Some useful tips For a Good Donation Experience

Before Donating

• Get a good night's sleep.

• Have a good breakfast or lunch.

• Drink extra water and fluids to replace the volume you will donate (avoid tea, coffee, or other beverages with caffeine).

• Eat iron-rich foods — red meat, fish, liver, beans, spinach, Lettuce, egg and green vegetables.

• Avoid fatty foods, such as hamburgers, fries, or ice cream before donating. Tests for infections done on all donated blood can be affected by fatty materials — lipids — that appear in your blood for several hours after eating fatty foods. When this occurs and required testing cannot be performed, the blood may need to be discarded.

After Donation

• Just after donation, enjoy snacks, drinks, jokes for refreshment.

• Take Liquid supplements like water, juice etc. over the next 24-48 hours.

• Avoid heavy physical labor or heavy lifting for about 6 hours after donation.

• If you feel light headed, lie down, preferably with feet upward, until the feeling ends.

• In rare cases when bleeding occurs after removing the bandage, apply pressure to the site and raise your arm for 5-6 minutes; if bleeding or bruising occurs under the skin, apply a cold pack to the area periodically during the first 24 hours.

• Sleep for about 6-7 hours to get fit.