Every 2 seconds someone needs blood. Your blood helps more than one life at a time. Accident victims, premature babies, patients undergoing major surgeries require whole blood, where your blood after testing is used directly. Patients suffering from trauma, anemia, and other surgeries require only red blood cells, which is separated from your blood. The procedure of splitting blood components is called Cytapheresis. Similarly blood platelets are used for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or for those undergoing treatment for dengue fever etc. Fresh frozen plasma is used for patients having massive transfusions, plasma is used for burns and cryoprecipitate is used for hemophilia.

Blood is needed at regular intervals and at all times as it has only finite time of storage. Red blood cells can be stored for about 42 days, fresh frozen plasma and cryoprecipitate for 365 days and blood platelets for 5 days

• Age: You must be at least 17 years old to donate to the general blood supply. There is no upper age limit for blood donation as long as you are well with no restrictions or limitations to your activities.


• High Blood Pressure:Acceptable as long as your blood pressure is below 180 systolic (first number) and below 100 diastolic (second number) at the time of donation. Medications for high blood pressure do not disqualify you from donating.


• Body Piercing: You must not donate if you have had a tongue, nose, belly button or genital piercing in the past 12 months (donors with pierced ears are eligible).


• Cold and Flu: Wait if you have a fever or a productive cough (bringing up phlegm). Wait if you do not feel well on the day of donation. Wait until you have completed antibiotic treatment for sinus, throat or lung infection.


• Diabetes: Acceptable as long as it is well controlled, whether medication is taken or not.