Bleed with AIDA for your soup and sherry.
Are you free of flu? – we need you!
AIDA Polokwane will be hosting a special WINTER bleed on Wednesday 14 July 2010 at the South African National Blood Service (SANBS) Donor Centre in Polokwane, 153 Potgieter Avenue.
Healthy blood donors are the SANBS most important means to maintaining a sufficient, safe blood supply during winter when bloodstocks normally decrease drastically. Decreased bloodstocks are due to many regular donors
suffering from colds and flu, which prohibits them from donating blood. A lot of the blood donors that are healthy are also taking a break during the school holiday.
Blood transfusions are not only given in emergency situations, but also for people with cancer, those undergoing operations and for newborn babies.
People over 16 years of age, who weigh more than 50 kg, are in good health and most importantly, lead a sexually safe lifestyle, can donate blood.
At the same time we request blood donors to take care of their health by following these simple guidelines:
- Wash your hands regularly - most cold and flu viruses are spread by direct contact.
- Keep your hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth - cold and flu viruses cling to your bare hands and enter your body through the eyes, nose and mouth.
- Get enough sleep - staying well rested keeps your immune system strong so that it can fight off germs.
- Drink plenty of fluids - water flushes your system, washing out the germs and toxins as it rehydrates you.
- Exercise moderately - exercise helps to increase the body’s natural virus-killing cells.
- Limit your alcohol intake - alcohol can be dehydrating which, in turn, may decrease your resistance to bacteria.
- Eat yoghurt - some studies have shown that eating a daily cup of low-fat yoghurt can reduce your susceptibility to colds by 25 percent.
- Don’t smoke - statistics show that smokers get more frequent and severe colds than non-smokers.
- Eat fresh fruit and vegetables daily - the natural chemicals in fresh fruit and vegetables provide the vitamins you need to strengthen your immune system.
- Stay home if you are sick - if you go to work when you are sick, you deprive yourself of the rest you need to overcome your illness and you spread your germs to other employees.
- Get fresh air - during cold weather more people stay indoors, which means more germs are circulating in crowded, dry rooms.
- Avoid close contact with people who have a cold
- Relax - when you’re stressed, your body secretes adrenaline, which can compromise your immune system.
More info from Dottie Pinn at SANBS Polokwane 015 297 3636
