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Plasma Makes-Up 55% of Our Blood. |
What is Blood Plasma?
Plasma is an extremely important and vital element of the blood that pumps around our bodies. Plasma occupies around 55% of the blood's volume and therefore is the largest, single element of the blood's contents.
Plasma is transparent in appearance with a slight yellowy, straw like colour in it. 90% of the plasma's make-up is water, but it also carries important nutrients such as calcium, sodium, magnesium, and potassium. The red blood-cells, white blood-cells and platelets - all elements of the blood - are all usually suspended in plasma, which enables them to circulate throughout the body.
Plasma is used by blood-clotting factors in the body as a storage and transportation device. Without plasma, our cuts and wounds would not heal and instead of getting a scab when cutting ourselves, thus stopping the bleeding, the bleeding would simply continue.
Why is my Blood Plasma Useful to Others?
Blood plasma is an important element in the blood clotting process which helps wounds to heal. Some people however, lack the elements in their blood that aide in the clotting process or coagulation. Blood having the ability to clot is vital to our survival and those who lack the blood-clotting factors in their body are called haemophiliacs. Haemophilia means that when a blood vessel is damaged - as a result of a cut or scrape - a scab will not form, which means the blood will continually be lost from the body. Your healthy plasma can help people with haemophilia live normal and healthy lives. Doctors can top-up the levels of the blood-clotting factors in people with low levels by using the factors from people with normal or high levels.
Your plasma can also help people with burns. When someone is subject to a burn, plasma is lost. By being able to replace this plasma, doctors can help the healing process of the burn. A large proportion of plasma that is donated goes to medical research. Your plasma can help in the development of medications for a variety of different diseases that attack the immune system. Your healthy blood plasma is an asset to you and can be life-saving for someone else.
How can I donate my Plasma?
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Donating Plasma is Simple. |
Donating your plasma is a relatively simple process and is relatively painless. In America, healthy donors can receive cash stipends for their time and inconvenience when donating plasma through a process called plasma aphaeresis. If you live in an urban area, it is very likely that you have a donation clinic near you.
To donate your plasma, you rarely need an appointment with the clinic but you should expect to spend around two hours in total on your first visit. Making an appointment however, may help speed up the process and reduce any waiting time in the clinic. Initially, you will be asked to fill in some forms that detail your medical history and some lifestyle habits. By receiving such information from you, the clinics can ensure your safety when donating and also, the safety of the person receiving the plasma. You will probably undergo a physical exam and a small blood test. The blood test will determine the eligibility of your donation - if you are a drug user or if you have a blood disease, your donation cannot be accepted.
The actual plasma extraction process will involve a needle being placed into your vein. The plasma is cleverly separated from the other elements of the blood by a machine that spins around which then extracts the plasma and deposits it into a container. During this process, the elements of the blood that you are not donating - red and white blood-cells etc - are systematically pumped back into your body. This is an alternating process which may have to occur a few times before the desired amount of plasma is collected.
After the process is complete, a nurse will see that the machine is disconnected properly and that your injection point is attended to if necessary. You will probably be required to wait in the clinic for a short while after your donation to ensure you drink some water and regain energy. After this, your donation experience is pretty much complete. It is usually possible for you to donate your plasma twice a week, ensuring a 48 hour gap in between, however, your nurse will advise you of this.
What do I get out of being a Plasma Donor?
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Help People, Earn Money and Meet New Friends When Donating Your Plasma. |
By donating your plasma, you are doing a wonderful thing. Plasma is not something that clinics are overloaded with and therefore your plasma will most certainly go to good use.
Your plasma can help people who suffer from haemophilia and other problems that prevent the blood from clotting as it should. It can also be used for medical research for the development of medicines and treatments. Your plasma could be playing a vital role in someone else's survival which alone should make you feel good.
Apart from the feel-good aspect of helping other people, you can also receive financial compensation for your time and inconvenience. You can expect to earn anything from $20-$30 for a single donation. You are usually entitled to donate your plasma twice a week and are sometimes offered a higher monetary compensation for your second donation.
On top of feeling good about helping other people and receiving financial compensation, you can also meet some friends from being a plasma donor as you will probably find that there are other people donating plasma at the same time as you.
Donating your plasma is a relatively simple and painless procedure. By donating your plasma you could be helping someone who needs it while earning money for yourself and meeting new friends. |
CLICK ON THE STUDIES SECTION, THEN WHERE YOU LIVE AND THEN THE HEALTHY VOLUNTEER CAPSULE TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY PLASMA DONATION STUDIES RECRUITING IN YOUR AREA!
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