Are There Supplements That Are Bad For My Liver
Taking too many vitamin and mineral supplements may do more harm than good to a damaged liver.
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Can I Give Blood
Have an appointment booked? It is important to check you are able to donate before coming to give blood.
Sometimes it is not possible to give blood, or we may ask you to wait before donating again. Use this page to find answers to common questions you might have before your appointment.
You can also take our quick quiz to check you can give.
If youre looking to donate for the first time, find out more about who can give blood.
Important: If you need to cancel your appointment please give us 3 days notice so that we can offer the space to another donor. You can reschedule or cancel your appointment in your online account.
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Infectious Diseases: Mumps Measles Chickenpox Shingles Or German Measles
- If youve had mumps, measles, chickenpox, shingles or German measles, you can give blood provided youve been fully recovered for two weeks or more.
- If you have been in contact with someone with an infectious disease and have never had the disease yourself, you must wait four weeks before giving blood.
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What You Can Do
If youre well, you should strongly consider donating blood. Every blood donation can help save 3 lives. Even if you have a cold or are getting over the flu, you may still be able to help.
- If you dont have a cold or the flu, visit Donateblood.com.au or call 13 14 95 to check if youre eligible and to make an appointment.
- If you have a cold and have mild symptoms such as a runny nose but you dont have a fever, you can still donate plasma. Plasma is the fluid that carries the red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.
- If you have a cold or the flu, you can donate blood, as normal, 7 days after youve recovered from your symptoms.
- If you recently had the flu vaccination and are feeling well, you can still donate blood. Because its not a live vaccine, flu vaccination does not affect blood donation.
Blood Plasma Donation Policies Reflect Fears Born In An Earlier Epidemic: Hiv In The 1980s
Donor gives blood
Ian Morrison started to feel fatigued at the beginning of March. He had a cough and had trouble breathing, but the 46-year-old Philadelphian didnt suspect he had the coronavirus he didnt have a fever.
Morrison, who is better known as his drag persona Brittany Lynn, got worried when his fingers turned a bluish-purple. Thats when he rushed to the hospital.
There are barricades, like its post-apocalyptic, and they run at you with these hazmat suits, like in a horror movie, and I put my arms in the air like I was being arrested, is how Morrison described the scene from those early days of the pandemic.
He was given a mask and taken inside, where doctors conducted several exams, including a COVID-19 test. Soon after, Morrison was informed he had tested positive. When his story was featured in the Philadelphia Gay News, Morrison received several phone calls and messages from people suggesting that he donate his plasma.
I would never wish COVID on anyone else. They kept saying, Youre such a young age which I thought was hysterical because Im in my late 40s but they were like, Youre strong and vital, and probably take good care of yourself. So if I had a horrible reaction and I was in good shape Morrison said, trailing off. To think they could turn my plasma into a cure, and all I have to do is donate blood, why wouldnt I do that?
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Schedule An Appointment With Your Doctor
If you have herpes outbreaks regularly or irregularly, consult your doctor about how to treat them. Although there is no cure for herpes, there are medications that can make it easier to live with it. A doctor can prescribe some medicines to reduce the severity and duration of outbreaks, while others can prevent or reduce the frequency of outbreaks. You should see your doctor about getting some medications.
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#if You Are Not Sure Where To Find More Information
Still not sure if you can give blood with herpes or not? The following are some resources and websites where you can find information:
Call 496-1048 to reach the National Institutes of Health Blood Bank.
Contact an online blood donor services team at a hospital or medical center.
Dial 1-800 RED CROSS to reach the Red Cross .
You can join herpes support groups on MyPositiveSingles. MyPositiveSingles is a dating site that connects positive people who share similar interests. You can connect with people with the same conditions as you on the site’s blog. In addition, you will learn more about herpes, herpes symptoms, herpes prevention, and herpes treatment options.
Best STD Dating Site
- Encounter a new variety of STD dating opportunities.
- Meet real positive singles in your area.
- 100% safe & private app
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What Is The Pbsc Donation Process Like
Donating PBSC involves two steps: receiving injections of filgrastim and making the donation.
Receiving filgrastim injections: To move more blood-forming cells from your bone marrow to your bloodstream, you will receive filgrastim, a drug given by injection each day for five days before the donation.
