How often can you donate blood? we will discuss this
Healthy and no increased risk of infection:
- anyone healthy and fit and has no increased risk of certain infectious diseases can donate blood or plasma.
- If you feel battered or ill, you are temporarily not allowed to donate.
Blood donation and age: How often can you donate blood
- You can donate blood and plasma from your 18th birthday. From then on, regular donations are possible up to the age of 68.
- The maximum age for the first donation is 70years. But older people can also donate blood in individual cases, provided the doctors agree.
You have to weigh at least more than 40 years:
For your body to cope well with blood or plasma loss, you have to weigh at least 40 to 50 kg.
Your blood type doesn’t matter.
The blood group does not matter whether you allow donating blood or plasma. There may be an increased need for specific blood groups that are urgently needed in exceptional cases.
Hemoglobin value (Hb value) for donate blood
If you want to donate whole blood, your blood must have a specific hemoglobin value (Hb value) because hemoglobin is crucial for the body to be able to compensate for blood loss. If the hemoglobin level is too low, blood donation is not possible.
When you donate plasma, the red blood cells and thus the hemoglobin remains in your body. Therefore, a plasma donation is still possible in many cases if the Hb value is too low for a whole blood donation. Your Hb value will measure before the offering.
Requirements for a plasma donation
Anyone wishing to donates plasma must have donated blood at least once beforehand and have tolerated the blood donation well. If this is not the case, you may not contribute immediately after the medical check but have to make an appointment first.
This is how often you can donate blood and plasma.
Certain donation intervals must adhere to for your body to have enough time to make up for the loss of blood or plasma.
- Women may donates blood four times and men six times within 12 months.
- There should typically be 12 weeks, but at least eight weeks, between two whole blood donations.
- Women and men allow donating plasma a maximum of 60 times a year. There must be at least three days between two plasma donations.
- There must be at least three days between a plasma donation and a whole blood donation.
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