Why should you eat chocolate after donating blood? Nutrition before donating blood

General rules for preparing for an analysis, says a specialist

Immediately after donating blood, you should not immediately run on business. It is recommended to sit relaxed for 10-15 minutes and only then smoothly move on to an active life.

Change donated blood is a noble mission, because the resulting biomaterial can save more than one human life. Those who decide to become a donor need to learn to take care of themselves in order to help others, because not every blood sample is suitable for transfusion. Its quality directly depends on many factors, and not least on nutrition. At any transfusion station there are brochures with reminders and recommendations for donors, including nutrition. Doctors say that, in addition to time limits and rules like giving up alcohol two days before donation, those people who are going to donate on an ongoing basis need to completely rebuild their lifestyle, give up bad habits and adhere to the principles healthy eating- and this is in addition to the existing requirements regarding the state of health and the absence of a number of diseases.

Absolute and relative restrictions on blood donation

Blood is a biological material that carries genetic information about the body, as well as traces of almost any of its life activities, including previous and existing diseases. Accordingly, the transfusion of material of inadequate quality may not only not improve the condition of the recipient, but also add new health problems to the existing ones.

As for relative restrictions, they allow a person to be a donor under certain conditions, most often this is the time that must pass, for example, after recovery or travel. For example, a person who has had a transfusion can become a donor himself only 6 months after the procedure, the same period applies to surgical interventions. Relative prohibitions also include pregnancy and lactation, long-term business trips, vaccinations, certain infectious diseases, alcohol intake, and malnutrition with the abuse of unhealthy food.

Donor diet and nutrition system - nuances and rules

The whole way of life of a person who has devoted himself to helping others should be conducive to maintaining his health at the proper level.

General requirements for proper nutrition and giving up bad habits work not only two days or a week before the procedure - ideally they need to be followed constantly.

So that donation does not harm either the donor or the recipient, doctors advise to stop drinking alcohol, limit smoking, periodically take vitamin complexes, adhere to the sleep and rest regimen and observe certain intervals between the delivery procedures. In fact, the listed items are a list of everyday habits of a healthy person.

As for the daily diet, the donor needs to receive a certain amount every day, mineral salts and also support water balance by drinking the appropriate amount of liquid. It is also important to get the number of calories needed for the normal functioning of the body - it is calculated depending on weight, age, lifestyle. This means that you need to monitor your diet constantly, and not just immediately before the procedure. If possible, it is better to limit the use of fatty, fried, smoked meats, marinades, store-bought sauces, sweets, and energy drinks.

Two days before the donation, you need to go on a diet and follow some rules.

What to eat and what not to eat before donating blood

A two-day donor diet implies a diet that includes fresh, baked or boiled vegetables, cereals, fruits (except for prohibited ones), boiled or steamed low-fat varieties of fish and meat, boiled pasta, and. Sodas, juices, and consumption are not recommended. From sweets, jam, jam are allowed, while homemade products should be preferred.

The list of products that fall under the ban is much longer:

• fried, smoked, spicy food;
• spices;
• any dairy products and eggs;
• sausages and sausages;
• sweet shop drinks: juices, sodas;
• snacks, chips, seeds, crackers, halva, marinades, and;
• alcohol, energy drinks.

All these products can significantly worsen the properties of blood donated for transfusion, especially everything that contains it: and the proteins in the composition of dairy products make the blood serum thicker and complicate the separation of blood into components.

But even from a small list of allowed ingredients, you can cook light and delicious food diet food e.g. potato cream soup. It needs:

• 1 onion;
• 200 g;
• 1 stem;
• 1 liter chicken broth;
• greens;
• taste.

All vegetables must be washed, cut into cubes and boiled until tender in salted broth. Next, the mixture is added to a blender and mixed until a smooth puree. Finely chopped greens and croutons from white bread add flavor and brightness to the finished dish.

The meatloaf recipe for the donor diet suggests a healthy combination of lean meats and vegetables. For cooking take:

• 500 g without fat;
• 1 bunch of buckwheat.

  On the eve of the evening, you should not eat up just before bedtime, it is better to have dinner at least an hour in advance. In the morning before the procedure, it is better to have breakfast 2-3 hours in advance; cereals on the water or boiled pasta without oil, biscuit or simple oatmeal cookies are suitable for this meal. Be sure to drink a portion of sweet tea, mineral water, compote or juice immediately before donating blood. Do not smoke 2 hours before and 2 hours after.