The first injection will be given at a donor center or medical clinic. You may receive injections on days two, three and four at your place of work, your home, at a donor center or at a medical clinic. On the fifth day, you will receive your final dose of filgrastim, and then donate your blood cells at the donor center or hospital outpatient unit.
Donating the cells: PBSC donation is done through a process called apheresis, which is similar to donating plasma. During apheresis, a needle will be placed into each of your arms. Blood will be removed from a vein in one arm and passed through tubing into a blood cell separator machine.
The machine collects blood-forming cells, platelets and some white blood cells. Plasma and red blood cells are returned to your body through the other arm. All the tubing used in the machine is sterile and is used only once for your donation. If only one donation is done, it may take up to eight hours. If two donations are done on separate days, each collection will take four to six hours.
Abdominal Discomfort And Intestinal Diseases
Lactose intolerance, functional abdominal discomfort, heartburn, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, haemorrhoids and coeliac disease do not prevent blood donation.
However, you may not donate blood if you suffer from an inflammatory intestinal disease such as Crohns disease or ulcerative colitis. In these cases, blood may be donated a year after the end of related symptoms and drug therapy.
Gastroenteritis temporarily prevents donation. At least two weeks must have passed since you stopped having symptoms and taking medication before donating blood.
In the case of parasitic intestinal diseases , at least a month must have passed since you stopped having symptoms and taking medication before donating blood. If you are an asymptomatic carrier of the disease, this does not prevent blood donation.
An infection caused by the Campylobacter prevents donation for a month after the symptoms and treatment have ended.
The majority of stomach medications are also allowed for blood donors. Heartburn medicines, antacids and prophylactic medication used for gastric ulcers do not prevent blood donation. Instead, medication used for the treatment of inflammatory intestinal diseases prevent donation.
See also: H. pylori infection, surgeries and endoscopic procedures
Would you like more information? Please call the free information number for blood donors on +358 800 0 5801 .
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Bone Marrow Donation Guidelines
These bone marrow donation guidelines provide an overview of many medical conditions. They do not include every medical situation that may prevent you from donating. Its important to note that marrow donation guidelines are not the same as blood donation guidelines.
If you have questions about these guidelines or a medical condition not listed here, please call 1 MARROW-2.
Currently You Must Not Donate If You Fall Into One Of The Following Categories:
If you have symptoms but havent been tested for Covid-19 or have had a negative test result for Covid-19 then whether you can donate will depend on your symptoms.
Post-Covid Syndrome or Long Covid is diagnosed when someone has Covid-19 symptoms that last for more than 12 weeks.
If you have any queries regarding this, please give us a call on 0345 90 90 999.
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Is Herpes Simplex Ever Serious
Genital herpes can cause severe discomfort and a flu-like illness.
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When You Donate Blood Do They Test For Stds
If you have had a serious STD in the past 12 months, you may be excluded from donating blood. In this case, your local blood bank will most likely ask you not to donate blood if:
- You have had an STD and recovered
- The time of your last infection or treatment is unknown
If this applies to you and are still interested in donating, contact your local center and make sure they can accommodate your donation. As stated earlier, there are exceptions to this, so call your local blood bank to make sure you can donate or not.
Even if you had an STD and recovered, the blood bank may still ask you not to donate blood.
Each blood bank is different, and while it may be safe for you to donate blood, there are different rules and restrictions for different donation centers. If you had an STD and recovered, the blood bank may still ask you not to donate blood. Blood banks are more concerned about future infections than past ones. They dont want to take the risk of you passing on an infection. This is why they ask people to wait 12 months after recovering from an STD before donating blood again, even if it was cured during that time period. They want to be sure you are not still infected or contagious, so they will test your blood for HIV/AIDS and other STDs after your first donation in order to determine if further donations are allowed by law or policy at that facility .
Blood banks do their best to keep donated blood safe, but they only screen for certain diseases.
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If You Might Have Herpes
Wondering if you have herpes and want to know before you donate blood? See your doctor to get tested for herpes and other common sexually transmitted infections , especially if youve recently had sex with a new partner.
