Know your Blood Type Now🩸

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Blood is essential in our overall body. The blood brings oxygen and nutrients to all the parts of the body to keep working. Blood also carries carbon dioxide and other waste materials to the lungs, kidneys, and digestive system to be removed from the body. It also fights infections and carries hormones around the body.

`Did you know?💡`

`The amount of blood in the human body is generally equivalent to 7 percent of body weight.`

There are eight main blood types:

A positive, A negative, B positive, B negative, AB positive, AB negative, O positive, and O negative.

The positive and negative refers to your Rh type (once called Rhesus). Your blood group is determined by the genes you inherited from your parents.

Determining your blood type

The test to determine your blood group is called ABO typing.

Your blood sample is mixed with antibodies against type A and B blood. Then, the sample is checked to see whether or not the blood cells stick together. If blood cells stick together, it means the blood reacted with one of the antibodies.

Reasons why you should know your blood type

Honestly, many people don’t know what blood type they have. Some may think it isn’t important because hospitals check blood type before any surgeries, however, in most cases, they do, but there are several other reasons that you should know for yourself.

Some people will know what their blood type is if they have recently donated blood or if they have certain medical conditions, but it isn’t necessary at the lead of your mind. Well, I just found out mine, when I'm required for blood typing 4 years ago.

I have a blood type of B+ (positive).

Your blood type is more than a word and a symbol. It’s a precious and priceless gift for people in need of life-saving transfusions and it has the key to knowing your health better.

Medical Emergencies

This is the first reason, why you should know your blood type. For you to get the right transfusion in an emergency. Doctors need to know what blood type you have to avoid the risk of giving you an incompatible blood type during surgery or for another medical need. Getting an incompatible blood type can cause your blood cells to clump, which can be fatal.

Blood Donation

One of the best reasons to know your blood type is to help others through blood donations. Sometimes certain blood types will be called out to the public to donate if possible due to an emergency or low supply. It’s important to know your blood type so you can donate and provide for that particular need.

Ideally, blood transfusions are done with donated blood that's an exact match for both type and Rh factor. However:

Blood type AB-positive is the universal recipient and can receive blood from all types despite only being able to donate to other AB types
Blood type O is commonly known as the universal donor because of its ability to supply red blood cells to nearly any recipient
A universal plasma donor is a person who has type AB blood
The universal red cell donor is someone who has type O blood

Health Risks

Not all of the results are precise, but studies have shown that some blood types have slightly higher risks of certain diseases.

Heart Attack and Heart Disease

If you have the ABO gene — a gene that’s present in people with A, B, or AB blood types. The only blood type that doesn’t have this gene is Type O, and you live in an area with high pollution levels, you may be at a greater risk of heart attack than those who don’t have the gene.

Brain Function and Memory Loss

People who have blood types A, B, and AB are up to 82 percent more likely to develop cognition and memory problems — which can lead to dementia — compared to those with Type O.

Cancers

People with Type A blood have been found to have a higher risk of stomach cancer specifically, compared to those with other blood types.

The ABO gene may play a role with heightened cancer risk, as well. This gene has been connected to other cancers, including lung, breast, colorectal, prostate, liver, and cervical cancers.

Participants with type B had a 10% higher risk of artery disease and type AB had a 23% higher risk

People with type A blood were 5% more likely to develop coronary artery disease than those with type O

Type O participants had the lowest risk of heart disease

Just because your blood group has risked it doesn’t mean these are inevitable. There are ways to avoid further increasing your risk. Increased risk does not mean you will develop the disease. It’s important to be aware, thatʼs why you must know your blood type to be healthier.

Being aware of how your blood type may impact your health is a good start.

Pregnancy

Blood typing will always be done during pregnancy by your provider. It is important to know the blood type before or during pregnancy.

In addition to blood type, women can have Rh factor (specifically Rhesus D antigen), which is when proteins appear on the surface of the blood. Women who do have Rh factors are classified as Rh positive (A+, B+, AB+, and O+), and women who don't are Rh negative (A-, B-, AB- and O). The blood type and Rh factor of a pregnant woman and the father of her baby can affect what blood type the baby has. When an Rh-negative woman (5-10 percent of women) has a baby with Rh-positive blood this is called Rh incompatibility. This is called Rhesus Disease, which can cause anemia, severe jaundice, and possibly fatal conditions in the newborn.

In addition to Rhesus Disease, there is also a condition called ABO incompatibility. This can happen when mom’s blood type is different than baby’s (if mom is blood type O, and baby is typed A, B, or AB; if mom is blood type A and baby is AB or B; if mom is blood type B and baby is A or AB). If the two different blood types blend, mom’s blood can occasionally develop antibodies that fight the baby’s. This can result in jaundice in the newborn.