  Immediately after the manipulations, it is advisable to rest for 10 minutes and drink sweet tea, have a snack with a couple of biscuit cookies.

  In order to quickly recover after the donation procedure, doctors advise using the following products:

  • beef liver, meat, poultry, fish;
  • dairy;
  • seafood;
  • eggs;
  • pasta, bread;
  • vegetables and fruits.

  All of these recommendations are important for the health of the donor and the health of the donor, as well as for maintaining the quality of the blood at a level that is suitable for its introduction to another person. Compliance with the rules of nutrition, first of all, will help the donor himself to normalize his well-being before and after the blood sampling procedure, which is stressful for the body, and, in addition, will make the biomaterial for transfusion as safe as possible.

Majority medical examinations includes a blood test. And, despite all the routine, this seemingly very simple process, many patients have a question: Can I eat before donating blood? In this article, we will find out what you can eat before taking tests, and what foods you should refrain from, what rules should be followed in order to get the most correct and exact result and do not waste your time, nerves, and sometimes money.

The study of blood composition can be:

• general clinical;
• biochemical;
• immunological;
• on the state hormonal background;
• to detect various diseases;
• for sugar content;
• clotting;
• tumor markers;
• and others.

Recommendations for preparing for testing are usually given by the attending physician, taking into account individual features. But there are also general rules and restrictions in preparing for a blood test, depending on the purpose, which should be followed.

Can I eat before donating blood?

When you go to check the blood for a general clinical analysis, the last meal, if it is not possible to get a test in morning hours, should be no later than 3-4 hours before blood donation. For one to two hours, drinks should be limited, with the exception of water. There are no special restrictions on food in preparation for blood donation for a general analysis. Most importantly, it should not be fatty, sweet, very spicy or specific, you should not experiment with unfamiliar foods and dishes.

Blood in a biochemical study it is rented strictly on an empty stomach, that is, before taking it, it is necessary to “starve” for 8, and ideally 12-14 hours. Do not drink coffee, tea, juice, give up chewing gums. We are only allowed to drink water. One or two days before the analysis, it is better not to eat fatty foods, alcoholic beverages.

When preparing for a sugar test, you should not eat food for at least 8 hours, only water. Even brushing your teeth in the morning can affect the test results. In some cases, on the recommendation of a doctor, you should eat certain foods.

Hormone analysis requires the longest possible fasting period. When testing blood for hormones thyroid gland it is necessary to exclude iodine-containing products within 1-2 days.
To determine the level of cholesterol and lipoproteins in the blood, you should come to the analysis "hungry" for 12-14 hours. You can drink only plain, clean water.

To determine the level uric acid it is necessary to refuse to eat the liver, kidneys, reduce the consumption of meat, fish, drinks.

Accuracy examination result, in addition to food, it also depends on factors such as smoking, stressful condition, anxiety, exercise. It is important that all analyzes be taken in the same laboratory, because in different places are used different methods and methods of research, as well as various units of measurement of indicators.

Donated blood and its components have a limited shelf life and are constantly required. It is impossible to do without them during complex operations, during childbirth, treatment of severe injuries and burns, massive blood loss, anemia, sepsis, blood diseases and other pathologies.

Being a donor is an honorable and noble cause, but not everyone can become one. The rules for donating blood, its preparation, storage, and transportation are established by the law “On donation of blood and its components”. It is designed to ensure the safety of blood transfusions and protect the health of not only the recipient, but also the donor.

Who can donate blood?

You can become a donor only on a voluntary and gratuitous basis. This is a person of any gender from 18 to 60 years old, examined and has no contraindications. The body weight of the donor cannot be less than 50 kg.

According to the new law of the Russian Federation "On blood donation", which entered into force in 2012, not only Russians, but also Foreign citizens legally located in our country for at least a year.

Women are allowed to donate no more than four times a year, men no more than five times, while the time interval between whole blood sampling must be at least 60 days. In the case of donating blood components, this period is 30 days.

