UA Little Rock Staff Senate is partnering with the Our Blood Institute, a nonprofit blood center whose volunteer donors provide blood to patients in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Issues and Answers

Answers to common issues:

  • Donors cannot be on antibiotics, blood thinners or had hepatitis.
  • If a donor has an elevated heart rate (We will give you a few minutes and a bottle of water to see if it lessens).
  • Promote and educate acceptable iron levels (#1 reason people cannot donate blood). Tea consumption can lower your iron levels which could prevent donation.
  • It is okay to donate blood with high cholesterol, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes even while taking meds
  • It is okay to donate blood after receiving the flu vaccine
  • It is okay to donate blood taking most anti-depressants, ADHD medications
  • Cancer survivors can donate if they have been cancer free for a minimum of 1 year
  • Tattoos are ok if they were done at a licensed facility in Arkansas and a few other select states. If a potential donor received a tattoo outside of approved states, it must be a year old to be eligible to donate. No self-made tattoos allowed

Additional information can be found Arkansas Blood Institute’s website.

Nutrition

Here are some tips about your nutrition related to blood donation:

  • (Before donating start eating beef, lamb, liver, pork, chicken, fish and shell fish, dried fruit, green, leafy vegetables, beans, peas, nuts &, whole/multi-grains…)
  • Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Consume several glasses/bottles of water to open up veins and promote good blood flow during the donation.
  • Avoid drinking tea a few days before the blood drive (tannic acid can interfere with iron absorption)