Plasma Donation | Everything You Need To Know

In this article we discuss “Plasma Donation | Everything You Need To Know”. In the last year, everyone has lost someone important or someone has been contracted with the COVID-19. When someone gets affected by this virus, there is a good chance that they will make a full recovery.

But when it comes to people that have a weaker immune system than the others, like the old aged or kids or people that have other diseases, recovery is not guaranteed. In such a case, people start looking for options to help them recover from the virus.

One such option is receiving plasmas. If these people get donated plasma, it might just save their life. So as we all know, plasma donations are needed more than ever these days because they can be especially effective when treating a Covid patient.

What is Plasma?

Convalescent refers to those who are making a recovery from some disease. Convalescent plasma is the yellow part of the blood that houses antibodies, which are proteins that are manufactured by the body to fight infections.

So if you take the convalescent plasma from the patients who have made a recovery from COVID-19. They might contain antibodies that will help fight Covid. And giving this plasma to the Covid patients will help them a great deal, it might even save their lives. “Plasma Donation | Everything You Need To Know”.

How to Determine If You Are A Potential Plasma Donator?

If you are someone who has recently been tested positive for Covid and later went on to make a full recovery. then you are eligible to become a donor.  And if you are someone who needs plasma, you can find a plasma donor in our plasma centre.

However, if you’re a plasma donor then you must know all the technical details about donating plasma such as: How often can you donate plasma?  Does it have some side effects?

To put it in simple words, the medical specialists, doctors have set a limit as to how often you can make a plasma donation to ensure your continued optimum physical health. You should make sure that you are following these guidelines set in place when you donate plasma. “Plasma Donation | Everything You Need To Know”.

How Often Can You Donate Your Plasma?

According to the studies made, a person can donate their plasma twice in a seven-day period. Another thing to be kept in mind is that there needs to be at least a days gap between two donations of plasma.

However, you should not worry about losing too much plasma at all because our body quickly replaces the plasma we lost during donation and therefore, you’re allowed to donate frequently as long as you follow the above-mentioned guidelines.

And, one thing which you need to be clear about is that during the plasma donations, the doctors at our plasma centre take just plasma from you. But, your red blood cells, white blood cells as well as your platelets are all returned back to your body.

So, it is not similar to blood donations at all because, during blood donations, plasma, red and white blood cells, and platelets, all of these blood components are taken out of your body. This is the reason why you must wait longer between donations when you are donating your blood. “Plasma Donation | Everything You Need To Know”.

Can You Donate Plasma If You Recently Donated Your Blood?

The simple answer to the question is no. What that means is that if you’ve recently donated blood then you must wait for at least 8 weeks and only then can your plasmas again.

So if you are thinking about donating either plasma or blood, should donate plasma FIRST because by donating plasma first, you will have to wait only for a few days for your plasma level to grow back again and you’ll be able to donate blood.

Your blood is made up of several components, including red blood and white blood cells, and platelets and plasma. You might have even heard people referring to plasmas as blood plasma.

Plasma makes up the liquid portion of your blood. It contains important proteins that are responsible for vital functions such as helping your blood clot and defending your body against infections as mentioned earlier. Plasma is quickly and easily restored by your body. “Plasma Donation | Everything You Need To Know”.

Are There Any Side-effects OTO Donating Plasma?

One of the most important things that you should know before donating plasma. Is that if you are going to feel any side-effects after or because of donating your plasma. The short and simple answer to that question would be ‘No’.

Donating plasma is a very low-risk procedure that either has very few or no side effects at all. This is because each donor has to undergo a physical examination as well as a proper medical history survey before entering into the plasma donation program. Additionally, the vitals are taken before every donation so it is made sure that you’re fit to donate.

However, in some cases, a donor may feel light-headed during or after donating plasma, not unlike after blood donation. But, that is nothing to worry about because it can be prevented by ensuring that the donor drinks plenty of water as well as has a healthy meal before as well as after donating plasma.

Additionally, one of the simplest methods of combating light-headedness is by eating a healthy meal before going for plasma donation. Some donors also wonder that if they’re at a risk for contracting a disease during the plasma donation process.

But you need not worry about that because at our plasma centre, for each and every donation we use a new, sealed, sterile, one-time-use package to collect your plasma. “Plasma Donation | Everything You Need To Know”.

Plus, the needle placement site is sterilized so that your blood can never leave the closed system during the process. So, it is a safe, easy, and life-changing process for the patients who need your plasma. However, before heading to the end, let us just go through the importance of plasma donation…

Importance Of Plasma Donation

When you talk about a country like India. You will find that only a small percentage of people that are eligible to donate blood or source plasma, actually donate.

So it becomes essential that we encourage the people who are eligible to donate. Their plasma so that they contribute their life-saving blood and the source plasma to those who are in need of it. The source plasma donation and blood donation, both are critically important activities because these things contribute to saving lives.

And, guess what, the source plasma and recovered plasma are used to produce. Some therapies that can treat people with rare as well as chronic diseases and disorders including primary immunodeficiency, haemophilia or genetic lung diseases. These are also useful in the treatment of trauma, burns and shock. “Plasma Donation | Everything You Need To Know”.

When you take the whole blood donations thing into account. It’s been found out that these are most often used locally in hospitals for transfusions.

Which are required during surgery and other medical treatment.

However, plasma donations require a commitment because of the time invested in donating plasma as well as in the frequency of donation. It takes around 1-3 hours to donate source plasma and as already mentioned before. A person needs to wait at least a day before donating again.

As compared to the plasma donations, the process of blood donation takes less time. It takes under 30 minutes and the donor has to donate very less frequently. And they should not and cannot donate more than once in eight weeks.

So even though donating plasma takes some valuable time out of your life. It can’t be more important than possibly saving someone’s life, right? Donating your plasma won’t just affect one life. It might save a whole family from succumbing to grief. And there can’t be anything more pleasing than spreading happiness in the world. “Plasma Donation | Everything You Need To Know”.

Final Words

In the end, it should be said that at our plasma centre. We are very thankful to our donors who contribute their life-saving plasma. And if you need any assistance regarding plasma. You can pop into our plasma centre anytime or give us a call. We’d happily let you know the entire donation process, safety precautions. And be more than happy to help you in any way that you’d need our assistance in. After all, saving lives is the best service one can offer anyone.