Can I Donate Blood If I Have High Cholesterol?
There are many questions on this subject, some of which are often repeated during blood draws. Can I donate blood if I have high cholesterol levels? So, to answer this common question, let’s take a closer look.
When you have a blood test, be sure to look for any abnormalities you may have in the parameters and put an asterisk. And if one of them is cholesterol, a type of fat that the body needs to function properly and perfectly, no wonder your soul is falling at your feet. Therefore, it is desirable to have “good” cholesterol in your body.
However, if you increase the “bad” cholesterol, you are more likely to suffer from heart disease and cerebrovascular disease. At this stage, diet and lifestyle changes are necessary, but it is also important to lead a normal life.
This raises a number of questions, including those that are often repeated when blood is drawn. Can I donate blood if I have a high cholesterol level? So let’s take a closer look at the situation to answer this common question. Let’s also take a look at some healthy habits that can change the lives of people with high cholesterol. Let’s get started.
Donation And Cholesterol
When it comes to blood donation, there are a million questions, especially for people who have just started donating or have just been told they have high cholesterol. What are the barriers to starting or continuing to donate blood? Be aware that there may be conditions or restrictions that will prevent you from this altruistic act.
However, in this case, people with high cholesterol are fortunate to be able to donate blood with confidence. This state is consistent with having to draw blood to donate to those who need it most, so there is no excuse to go to a hospital or blood donation center.
Of course, another situation you may encounter in this regard is someone who is taking cholesterol medication. As you may know, anyone who is or has been on medication must report for a pre-donor screening by a physician. Taking medication does not necessarily mean that you will not be given it, but there are exceptions. Cholesterol, for example, is one such exception.
Tips For Lowering High Cholesterol
Being able to donate blood with high cholesterol is great news because it means you are giving a little bit of your blood to three people who may need it, which saves lives. With that said, it is important to focus on lowering your cholesterol with certain habits that, if repeated for a few weeks, will eventually become routine and won’t cost a lot of money.
Increase Your Consumption Of Fruits And Vegetables
Increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables in your diet doesn’t mean you always have to bake or peel them. If it’s something you don’t like, there are plenty of ways to eat it with little to no attention. All you have to do is take the time to find recipes you like and cook them at home. It’s also important to include whole grains and foods rich in omega-3s in your diet. Also, consider:
+Changing salt
Eliminating salt from your diet can be very complicated for people who are used to eating salt. So to make food taste good, find another way to make your food taste good so that you don’t find it less salty than some spices.
+ Exercising daily
Choose a relaxing exercise such as walking, swimming or yoga. It’s important to do something you enjoy, even if it costs a little money at first because it will grow on you.
+ Eliminating activities that are harmful to your body
If you know that taking a nap means you’ll be on the couch all afternoon, don’t ditch it and choose to do other activities. For example, if sitting on the patio means smoking, then choose to sit indoors or on a patio where smoking is prohibited. In this way, you can gradually move away from bad habits.
High Blood Pressure And Blood Donation: Yes Or No?
Before we begin, it is important to note that people with hypertension may have difficulty passing blood due to the constant compression of their arteries as a result of their elevated blood pressure. Because of this, the first thing that comes to mind for people with hypertension is that they cannot go out and donate blood.
However, this idea is completely wrong. So far, people with hypertension can donate blood even if they are taking medication. The only thing they need to be aware of is whether their blood pressure is at an optimal level when they are about to donate blood. How do you know if you are at that level? Don’t worry, because they will measure your blood pressure a few minutes before you donate.
As if that wasn’t enough, a study at Berlin’s Mercy University Hospital proves that donating blood about every three months can lower high blood pressure. The study leader affirmed that patients who donated blood saw their blood pressure drop to normal levels due to the regeneration of red blood cells.
Medication, a balanced diet and daily exercise are very important for the treatment of this disease. However, these studies show that donating blood is very helpful for patients and will make it possible to reduce or in some cases even stop the medication for this cause.