Contraindications for donation

Contraindications are absolute and temporary. Persons suffering from certain diseases and carriers of pathogens of a number of diseases cannot become donors. These include:

Temporary contraindications include some conditions, as well as recent diseases and procedures:

• flu, tonsillitis, SARS;
• vaccination (must be at least 30 days after the procedure);
• piercing, tattoo, permanent makeup;
• abortion;
• menstruation (one week after its end);
• pregnancy (not earlier than one year after the birth of the child) and breast-feeding(not earlier than three months after the last feeding);
• allergies in exacerbation;
• tooth extraction (not earlier than a week later);
• surgery;
• taking analgesics (should take three days) and antibiotics (at least two weeks);
• long-term residence in the tropics and subtropics.

Where to donate blood and what to bring with you?

As a rule, in every city there are blood transfusion stations where this procedure is carried out.

The donor must present a passport (military ID, other identification) with registration in the same region where the blood donation point is located, or a temporary registration document.

How to prepare?

Every donor should know what rules to follow before donating blood. AT without fail a number of requirements must be met. Typically, prospective donors receive the following recommendations:

1. Two days before the procedure, you can not drink alcohol.
2. Smoking is not allowed two hours before the test.
3. For three days before the procedure, you should not drink medicines with analgin and aspirin, as well as other thinning drugs.
4. On the eve of the procedure, you need to eat right, that is, give up fatty, spicy, fried, smoked foods, as well as dairy products, bananas, citrus fruits, butter, eggs, nuts.
5. It is recommended to eat vegetables, fruits, cereals, bread, jam, pasta, crackers, steamed fish. Can I drink mineral water, sweet tea, juice, compote, fruit drink.
6. In the morning on the day of delivery, you must definitely have breakfast, it is not recommended to undergo the procedure on an empty stomach. Proper breakfast should look something like this: buckwheat, oatmeal or rice porrige on water with the addition of honey, dried fruits or fresh fruits, sweet tea with crackers or a piece of white bread with jam.
7. You can not go to the transfusion point as a donor after sleepless night, for example, after a night shift. You need to be well rested.
8. It should not be taken during the period of intensive work (on the eve of the exam).

During the procedure, the donor is in comfortable conditions in a comfortable chair

How is the procedure?

1. At the reception, you must fill out a questionnaire in which to report on the habits, lifestyle and general condition health.
2. In the laboratory, you need to take it for analysis from a finger to determine the main indicators (leukocytes, hemoglobin, etc.), blood type and Rh factor. They test for syphilis, hepatitis, HIV.
3. The general practitioner examines the questionnaire, asks additional questions if necessary, conducts a visual examination and decides whether a person can be a donor on that day.
4. Before donating blood, you need to visit the buffet and drink sweet tea with a bun or juice.
5. The donor sits in a comfortable chair (you can donate blood while sitting, reclining or lying down), the arm above the elbow is pulled together with a rubber band, the skin is processed disinfectant. During the procedure, only disposable instruments are allowed. Blood is taken from a vein in the amount of 450 ml (if it is whole blood). Blood or components are collected in a special bag, which is connected to the needle with a thin tube. Part blood will go for analysis. At the end, a bandage is applied to the elbow bend for 4 hours. The duration of the procedure is about 10 minutes.
6. The donor receives a certificate stating that he donated blood. Then he was given lunch and rest.

It should be said that blood sampling can be carried out according to different schemes. In the first case, whole blood is taken, and in the future it is used at the discretion of physicians. In addition, not whole donor blood is transfused, but any of its components (plasma or platelets). In this case, the procedure is rather complicated.

The blood is collected in a special container, which is connected to the needle with a thin tube.

Before donating platelets, a thorough examination is necessary. Platelets are taken in two ways: hardware and intermittent. In the first, blood is taken continuously, while both hands are involved: blood is taken from one, immediately poured into the other. In the intermittent method, a portion is taken, platelets are separated from it, the rest is poured into the donor, then the next portion, and so on. By law, it is forbidden to donate platelets many times due to the complexity of the procedure for donors.

Plasma donation is similar to the process with platelets, but different equipment is used and no screening is required. During sampling, plasma is separated, and most of blood is returned to the donor.

What to do after the procedure?

