How Far would you go to make a little extra cash?

At some point everyone has had a need for a little bit of extra cash. For me it has been often, and yesterday was one of those days. So over the last several years off and on now I have gone down to donate plasma because I simply needed a little money quickly between paychecks. It can be for something simple like gas or groceries. I have watched the videos and read the materials several times and they give you most or all of the benefits upfront. Yet as for the health concerns it seems they have only ever minimized them.

Plasma is a straw-colored liquid that carries the red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.

According to a donation centers web site they give all the benefits of why we should donate plasma. Even list a variety of ways plasma can be use to help people with different kinds of deceases. Interesting that the website does not list the negatives or consequences of donating plasma.

So yesterday being the day I needed the yearly exam, I answered the questions truthfully. Well, needless to say I was told I needed a note from a doctor saying that since I have stopped taking medicines it would be OK for me to donate. Today I decided to finally look up the positives and negatives of donating plasma!

The positive side to donating plasma

must follow strict safety regulations to ensure plasma quality and safety

• First and most talked about positive reason for donating plasma is the idea your helping someone in need.
• Apparently it might help reduce cardiovascular disease, however the researchers can not explain why!
• Can be paid for your time spent donating plasma.

Negatives of donating plasma

Most people tend to have feelings such as

dehydration, tired feeling, chest pain, weak/rapid pulse, and a dizziness or a sore arm

These are more of the short term side effects. For my experience these are the main or only risks the plasma centers tell you may occur. What about the long term side effects

Long term plasma donation lowers immunoglobulin levels, which affects the immune system and puts donors at risk for serious health complications like pneumonia.

complications include lowering serotonin and endorphin levels in the blood, making depression, mental disorders, and increased anxiety or panic attacks worse

Just looking at these long term risks that can go with donating plasma, I'm wondering if it is part of a larger medical problem going on in the United States. The medicines I was taken were in ways to counter act some of these long term health problems. I really am surprised that with these major health concerns plasma centers are not required to tell you about the potential health risks of long term donation, or if they do it is minimized so you do not remember it.

Is donating worth your time and health?

“I call it a grubby business because they knowingly endanger the health of donors in the U.S. by harvesting them twice a week, while in every other place in the world you’re only allowed to donate fortnightly, ” Reynolds says

I will leave you to decide!

Conclusion

I want to thank you for reading this far, please resteem, upvote and follow. Feel free to leave a comment if you have had a good or bad experience over the years with donating plasma!

Image Source 1, 2, 3

Sources 1, 2, 3, 4

Thanks to SteemVerify.com and @elyaque

Thanks to @papa-pepper for the last gif.