Donating blood is a safe and easy process that actually has some beneficial side effects for men and post-menopausal women. Despite current medical advances, no man-made substitute for blood has been found. This is why blood donations continue to be so important to the health of your community. Side effects are usually very mild and the process is considered very safe for you.
Fainting, Dizziness
According to World Blood Donor Day, approximately 1 pint of blood can be withdrawn from your body in a matter of 10 minutes. The average adult has approximately 10 pints. This means a transfusion reduces your overall blood volume by 10 percent. According to the American Red Cross, your body can increase volume within 24 to 48 hours if you drink plenty of fluids. However, until that time, you are at risk for experiencing symptoms common for reduced blood volume. These include fainting and dizziness as a result of lower blood pressure throughout the body. The combination of low pressure and reduced volume can also reduce the oxygen supply to the brain.
Fatigue
Your body will replace the fluids within 24 hours with increased fluid intake but will take several weeks to replace all of the red blood cells. According to the Mayo Clinic you should avoid strenuous physical activity for five hours to give your body time to acclimate to the reduced volume and resulting fatigue. You may feel fatigued for the first day after donating blood but that should pass quickly.
Sore Arm, Bruising
The blood you donate is removed through a catheter placed in a vein in your arm. When the catheter is removed, the area may continue to leak a slight amount of blood. The Mayo Clinic recommends that you keep a pressure bandage over the area for at least four hours after donation. You may experience bruising in the area if blood leaks from the open vein into the surrounding tissue. Bruising may also increase the risk that the area will become sore. Avoid taking aspirin or Ibuprofen for the discomfort because these medications will thin the blood and increase your risk of bleeding with reduced blood volume.
Reduced Risk of Myocardial Infarction
In an article published in the British Medical Journal, researchers found that men who routinely donated blood had a reduced risk of suffering a myocardial infarction, otherwise known as a heart attack. Published by Tomi-Pekka Tuomainen and Riitta Salonen in March 1997, this was the first study to prove the relationship between donating blood and reduced risk of heart attack. Researchers theorize the effect may be from the depleted iron stores that results from donating blood.
