However, one way that you might not have considered yet is donating blood. Hospitals, clinics, and other places are always in need of it, and as the recent global pandemic has shown us, we never know when a health crisis could decimate the world and sap resources. Here are some key reasons you might like to consider giving blood today.
Feeling Good from Giving Back
The first key reason to go ahead and donate blood to a blood bank is that doing so will make you feel good. This donation is a selfless step that can provide much satisfaction. Giving blood can feel like a personal act of compassion since it’s a direct way to help others.
As you sip on some juice and nibble some snacks after you give blood, take the time to rest and reflect on what you’ve done and who it might help. After all, this might be the best gift you ever give, and you never know – your blood might even end up aiding someone you know and love.
Saving a Life
Why not give blood purely because you know you’ll be helping to save someone else’s life? One donation can help save the lives of up to three different people. Blood is used to help treat people with cancer, blood diseases, and other conditions and gives those who have been in accidents or surgeries and lost a lot of blood the boost they need. Plus, medical researchers use donated blood in their bid to create and test new treatments for conditions such as stroke, blood clots, heart attack, cancer, and more.
Depending on where you donate your blood, you might even be able to track where it ends up. The American Red Cross has an app that tracks donations as they travel to Red Cross Blood Banks and get used by hospitals, etc. From there, you can see when your blood gets transfused to someone and feel an immediate sense of achievement, knowing your donation has made a difference.
It Doesn’t Take Too Long
Have you been looking for a way to do good but feel that every suggestion you hear or read is too time-consuming for your lifestyle? If so, giving blood might be the perfect way for you to give back. There’s likely to be at least one blood bank or donor center in your area where you can go to make a donation whenever you’re allowed and when your schedule permits.
You don’t have to lock yourself into a regular commitment as is required for many volunteering or fundraising opportunities, and the actual blood-giving process doesn’t take up a heap of time, either.
You May Need Blood Someday
Another reason to donate your blood is that you never know if or when you might need some of the life-saving substance yourself. A significant proportion of the population will need a blood transfusion at least once in life, especially once over the age of 50. Giving back now can help you feel better about using someone else’s blood one day and boost your karmic points, if you like to see it that way.
A Zero-Cost Health Check
We should all get a proper physical from a doctor annually to check our vital stats and pick up on issues before they become bigger problems. For many of us, though, we get so busy that we forget to take care of this medical task. Happily, you can see giving blood as your chance to enjoy a free mini-physical.
Before you’re able to donate, you must get your pulse, blood pressure, and temperature checked, in addition to your hemoglobin levels. Plus, your blood will get tested for multiple infectious diseases. As such, getting this work done in advance of donating blood can give you information you didn’t know you needed. Testing for blood donations actually alerts many people each year that they have elevated blood pressure or other potential concerns to look into further.
Reduce Excess Iron Stores in Your Body
Did you know that some people have a health condition called hemochromatosis, a disease that leads to an iron overload in the body? It’s a common genetic disease among Caucasians and requires sufferers to get red blood cells removed every so often to get rid of the excess iron in their blood. If you have this condition, giving blood can reduce the harmful level of iron and help you feel better.
Giving blood is something that only a small percentage of the population does once in their lives, let alone regularly. However, this activity can make a real difference in the world and is well worth considering getting involved with.