Why do we feel weak after donating blood?
Its more of a feeling of "lightness" than weakness. It is caused by the lowered blood sugar to the brain. Your blood sugar has lowered because the amount of blood taken also had a certain amount of blood sugar. Since it is suddenly missing, the body reacts poorly to this loss of sugar. The symptoms include onset of nausea, headaches, shakiness, paresthesia, hunger, fatigue...and so on. However, to quickly deal with hypoglycemia directly after a substantial loss of blood, sit with your head to your knees (parallel to the floor), as this lowers your brain and facilitates the blood-flow to the brain, allowing more blood sugars to reach it quickly. However, having carbohydrate-rich foods cure this. It will help normalize the sudden change in blood sugar and will help you feel more normal sooner. The "Weakness" you feel is due to the sudden loss of blood pressure due to the blood loss but the body compensates this loss by retaining fluid in the kidneys by concentrating the urine.
What can you do after you donate blood - sleep????
Sleeping seems a good idea. Blood donation affects you only because of blood loss (like in bleeding). Healthy persons compensate for this within few hours. You can help you body accomodate by drinking a good amount of fluids (~ 1 liter more than usually). So, only avoid drastic activities and do whatever you like.
Is it bad to sleep after you donate blood?
If it wasn't mentioned to you by the person that actually took your blood it's probably horseshit.
Why do I feel tired after donating blood?
Simple. Blood is what keeps your energy up and what makes you function. It is the substance that keeps all of your organs working correctly. If you are short on blood, then naturally, you're going to feel tired and drained because you're literally drained. Blood carries oxygen throughout your body. Without oxygen, you are definitely going to slow down.
Is it normal to feel weak and tired after donating blood?
Yes, it is normal. You should drink lots of liquids and and eat properly. The first time i donated blood, I felt really paranoid that something might go wrong. Avoid those thoughts and congratulate yourself for your awesome act of humanity!
Numbness after donating blood?
No need for concern. As you lose plasma and cells from a donation, sometimes your calcium level falls a little, and this is what causes the pins/needles/"asleep" feeling. I do pheresis, where they take the cells and give the plasma back. This is a common side effect of pheresis, and they tell me to chew some Tums... it really works. Puts the calcium back in the system, and stops the funny feelings. Good luck! Welcome to blood donation. I've given 52 pints.
Why do I get sick after donating blood?
I was originally going to suggest that you were suffering a mild reaction to donating blood caused by a drop in your blood pressure and then I read the rest of your question. You were probably already fighting off some type of infection prior to donation. The stress of losing the pint of blood was too much for your immune system to handle while it was already fighting off a virus or bacterial invader. The infection got a foothold and you ended up sick. You must immediately contact the blood center so they can put a recall on the blood you donated! The infection is in that pint of blood and is going to make a recipient sick just like it did to you. Next you need to evaluate your definition of well and healthy. This is generally one of the first questions on the form to donate blood. Tummy aches, diarrhea (within 3 days), colds (including minor ones) headaches, fever, general malaise and sore throats are all reasons to mark the "no" answer to the well and healthy question. Back pain, arthritis, menstrual cramps, toenail fungus, athlete's foot, vaginal yeast infections and most eczema type rashes are fine for a "yes" to the well & healthy question. Obviously, I didn't cover all the possible maladies that a person could be suffering at any given moment, but I think that those examples will give you a good idea if you should donate the next time the blood drive comes around. Hopefully, that will solve your problem for the future.
Is someone with Narcolepsy able to donate blood?
Yes. Potential volunteer blood donors with narcolepsy are eligible, whether taking medication or not.
When you are donating blood from, for example your left arm, are you allowed to wear a watch or scrunchie around your left wrist?
I’m right-handed and wear my watch on my left wrist for that reason. I also offer my left arm for donating more often than not, partly because of my handedness, but also because I’ve had stuff happen when they used my right arm.In several gallons’ worth of blood, my watch has never been an issue. I’ve never been asked to take it off, nor have I experienced tingling in my fingers because of it.If your blood bank is like most, the phlebotomist will put a blood pressure cuff on your upper arm, inflate it to stop the flow, and ask you to squeeze a soft sponge ball several times to force blood into the vein before sticking the needle in. They’ll relax the pressure a bit in the cuff before asking you to continue to squeeze about every 3–5 seconds or so.So, if something goes wrong in that process—say, the release valve in the cuff gets stuck—your whole arm will fall asleep, not just your hand.Just as long as you can squeeze the ball, you should be OK. A good rule of thumb is to be able to comfortably and fully slip a finger under your wristband or bracelet.