Giving blood is not dangerous in fact it does you good
Regular blood donors may be boosting their own wellbeing as well as helping others
Giving blood could leave you feeling more than virtuous, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. In fact, blood donations may also help to keep your body's circulatory system healthy.
Researchers in the US found that giving blood at regular intervals helps to reduce stores of the iron in the body. Excess iron is thought to promote free radical damage to the arteries, which can contribute to heart disease.
The researchers looked at 1277 men and women aged between 43 and 87, who all had peripheral artery disease, which happens when narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to the limbs. It affects one in 20 people over the age of 55 in the UK.
They took blood from half of the volunteers at six monthly intervals over a six-year period. What they found was that patients aged between 43 and 61, who regularly gave blood, were less likely to have fatal heart attacks and strokes. Blood donating did not make a significant difference for older patients.
"While our study did not show that reducing iron led to across-the-board decreases in overall mortality, it did support the theory that vascular health might be preserved into later life by maintaining low levels of iron over time," as said by the team of doctors and researchers.
Blood letting is safe and effective, but Doctors believe & suggest that people should not donate blood simply to lower their iron levels, but to save a life.
The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) says, "Cupping is a most useful type of medical treatment". He also says, If any of your methods of treating1 the ill is effective, an incision by phlebotomy scalpel is certainly one".
In the Hadith, there is an earnest call for phlebotomy and cupping, because of their proven benefits to man. Following is some useful detail about phlebotomy and how it can be useful to the Donor.
Definition of Phlebotomy
Phlebotomy is the act of drawing or removing blood from the circulatory system through a cut (incision) or puncture in order to obtain a sample for analysis and diagnosis. Phlebotomy is also done as part of the patient's treatment for certain blood disorders.
Therapeutic phlebotomy is the preferred treatment for reducing iron stores in hemochromatosis patients.
If begun early in the course of iron loading, phlebotomy can prevent most iron overload complications.
- For a patient who has no evident tissue or organ damage, proper disease management may result in a normal long-term outcome and life expectancy.
- For a patient who has tissue or organ damage, further damage can be halted but damage already incurred may not be reversible.
- Even after the occurrence of complications, however, phlebotomy can decrease symptoms and improve life expectancy for patients with iron overload.
What are the expected benefits of phlebotomy treatment?
Physiologic mechanisms through which phlebotomy works:
- As blood cells are extracted, bone marrow is stimulated to make new red blood cells (RBCs).
- Iron is transported from body stores to make hemoglobin, an integral part of the RBC. RBC production further increases to replace blood removed through phlebotomy.
- During treatment, iron stores are depleted for new RBC production and the patient's iron level is reduced to a safe and healthy level.
Normalization of iron stores typically involves the weekly removal of blood by phlebotomy until mild hypoferritinemia occurs (e.g., ferritin = 20 ng/mL on one occasion). Each unit (500 mL) of blood removed represents approximately 200 mg of iron.
Don't let poor or bad circulation ruin your life!
Following is some information about circulation problems, especially for legs, hands and feet as well as all round poor blood circulation.
It is possible to effectively increase circulation. Blood is the body's main internal transport system and proper circulation is vital for good health.
Hypertension
Circulatory disorders are quite common in middle-aged and elderly folk. Hypertension is one of them. It is caused by cholesterol plaque deposits along the walls of the arteries, making them harden and constrict. Because the arteries are constricted, the blood exerts great force against the walls of the blood vessels, causing the blood pressure to rise.
Hardening of the Arteries
Hardening of the arteries is another consequence because the arteries narrow due to these same fatty deposits. Buergers disease, common to those who smoke, is a chronic inflammation of the veins and arteries in the lower extremities. Raynauds disease is marked by constriction and spasm of the blood vessels in the extremities. The fingers toes and tip of the nose. This disease if left untreated can lead to gangrene.
Varicose Veins
Additionally, poor circulation can result from varicose veins that develop because of a loss of elasticity if the walls of the veins. Circulatory problems are very prevalent in this age of bad food, little if any exercise and higher stress levels. This problem is quite common in a single leg or more often in both legs.
To avoid such problems, the stimulating of the blood circulation will assist just about every body process and improve every system of the body. It will improve the transport of nourishment, the elimination of toxins, and the function of the Heart, Liver, Kidneys and Lymphatic (Immune) System. Therefore, it is very important that blood is given on regular and safe intervals so that blood circulation remains good.
Anyone can donate blood every 16 weeks, as long as they are between 17 and 59, (up to 70 if you register before your 60th birthday) and are in good health. It is also important to screen out anyone who may have been exposed to anything infectious. At the moment, only 5 per cent of the eligible population donates blood. if we educate the people in our surrounding about how your blood donation can save a life and can also be beneficial to the person giving blood, this ratio can increase and more lives can be saved.
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