The donor memo contains not only recommendations for preparing for donation, but also rules of conduct after the procedure. A person may have low blood pressure, dizziness is often observed, which is associated with a decrease in the level of hemoglobin in the blood. At the end of the procedure, the following rules must be observed:

1. Immediately after donating blood, you need to relax and sit for about 15 minutes, then go to the buffet to drink sweet tea. If weakness and dizziness persist, call a healthcare professional for help.
2. Do not remove the bandage from the hand for about 4 hours and do not wet it.
3. You can't smoke for about an hour.
4. Avoid physical activity throughout the day.
5. Do not drink alcoholic beverages for 24 hours.
6. In the next two days, you need to eat well and try to drink more fluids (tea, water, juice).
7. No vaccinations are recommended for 10 days after the procedure.
8. There are no restrictions on driving a car, a motorcycle can be driven after 2 hours.

Finally

Future donors have the right to know whether it is harmful to donate blood. Doctors say that if you strictly follow the recommendations of doctors before and after the procedure, then you can not worry about your well-being. In addition, the rules of donation with all restrictions on the amount of blood taken at a time and the frequency of the procedure are enshrined in law.

Donating blood is not difficult, but there are some restrictions and rules that depend on the purpose for which a person parted with the most valuable fluid of his body. And there can be many goals. Some want to become donors, others need to donate blood for HIV, hCG, or to detect hormonal levels. Each of the analyzes imposes certain preparation obligations. However, if an analysis was prescribed, the doctor introduces in detail how to behave so that the result is correct. The most interesting topic How to donate blood. If a person wants to become a donor, they are not warned in advance what can and cannot be done, and you should rely only on yourself - to look for information and prepare correctly.

Donation: first steps

Blood donors in our country - respect and honor (well, or, according to at least, the state is trying to provide this to those who help save the lives of others). To officially establish the status of a donor, was even introduced the federal law. It follows from it that only those who donate blood voluntarily are considered a donor. In addition to blood itself, you can donate components: thrombo-, erythro-, leukocytes, plasma, compounds obtained by freezing plasma.

You can donate blood at the age of majority up to the sixtieth anniversary. Blood transfusion stations accept vital fluid from able-bodied citizens of the country and those who have lived in Russia for a year or longer (regardless of citizenship), who have passed medical analysis with no contraindications. Is it possible to donate blood if a person is sick? Depends on pathology. It is not allowed to donate blood if diagnosed with:

If the person survived the removal internal organ, transplantation, donating blood is not allowed. Do not take blood from pregnant women, women in labor.

Possible, but not immediately

Is it possible to donate blood during menstrual cycle? This is prohibited, you will have to wait 5 days from the last "red" day. From the moment of the birth of the child, you will have to wait 12 months. A certain time period will have to endure for those who have suffered a number of diseases: colds, allergies in acute form. Similar requirements after tooth extraction, surgical intervention, vaccinations, long-term stay outside home country. Special, more attentive attitude towards those who have been in contact with sick viruses and infections. You can not donate blood within a year from the date of the tattoo. A similar restriction applies to those who have pierced.

Rules: how to donate blood?

There are quite a few restrictions, and it is important to observe all of them. Improper preparation can lead to the fact that the applicant is wrapped already out of the queue after receiving primary analyzes blood. And you can lose your time, and distract employees. In order not to get such an unpleasant experience, it is better to immediately approach the issue responsibly. By the way, when figuring out where you can donate blood, you just need to look at the address of the transfusion station closest to your home. The donor service in our country has its own website, which lists all the reception points and the work schedule. There is also a note on preparatory activities.

Restrictions:

• do not drink alcohol 48 hours before the scheduled blood donation;
• do not take drugs that can thin the blood (except for oral hormonal contraceptives) 72 hours before the event;
• do not smoke an hour before the start of the session;
• do not eat on the eve of spicy, fried, fatty, smoked;
• do not eat bananas, milk, butter, eggs.

Replace specified groups dishes, products can be sweet tea and berry drinks, mineral water, cereals, fruits, vegetables. Allowed to eat pasta, bread.

Features of the procedure

It is better to come to the center where they take the irreplaceable liquid in advance - 15 minutes in advance. However, you should understand that there will be a queue and, most likely, rather big one. If a potential donor wants to be among the first to be served, then it is better to come even earlier. Upon arrival, a person fills out a questionnaire, indicating in it passport data (the document must be brought with you), information about the state of health.

