Low blood pressure when donating blood

People may also experience some pain or tenderness at the site of the needle insertion, and possibly some minor swelling. According to Bloodworks Northwest, a nonprofit organization, applying a compress can help to relieve pain and swelling. Bloodworks suggest applying a cold compress four times a day for 20 minutes for the first 2 days.

A compress may ease any tenderness until the pain goes away. If people have severe or long lasting pain, they should contact their doctor. People may experience minor bleeding from the needle site after donating blood. To help prevent this, they can leave their bandage on for a minimum of 4 hours after a donation. If the site begins to bleed again, they can apply pressure for 2—5 minutes , and keep the bandage in place for a further 4 hours.

People may feel fatigued or experience some dizziness, lightheadedness, or nausea after donating blood. This is because of the temporary lowering of blood pressure. If a person feels faint, they can sit down and put their head between the knees so that it is lower than the heart. Lying down with the legs elevated can also help to prevent falling.

If symptoms do not improve, people can contact their doctor. To replenish fluid in the body, people need to drink water and other liquids before and after donating blood. According to the American Red Cross, people can drink an additional 16 ounces oz of water before they donate blood, and an extra 8 oz of fluids afterward.

People can continue to drink extra fluids for the following 3 days to replenish lost fluids in the body. Healthful nutrition and eating iron-rich foods can help to replenish iron stores.

Combining iron-rich foods with vitamin C helps the body absorb iron. Examples of vitamin C-rich foods include:. Regular donors may also find taking a multivitamin that contains iron helps to replenish iron stores. People can take care to rest and avoid heavy lifting, strenuous exercise, or activity for the following 12 hours after donation. Resting helps the body to recover while it adjusts to the loss of blood.

People will rest at the donation center after they have given blood. This allows them to receive help straight away if they have any adverse side effects. The center may provide a snack and drink for people to have afterward. Once people have rested and have no adverse symptoms, they can leave.

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Can I donate blood if I have high or low blood pressure? Can I give blood if I have had acupuncture? Based on the currently available evidence, hypotension has not been shown to be an independent predictive factor for donor complications. However, the overall quality of evidence was rather limited and rated 'low,' using the GRADE approach.

In conclusion there is currently no evidence that hypotensive blood donors have a greater risk for donor adverse events compared with their normotensive counterparts. Keywords: Adverse reaction; blood pressure; donor safety; whole blood donation.