Lightheadedness, dizziness, or, in extreme cases, fainting can sometimes happen during the donation process. Usually, these side effects can be prevented by drinking plenty of water and eating a healthy meal before and after donating your plasma. In most cases, fainting occurs when a donor is fasting before donation or has a very strong fear of needles.

As you may know from standard blood tests, needles can sometimes cause some bruising. During plasma donation, some donors might experience minor bruising (although this is uncommon). As you may know, some people’s veins are harder to access than others. This is why we regularly train all of our KEDPLASMA phlebotomists (those amazing employees who take your blood) and match every donor with the right phlebotomist for their vein type. This should make donating even easier than before!

It’s not uncommon to feel a bit tired after donating plasma. This is your body’s way of responding to losing fluids and proteins. Staying hydrated and having a light snack can help alleviate this. We also recommend not doing strenuous physical activity immediately after donating to give your body some time to recover.

In some rare cases, donors might feel like they have a headache after donating plasma. This is often due to dehydration. Since plasma contains a lot of water, it is very important to drink a lot of water (around 16 ounces) to prepare and replenish your liquids after donation. Please note that dehydration after donating plasma is usually not severe and passes quickly.

Some donors wonder if they’re at risk for disease during the donation process. Absolutely not! For each and every donation, a new, sealed, sterile, one-time-use package is used to collect your plasma.  The needle placement site is sterilized. Your blood never leaves the closed system during the process. 

Plasma donation is safe, easy, and life-changing for patients worldwide who need your help. What are you waiting for? Head into your nearest KEDPLASMA center and donate today!