Can you donate Plasma if you are Overweight?
Plasma is necessary for saving lives and plays a vital role in the body; its donation will never be enough. 55% of our blood is composed of plasma and the remaining percentage is occupied by blood cells (white and red) and platelets. Someone is said to be ‘overweight’ if his or her weight to height ratio commonly called Body Mass Index (BMI) is within 25.0 to 30 kg/m². Everyone can be a plasma donor as long as the eligibility criteria required are met. To be a successful plasma donor, the requirements vary from center to center or from state to state but the general ones are:
All plasma donors must be at least 18 years old ( in some states, with the approval of the parents, 16 years old teenagers can be considered as donors);Must be able to pass the physical examination; Being in good health, especially with no diseases such as diabetes, hepatitis, and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV);All plasma donors must have a minimum weight of 110 pounds (50Kg).
Although the upper weight limit is not specified in the plasma donor eligibility criteria, this does not always mean that overweight people are eligible. Some of them might fail the physical examination, which generally includes the comparison of weight between the donor and all the necessary equipment used for the extraction process to avoid the destruction of materials. This is the reason why generally, obese people are automatically disqualified. In some centers, there is an upper limit weight for plasma donation depending on the equipment’s weight. The awareness of the need for plasma in hospitals to solve emergency problems, and being overweight should not be a barrier to the supply of plasma banks.
What is the role of plasma in a body?
Answer for it: Plasma is an essential factor for the proper functioning of the body:
It protects the body against parasites and bacterial infections;It maintains the blood circulation (by helping blood vessels not to become clogged) and pressure;It helps in the elimination of waste in the cells of the body It supplies a part of the body with proteins and nutrients;Due to its 90% water composition, plasma helps in the redistribution of water in the body in case of need.
What is the prerequisite for plasma donation?
Avoid fatty meals such as fried food, hamburgers, pizza, etc. Increase its protein level by consuming nuts, beans, vegetables, etc. Drink water as much as possible.
Does plasma donation affect donor weight?
Answer for it: There is no relationship between plasma donation and weight gain or loss.
How often should we donate plasma?
Answer for it: It is advisable to donate plasma after every 48 hours, drinking plenty of water (90% of plasma is made up of water) to enable the body to naturally replace the extracted plasma. However, because plasma donation is remunerated, some people may run the risk of donating more than they can and therefore put their health at risk. For someone from whom plasma has been collected, the time for the second collection will depend on the amount of plasma that has been withdrawn, the more plasma collected, the longer the time for the next donation. Always tell the doctor when and how much plasma you last donated. This is why it is important to do a series of tests before being qualified as a plasma donor.
Conclusion:
Now we have learnt ‘Can you donate Plasma if you are Overweight?’, Health is one of the things that no one wants to lose because being healthy is often synonymous with power. As long as we are healthy and can help others get better, and feel empowered to achieve their dreams, no matter how overweight we are, let’s go to the specialists who will know better if we can save lives by donating a fraction of our plasma, and even if we can’t, we will have tried.
Why do we need plasma donations?
Plasma donation is needed because every day, hospitals are facing emergency cases as a result of operations, deliveries, and accidents. Generally, in these critical situations, important quantities of blood are lost and who says blood loss says plasma loss. Therefore, these lost plasmas must be quickly replaced.
Are there any side effects to donating plasma?
During and shortly after plasma donation, although rare, there may be some side effects in the short term such as loss of consciousness, nausea, dizziness, dehydration, tiredness, and tingling around the mouth. However, In some hospitals, volunteer donors who may experience these side effects are generally not considered eligible for plasma donation.
