DEAR DR. GOTT:
I have donated over three gallons of blood over the past few years. Blood donation is important and I am glad I can do it. Despite calls over the past couple of months from my blood bank wanting my particular blood type, I’ve been reluctant to go. The reason is that for the past year or so, I have begun having burning sensations and pain in and around the area where the needles are inserted. What’s going on? Should I continue to donate blood from that arm?
DEAR READER:
To the best of my knowledge, donating blood is safe. Perhaps you are experiencing problems now because of your history of donating. If you use the same arm each time, you may have developed scar tissue at the place the needle is inserted. This could be pushing on the sensitive tissues and nerves in your arm causing the pain and burning. If you still wish to donate blood, I suggest using a different vein. Perhaps one in your hand, other arm or even your foot will work as well.
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