Requirements that must be met if you want to donate bone marrow: procedures, safety, side effects, and benefits

Bone marrow is the soft fatty tissue inside the bones that produces blood cells. Certain diseases or medical conditions, such as lymphoma cancer, leukemia, and sickle cell anemia, can cause the bone marrow to malfunction or even destroy. Chemotherapy and cancer radiation therapy can also cause bone marrow damage. Bone marrow donors are needed by these people to replace their damaged or crushed bone marrow with healthy ones. But not just anyone can become a donor. If you want to donate some of what you have, there are bone marrow donor requirements that must be met first.

What are the requirements for a bone marrow donor?

A number of conditions for bone marrow donation are made to protect the health of the donor's body as well as those who receive it. For that, first learn what you must fulfill before donating. The following are general kidney donor requirements, reported from Be The Match:

• Age between 18-44 years - Those of you who are older can donate, but there is a higher risk of complications.
• Have a BMI maximum of 40 - donors who are severely underweight need further evaluation
• Do not have autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, PCOS, fibromyalgia, rheumatism, severe psoriasis
• Do not have a blood disease or disorder, such as hemophilia, DVT (active and / or history), aplastic anemia, blood clotting disorders such as Von Willebrand's disease, or are taking blood thinners
• Do not have HIV / AIDS, cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis B or C
• Have no heart disease, including a history of stroke, stroke TIA, intracranial hemorrhage, heart attack, angioplasty, bypass surgery, heart valve replacement surgery, use of pacemakers, or brain injury and surgery - even if recovering
• Do not have chronic kidney disease, such as polycystic kidney or chronic glomerulonephritis. If your kidney is removed due to disease, you cannot donate. However, if you have kidney stones, you can still donate
• Do not have a history of recurrence of epilepsy more than once a year. Epilepsy that is controlled with drugs can still be donated
• Do not have cancer, including melanoma skin cancer. However, breast, bladder, and cervical cancer that has recovered may be allowed
• You should not donate if you have donated one or more of these organs: heart, lungs, kidneys, blood stem cells. Apart from this it may be permissible, depending on the reason
• Not pregnant
• Did not have active tuberculosis in the past two years
• Have no chronic pain problems in the spine, back, hips, or spine that hinder activity or that require routine prescription / physical therapy drugs

I meet all the requirements for a bone marrow donor, but have other conditions not mentioned above. Can I still be a donor?

If you have hypertension, as long as your blood pressure is well controlled by medications and a healthy diet and don't have heart disease caused by the condition, you may be allowed to donate your bone marrow.

If your diabetes is well controlled with diet or medication (other than insulin) you will generally be allowed to register. But if you take insulin or if you have other serious health problems related to diabetes such as complications of the kidney, heart, nerves or eye disease, you will not be allowed to donate.

People who have had hip replacement surgery or have had a hip fracture cannot donate their bone marrow.

Mental illnesses such as depression, manic-depressive disorder, even ADHD and bipolar disorder do not prevent you from donating as long as the condition is controlled with medication. However, people who have delusional disorder or active schizophrenia are not allowed.

You are allowed to donate spinal cord even if you have asthma, allergies, and / or tattoos or body piercings.

If you have or have had a sexually transmitted disease such as herpes, HPV, chlamydia, or syphilis, you are still eligible to register for a bone marrow donor, but this should be further evaluated to confirm eligibility.