Before donating blood, the donor is examined by the doctors of the transfusion station. He will be examined by a therapist, they will do a laboratory test, they will say the blood type, if the person does not know it, they will check the weight and height. Additionally, blood is examined for the presence of hepatitis, syphilis, HIV. With good indicators of blood quality and health in general, you can go to the donor chair.

Surrender: is it scary?

Many are afraid to go to the donor center, fearing the procedure itself. In fact, there is nothing terrible. The conditions here are comfortable, almost all stations are equipped with modern equipment, there are many blood collection points. The person is located in a comfortable lounger chair, a tourniquet is applied to the arm and a container is connected through the needle, where the blood gradually drains. If you do not know how to donate blood, then the specialists of the donor center will advise you on this issue. It does not hurt at all, there are doctors and nurses nearby who monitor the condition of the donors. If suddenly someone feels bad, he will immediately be helped.

At one time, 600 ml of plasma or 450 ml of blood can be taken. At the end of the event, a bandage is applied for the next four hours. It is strongly not recommended to remove it earlier. After that, you can go to the window for issuing rewards, and from there - on your own business. At many enterprises, if a person works according to the Labor Code, you can take a day off on the day of blood donation. The law obliges the employer to pay this day. Doctors recommend avoiding physical activity, but most donors feel great (the blood loss is small), so they do not impose actual restrictions on their daily routine.

Donate blood for research

Donating your blood is not always medical institution has a good intention to help someone. Most part with the life-giving liquid on the recommendation of a doctor in order to identify what disorders are in the body, what diseases they are pursuing, which explains the problems in well-being. There is a huge variety of analyzes, some require special training, others oblige only to avoid smoking, alcohol and other potent substances, compounds, drugs. Usually the doctor explains in detail what to do and what not to do before going to the laboratory.

Where to take a blood test? You can contact the laboratory state clinic, for this you will first have to get a referral from a therapist. Second option - private clinic. Here you can order a specific type of blood test, no referral is required.

If you are going to donate blood for hCG, other laboratory tests, it is better to visit the doctor in the morning. They don't have breakfast before. In general, before the tests it is recommended to withstand about 12 hours without food. If it is impossible to pass the test in the morning, they come, having previously endured 6 hours without food. At breakfast, any food containing fat should be avoided. Laboratory studies, if a person has prepared and chosen a reliable clinic, will identify diseases on early stage, because according to blood counts, violations can be noticed much earlier, so tangible symptoms appear.

WHO experts even summed up statistics, and its results are indicative: if you know what blood tests are taken and regularly undergo research, doctors will be able to get up to 80% of information about a person’s condition from the results. The diagnosis cannot be based only on the results of studying the life-giving fluid in the laboratory, but without it, the correct diagnosis cannot be formulated at all. With an unclear picture of the disease laboratory analysis will allow you to understand in which direction to look for the causes of health disorders. It is recommended to undergo a blood test in the laboratory, not only with feeling unwell, but also as preventive measure. Where can I take a blood test "just in case"? During the medical examination - in the clinic, which is assigned a permanent address of residence, at any time - in a private laboratory.

Features of preparation for some analyzes

If you need to donate blood for hormones, then before going to the laboratory it is advisable not to eat for 8-12 hours. The easiest way is to have a snack in the evening, and in the morning - go to the clinic, postponing breakfast for a while after the hospital. At the same time, it must be remembered that sweet (and unsweetened) tea, coffee, and other drinks are also food. Hormonal tests in this regard, they are similar to serological, biochemical and many others. However, you can drink water. It is known that warm water well dulls the feeling of hunger. This will allow you not to suffer, waiting for the opportunity to have breakfast.

How to donate blood lipid profile? Here the main restriction is also related to food intake. You need to fast for at least 12 hours, otherwise the results will be inaccurate. This group of tests includes the detection of blood concentrations of triglycerides, HDL, LDL, cholesterol.

But with a general blood test, the duration of the time interval between eating and visiting the laboratory is only one hour (but more is possible). The truth is, you can't eat everything. For breakfast, you can allow tea without sugar, porridge without butter, an apple. You are allowed to drink milk.

