›› Plasma Donation
You've probably had
a blood drive at your school or workplace, and you may even have given
blood and gotten one of the nifty little stickers. It's a
good feeling, being able to help someone you don't know via your
donation. However, you can only safely donate blood once
every few months, and some people are unnerved by the side
effects.
Another option is to go to a plasma donation center to donate
plasma. Your bloodstream is made up of 57% plasma, a pale
yellow liquid portion of your blood that is made up mostly of water and
proteins. Unlike red blood cells, plasma is quickly and
easily replaced by the body. This means that you feel fewer
side effects when donating plasma, and health adults can donate plasma
much more often than they can donate blood. In fact, a
healthy adult can donate plasma twice a week, providing that the two
donation days are at least 48 hours apart. Not only that, but
most plasma donation centers are willing to pay you for your
donation!
To make a plasma donation, you can go to a plasma donation clinic where
you will go through a medical screening. This screening will
test you for any blood-born illnesses, as well as verify that you are
an eligible candidate. Eligible adults are at least 18 years
of age, weight at least 110 pounds, and meet a few other health
criteria. Eating well-balanced meals and drinking plenty of
water the day of the donation also makes the process easier.
After the original examination, subsequent visits to the clinic will
consist of a quick blood pressure and red-cell count, followed by the
donation itself. When donating plasma a needle is attached to
your arm and small portions of blood are fed out of your body and into
a machine. The machine separates out the plasma and returns
your blood back to you in cycles. Once enough plasma is
collected (the amount is dependant on your weight), the needle is
unhooked and you are free to go. Plasma donation doesn't have
the dizziness or other side affects that come along with blood donation
associated with it, nor are there any long-term side effects.
Your plasma is then used in hospitals for a number of different
procedures. It is used to treat hemophiliacs, those whose
blood will not clot on its own. Donated plasma allows these
patients to live their lives without worrying about cuts which will
never stop bleeding. Plasma is also used to treat burn and
shock patients in hospitals; your plasma donation will save lives.
››
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