Blood donations save hundreds and thousands of lives every year. Some reports show that only 5% people give blood out of that 50% Americans who are eligible. The criterion for blood donation is 110 pounds weight, age more than 17 years and free from any disease. If you meet the above criterion you can donate blood every 8 weeks. Many people never donate blood because it scares them whereas some people don't know how to give blood. Here are some tips for how to give blood.

When you decide to give blood, some questions will be asked about your health, weight and age. Your blood must not contain any disease such as hepatitis or HIV/AIDS. You must evaluate your self before you are going to give blood. If you feel weak, sick or fatigued drop the idea.

If you have decided to give blood, drink lots of water to keep your blood pressure up. A few hours before going to the blood bank or any other donating area, eat a hearty snack full of complex carbohydrates and iron and drink orange juice. The vitamin C in the juice will help in increasing iron absorption. But try not to eat right before you give blood. Do not use drinks with caffeine or eat fast food before donating the blood.

Try to think about the lives you are going to save by giving blood. Your little discomfort will cause a huge relief in their life. If you are nervous when phlebotomist prepares you for giving blood, look away or think about something else. To ensure an ideal blood flow, squeeze the ball or wad given by the phlebotomist.

After giving the blood don't try to sit up at once but remain lying down for about 15 minutes. If you feel faint or dizzy must tell any volunteer about that. If it bleeds from the needle-stick site after the bandage is removed from your arm, tell a health care professional. Eat a snack and drink some juice after donating the blood. Don't forget to bring some forms of identification with you to provide your name, date of birth and social security number.

56 days are required to regenerate red blood cells in your body. You can donate blood once again after this time period. Blood donation not only saves the lives of others but helps the donor too. A study made in US revealed that the people who give blood regularly have less chances of heart problems and cancer. The people who have high iron content in their blood are vulnerable to these diseases. The excess iron is taken out by giving blood regularly.

See how to give blood is not only easy but the blood donation helps the donor too.