Hi Rong Shan
Congratulation on your blood donation. We need more civic minded and selfless people to donate blood so other patients could live. For that, I salute you.
Before your blood donation, your doctor would have done a basic blood count test and make sure your haemoglobin level is above 12 g/dl before sending you to the blood donation room.
After donating 1 unit of blood (which can vary from 300mls for a small size donor to 450mls for a bigger size one), the general rule is that your haemoglobin level will drop about 1 g/dl, so it may go down to about 11 g/dl.
This is usually not enough to cause anaemic symptoms, and most donors will go about their life without any trouble.
What you experience can be due to anaemia, or it can be due to something else. If you really are anaemic, then there may be something else that is causing the anaemia, and you will need to see a doctor for further investigation.
What i recommend is for you to see your family doctor, and he will examine you for other possible causes if your dizziness and shortness of breath, and may have to do a blood test to ascertain your blood count level. Let him know about your blood donation and the date of the donation. The donation usually cause a small drop, which he will take into account when analysing your report.
And remember the small packet of iron tablets that the blood bank gave you? Try to start taking it. If you really are anaemic from the blood donation, taking the iron tablets will help your body to replenish the lost blood again.
Thank you once again for your donation, and cheers!
Dr Seah Heap Yong (who is also a regular blood donor)