Now that youve decided that youre eligible to donate blood, where do you donate?
Here are some resources to figure out where the nearest blood donation center is in your area:
- Use the Find a Drive tool at the Red Cross website to find a local blood drive using your zip code.
- Look for a local blood bank using the AABB website.
Infected With Herpes Can I Donate Blood
Dear Alice,
Is it safe for someone with herpes to donate blood? I know someone with HIV or hepatitis should not, but what Ive read suggests that herpes doesnt hang out in the blood. I used to be a regular donor, but since I contracted herpes some years ago, Ive stopped. Would it be safe for me to start again?
If you have genital herpes can you still give blood?
Dear readers,
Your thoughtfullness is much appreciated by the recipients of your blood donations! While you are correct that persons infected with HIV or hepatitis are not able to give blood, people who have herpes are generally not restricted from donating. However, during a primary outbreak of herpes , a person infected with herpes should not donate blood. The very first time the symptoms of herpes manifest, its possible for a small amount of the virus to enter the bloodstream. Also, it is generally not advisable to donate blood when youre not feeling well, be it due to a primary or recurrent outbreak of herpes, the flu, or another illness. When youre sick, your body is already trying to fight off an infection, and giving blood at such a time can put a little extra strain on your body.
A number of other health conditions may impact your ability to donate blood. You can check out the American Red Cross eligibility guidelines to find out more or to look up your specific medical issues and whether you can be a donor.
May 15, 2015Originally published
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Can I Donate Blood If Im A Cancer Survivor
Some people who have had cancer are not allowed to donate blood for a certain length of time after treatment. This is done partly to protect the donor, but it may also add an extra margin of safety for the person who receives the blood. If you arent sure if you are well enough to give blood, talk with your cancer care team before you try to donate.
While cancer has very rarely been transmitted through transplants of solid organs such as kidneys, there have been no reports of cancer transmission by blood transfusion. To check this, a group of researchers looked back in time at people who had received blood from donors who had developed cancer within 5 years of giving the blood. They found no increased cancer risk in those who got blood from those who were found to have cancer soon after donating.
This suggests that the chance of getting cancer from a blood donor with cancer is extremely small, if it exists at all. Even if cancer cells were present in donated blood, the immune system of the person getting the blood would destroy the cells. A possible exception might be in transfusion recipients with weakened immune systems, who might not be able to fight off the cancer cells. Because of this slight possibility, people whose cancer is thought to be growing or spreading are not allowed to donate blood for other people.
You cannot donate blood for other people if:
If you have questions about whether you can donate, please contact the blood collecting center in your community.
Organ And/or Tissue Transplant
Recent organ or tissue transplants would disqualify you from being a donor. You have to wait for 3 months after the operation before becoming eligible.
In the case of dura mater or brain covering transplant, this results in permanent disqualification from being a blood or plasma donor. This is because of the possibility of CJD or other TSE transmission.
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Intravenous Drugs And Use Of Pharmaceutical Products Without A Doctors Prescription
The use of intravenous drugs, even just once, means you may not donate blood.
The use of intravenous pharmaceutical products without a doctors prescription, even just once, prevents you from donating blood.
If your sex partner has used intravenous drugs or other intravenous pharmaceutical products without doctors prescription, please call our information number in order to check your eligibility to donate blood.
Drug use prevents blood donation. An isolated case of trying drugs or casual use of drugs other than intravenous drugs causes a temporary, two week long obstacle to blood donation.
Would you like more information? Please call the free information number for blood donors on +358 800 0 5801 .
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Why Genital Herpes Comes Back
Genital herpes is caused by a virus called herpes simplex. Once you have the virus, it stays in your body.
It will not spread in your body to cause blisters elsewhere. It stays in a nearby nerve and causes blisters in the same area.
If you can, avoid things that trigger your symptoms.
Triggers can include:
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What Would Restrict Me From Donating
As mentioned, there would be a medical history screening and a test for transmissible diseases before you get a pass. If you have a background history of a certain disease, you may be disqualified. It can be a severe chronic condition or an illness caused by a transmissible virus. You will not be allowed to donate blood or plasma.
Heres a list of conditions that would hinder you from being a donor, along with some common requests regarding eligibility.
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