WHY YOU SHOULDN’T DONATE PLASMA What are ITS SIDE EFFECTS & Safest Way Of Donation?

Donation is definitely a good deed and does a lot of good to the society. Blood plasma is a much needed thing for carrying out many modern medical therapies, which includes the treatments for the conditions of the immune system, respiratory disorders, bleeding and wound healing, transfusion of blood and more. Plasma donation is considered to be very important to collect at least enough plasma to carry out the medical treatments. So as plasma donation is mostly a safe process, it has some minor but major side effects too! Plasma is actually a component of our blood, and so donate plasma, blood is drawn out of our body and then processed through a plasma machine which separates the plasma from the blood and collects it to transfer further. Whereas, the other components of the blood like RBCs are returned back to your body and are mixed with the saline to replace the plasma which is withdrawn. While there are many perceptions about donating plasma, below in this article you will find about why you shouldn’t donate plasma for some obvious reasons.

As you scroll down, you will find out complete details on donating plasma, such as why a person should not donate it, common side effects associated with it, things to keep in mind to donate plasma safely and much more. So just keep reading below to check out all the info.

Why you shouldn’t donate plasma and its side effects?

There is not one, but many reasons why a person should not donate plasma. This makes a person experience a lot of side effects and problems which could later result in anything serious. And so below are the details of common as well as rare side effects of donating plasma-

1. Dehydration- So plasma basically contains a lot of water, and for this reason, a lot of people experience dehydration in the body after they donate plasma. Dehydration just after donating plasma is quite mild and not severe.
2. Fatigue- This can occur if the body has lower levels of salts and other essential nutrients. Fatigue after donating plasma is a very common side defect, but it is not very severe and usually mild.
3. Dizziness, lightheadedness and fainting- Another reason for why you shouldn’t donate plasma is this. As plasma is rich in salts and nutrients, these are very essential for the proper functioning of the body and to keep the body alert. And so losing some of these important substances through donating plasma can definitely lead to an imbalance of electrolyte in the body, which further results in experiencing symptoms like fainting, lightheadedness and dizziness.
4. Infection- Now, this is again a very common symptom of donating plasma. Whenever a needle is used to pierce the skin, there is always a risk of getting an infection, even if it is small. And so the punctured tissue of the skin allows the bacteria from the outside to get inside the body. As the needle might carry the bacteria not only beneath the surface of the skin, but also into the vein, it is very harmful. This leads to infection at the site of injection and body tissues in the surrounding or even in the blood.

And the signs of an infection in the body includes-

1. Redness and swelling
2. Feeling of warmness and tenderness
3. Pain at and near the site of injection

 And so as soon as you notice these signs of infections, immediately consult a doctor.

1. Citrate Reaction- This is considered to be a very serious but a rare side effect and reason for why you shouldn’t donate plasma. When plasma is donated, the technical person infuses a substance into the blood which is called an anticoagulant, which is collected in the plasma separating machine before the blood is returned back to the host body. This substance that is anticoagulant has the purpose of preventing the formation of blood clots. 

In our body, the citrate binds together a little amount of molecules of calcium for a very short period of time. And as this effect is quite temporary and small, most of the people experience literally no side effects from the citrate reaction. However, there are a few people who donate plasma and experience the side effect of citrate reaction due to the temporary loss of calcium from the body.

Common signs or symptoms of a citrate reaction includes the following-

1. Twitching of muscles
2. Shortness of breath
3. Chills and shivering
4. Experiencing taste of metallic
5. Feeling of numbness in tingling, especially in the toes, fingers and lips
6. Feeling of vibrations in the whole body
7. Lightheadedness
8. A slow or rapid pulse

How to donate plasma the safest way?

As you read above the reasons of why you shouldn’t donate plasma, in case you are in need of donating it or just want to do it for any reason, here are some tips to do it the safe way-

1. Make sure that you are visiting an accredited centre only- Your centre of plasma should put you through a process of screening which involves taking an initial blood test, then filling out a form of questions, and then performing a physical exam. So a bg red flag in donating plasma is that if your donation centre does not put you through all these processes, then you need to stop and find an accredited plasma donation centre, whichever is closest to you. 
2. Keep the record of how frequently you are donating- It is generally suggested that a person can donate plasma after every 28 days, up to utmost 13 times in a year. Though, FDA does not suggest and allow a person to donate plasma more frequently, this is also the best thing for a person’s safety and good health. 
3. Remember to hydrate yourself before you visit for donating- Always remember to drink an extra amount of water, at least 16 ounces of nonalcoholic and clear fluid (water preferably) before you go for donating plasma. This will help you to prevent the experience of dizziness, fatigue, lightheadedness, fainting, and any other common side effects or reasons of why you shouldn’t donate plasma.