Donate Blood: 10 Powerful Reasons Why You Should

If you’ve reached the moment where you are considering to donate blood, but aren’t fully convinced, we have 10 powerful reasons to bite the bullet and donate.

Donating blood is one of the easiest ways to give back to the community you live in. Blood and plasma donations are required constantly to provide fresh stocks to patients in need.

Blood donations last only 42 days while plasma donations can last up to a year, as they are frozen within 24 hours of being donated.

Let’s look at some of the top reasons why you should consider donating plasma or donating blood on a regular basis.

You Will Save Lives

Over 4.5 million people in the United States and Canada need blood transfusions every year. There is no artificial substance that can take the place of a blood donation. Regular, quality donors are needed to replenish these stocks and save lives.

Each time you donate, you can give about one pint of blood. And one pint of blood can save as many as three lives.

Health Check-Ups

Every blood- or plasma-donation appointment also serves as a small health check-up for yourself. Blood pressure, heart rate, iron levels, and hemoglobin are all tested each time you have an appointment.

Not only can these tests alert you of health issues at the moment, but they also provide great snapshots of your cardiovascular health at different points over time.

Pay it Forward

You never know what the future holds, and perhaps one day you or your family members will be in a situation where they need blood. In fact, about 1 in 7 people entering a hospital need blood.

Live a Longer, Happier Life

Studies show that the benefits of doing good deeds and volunteering are nearly boundless.

These benefits include:

• Living longer
• Lower rates of depression
• Lower stress levels
• Increased levels of endorphins
• Higher reported levels of life satisfaction

Educating Yourself

Not only is donating blood or plasma a good deed, but the entire process is also very interesting. 

If you’ve never done it before, you can ask and learn many things about your body. You can learn what blood is made of, what is plasma, and how to donate plasma.

Preparing the Community for an Emergency

If we donate blood while we have time in our lives to do so, it can help ensure that we are prepared for emergencies or pandemics, like COVID-19. After 9/11, 500,000 Americans donated blood.

Social Connections

Donating blood is a way to connect with your community and with other humans. 

Most blood-donation centers have a few donors in one room at a time, and the extraction takes about an hour. This gives you time to chat up your neighbor and get to know them. 

All Blood Types Are Needed

There is no discrimination when it comes to blood. Sure, the universal blood type is O negative, but that doesn’t mean that all other types of blood aren’t needed as well.

Your Blood is Replenishable

While a pint of blood seems like a lot (and the number of lives it can save is), it is also easily replenished by your body. It takes about 4-8 weeks to replenish the blood that you donate, which is why you can give every 56 days.

Tracking Your Donating is Truly Inspiring

Some blood-collecting agencies give you the ability to track your donation. The Red Cross has an app that does this. 

You’ll truly feel the effects of your good deed when you see your donation has saved lives.

Sources

• Four Hearts: 56 Facts About Blood
• One Blood: What is the Universal Blood Type
• MSKCC: Whole Blood Donations
• APA: Selfless Volunteering May Lengthen Your Life
• APA: Motives for Volunteering Are Associated With Mortality Risk in Older Adults

Need More Reading Material?

Read our latest article on how donating plasma can help COVID-19 patients.