Constraints and dependency on time

In order for the test results to be as accurate as possible, it is recommended not to eat fatty foods 2 days before the blood test. If it suddenly happened that on the eve of going to the clinic a large feast was attended, it is better to postpone the procedure. A number of indicators in the blood depend on the time of day, which imposes restrictions on the period of visiting a doctor. If you need to check the concentration of iron, hormones in the blood, then you need to come to the laboratory before 10 am.

If doctors take blood from a vein, it is necessary to prevent, if possible, the influence on the results external factors. First of all, this applies to physical activity, as well as nervous excitement. Once in the laboratory, you first need to sit for about a quarter of an hour in the waiting room. During this time, a person restores breathing, calms down, and the result will be more accurate. Where to donate blood if it is not possible to visit a doctor at the appointed time? Some modern clinics offer an on-site service. This service is not the cheapest, but health is more valuable than money.

Tests and therapy

If a course of any medications was prescribed, at the same time the doctor recommended to undergo laboratory tests, first you need to find out where to donate blood, visit laboratory assistants, and only after that begin the course of treatment. If some medications are canceled, then blood can be donated two weeks after last day reception. In some cases, exceptions are made. As a rule, this applies to studies whose purpose is to identify the effect of drugs on humans. If the attending physician, referring to laboratory tests, does not know that a person is taking any drugs, he should be warned about this.

If an x-ray was prescribed, immediately after this procedure it is impossible to go for blood donation. A similar limitation imposes a rectal examination, physiotherapy. When studying the hormonal background in women from 13 years to menopause, it is important to consider that physiology can affect the results, so the day is chosen based on the menstrual cycle. As a rule, when prescribing a blood test for sex hormones, the doctor gives clear instructions on which day you need to visit the laboratory assistant and what measures need to be taken in advance so that the result is accurate. The accuracy of following the instructions is the key to accurate information extracted from the patient's blood.

Features of some procedures

If the main task of a blood test is to identify infection, when donating a substance, you need to remember that the result is a false negative. It depends on the immunity of the person and the period of infection. And yet, a negative result of a blood test cannot serve as a 100% guarantee of the absence of infection, which the doctor usually warns about additionally. As a rule, if the situation is doubtful, the doctor prescribes a second procedure.

When choosing where to donate blood, you need to remember that different clinics, laboratories use different equipment, and the results can be expressed in different units. To avoid an unpleasant situation, you should undergo examination and therapy in the same medical institution.

How to donate blood for hepatitis

If a person has signs that suggest hepatitis, it is necessary to take tests to confirm the diagnosis. Any one method will not give a complete and clear picture, so blood is usually taken for research by several methods at once. First get general analysis that allows you to assess the state of the body. If a person suffers from a severe pathology, the indicators will be out of the norm, which will allow doctors to pay attention to specific features.

The next step is biochemistry. This analysis allows you to determine the composition of the blood, the concentration critical components. With hepatitis, there is an increase in the number of enzymes that reflect inflammation of the liver, the concentration of bilirubin and fractions changes. Before this analysis, you can eat 12 hours in advance, avoiding heavy, fatty foods.

Hepatitis: accuracy is the key to a correct diagnosis

In order for the results of the blood test to be correct, it is necessary to make a coagulogram. This analysis shows the level of clotting. Laboratory assistants check INR, fibrinogen, prothrombin. The results are usually ready on the day the substance is donated. Finally, last step- the study of serum, during which the presence of specific antibodies is checked. The method was developed by immunologists and is implemented in a direct or indirect manner. In addition to hepatitis, it is used to detect HIV. In the course of studying the blood obtained from a vein, formed elements are isolated, special antigens are used.

PCR as a method for detecting hepatitis

If you suspect hepatitis infection, your doctor may send you for a blood test by PCR. This study provides accurate information about the RNA, DNA of the virus. Amplification is delayed for several hours, while in the organic material received from the patient under the influence of laboratory methods the number of copies of RNA and DNA of the virus increases. This provides a sufficient basis for identifying the pathogen. Currently, PCR is considered to be the leading method for determining infection in terms of reliability.

Properly conducted research in a laboratory with modern, reliable equipment practically guarantees the accuracy of the result. False positive results of the study are almost 100% excluded. To confirm the result, you can additional analysis another biological material. In addition to blood, laboratory technicians can also examine the saliva of a sick person or substances secreted by the genitals. All of these methods are optional and cannot replace a blood test.