give blood.
3. Donation - The blood donation takes about 10 minutes. The average adult has about 10 to 12 pints of blood in the body, and approximately one pint of blood is given during a blood donation.
The donation is a very safe process. A sterile needle is used only once on a single donor, and is then safely discarded. After donating, your body will naturally replace the fluid in hours and red blood cells within four weeks.
4. Refreshments - After donating blood, you get free juice, soda and cookies.
Donating blood only takes about an hour and can save lives. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org.
According to the American Red Cross, every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood. The need for blood transfusions continues to increase, and more than 38,000 blood donations are needed daily. Four million Americans would die each year without a blood transfusion, and the only way to acquire this blood is through the generous donations of healthy individuals worldwide.
January is known as National Blood Donor Month. Throughout January, blood transfusion recipients and centers nationwide thank donors for giving them the gift of life and encourage individuals to give blood regularly in 2010. One donation can help save the lives of up to three people. According the American Red Cross, if you began donating blood at age 17 and donated every 56 days until you reached the age of 76, you would have donated 48 gallons of blood, helping to save the lives of over 1,000 people!
In order to be eligible to give blood, you must be at least 17 years old, weigh more than 110 pounds and be in good general health.
Studies have shown that donating blood benefits the donor as well as the recipient. When donating blood, your body burns about 650 calories. Donating blood also helps with prevent iron overload in your bloodstream, reducing an individual's risk of heart disease.
Blood donation is broken down into four simple steps:
1. Registration and Medical History - Every donor registers to donate blood and completes a brief electronic questionnaire about his or her medical history. By law, information given to the American Red Cross is confidential and may not be released without the donor's permission.
2. Mini-Physical - During this physical, the Red Cross employee checks the donor's temperature, blood pressure and pulse. Each donor also receives a finger prick to check their hematocrit, or red blood cell, level. All this is done to ensure it is completely safe for the donor to give blood.
3. Donation - The blood donation takes about 10 minutes. The average adult has about 10 to 12 pints of blood in the body, and approximately one pint of blood is given during a blood donation.
The donation is a very safe process. A sterile needle is used only once on a single donor, and is then safely discarded. After donating, your body will naturally replace the fluid in hours and red blood cells within four weeks.
4. Refreshments - After donating blood, you get free juice, soda and cookies.
Donating blood only takes about an hour and can save lives. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org.
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seo paslaugos
posted 3/30/10 @ 8:25 PM EST
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