I often hear patients ask me, doctor, is blood donation harmful to health? How do you hear people say that blood donation can cause iron deficiency anemia and even increase the incidence of cancer? Do you think it's a lie to talk about blood donation mobilization on TV all day?
Indeed, it may be that the official media usually fail to publicize it, or it may be that some media have made false reports. Recently, the "blood donation horror theory" has begun to spread, and blood donation is actually not so terrible. As long as there is no contact history of high-risk infectious diseases within 6- 12 months, no acute diseases within 2 weeks, hemoglobin within the normal range, no pregnancy or breastfeeding, and no work that requires high concentration, such as aerial work. , you are eligible to donate blood.
It is true that some people will have a slight vagal reaction in a short time after donating blood, such as dizziness, nausea, sweating, lethargy and even syncope, but the incidence is very low, and usually they will relieve themselves after rest, and few people need medication.
Before donating blood, in order to avoid the above situation, it is suggested that you drink about 500ml of light salt water, do not leave in a hurry after donating blood, and stay for about 30 minutes to see if there is any discomfort, so as to solve it in time.
From a scientific point of view, blood donation is not only not dangerous, but also has some benefits. From the big data, long-term blood donation can also reduce the incidence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
It cannot be said that iron deficiency anemia is caused by a blood donation. Let's just say you may have the basis of anemia. Regular blood donation is conducive to maintaining the balance of iron in blood vessels and reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and stroke.