Knowing your blood type is crucial information that can possibly save your life or someone else’s. Get to know the different blood types below and learn more about why it is important to know the type of blood you have to ensure safe blood transfusions in the future.
The importance of knowing your blood type
Medical emergencies can happen throughout one’s lifetime like getting into accidents, or blood loss from surgery. There are also quite a number of severe health conditions that require transfusion of healthy blood so knowing your blood type from the get-go can potentially save your life. Receiving the wrong blood type can lead to blood clumping or agglutination which can be fatal to one’s health.
Having certain blood types can also determine if you are more likely to develop serious symptoms from illnesses or if you are at risk of suffering from cancer.
How do you determine your blood type?
Blood typing is a fast and safe procedure and should be conducted by a phlebotomist in a sanitized area. There is no need to do fasting and the procedure is similar to the process of extracting blood during your annual checkups. After extraction, your blood is tested against different antibodies to determine how it reacts which can serve as an indicator of what type of blood you have.
The ABO and Rh systems
According to the Red Cross, there are four major blood groups that are determined by the presence or absence of specific antigens in your blood. We often refer to these as letters in our blood type: A, B, AB, or O.
The Red Cross explains that antigens are “substances in your blood that can trigger an immune response if they are foreign to the body.” This means if the wrong blood type is transfused to a patient, certain antigens in the blood may prompt the patient’s immune system to attack the transfused blood, resulting to blood clots, a medical emergency, or even death.
On top of this, we also have to consider the presence of another antigen in your blood called the RhD protein. We often refer to this as “positive” or “negative” and it serves a similar purpose of determining the compatibility of specific blood types with each other.
Here are the different blood types based on the ABO and Rh systems:
|
Type A |
Type B |
Type AB |
Type O |
|
Only has the A antigen on red cells (B antibody is found in the plasma) |
Only has the B antigen on red cells (A antibody is found in the plasma) |
Has both A and B antigens on red cells (neither antibody is present in the plasma) |
Has neither A nor B antigens on red cells (both antibodies are present in the plasma) |
|
Can donate red cells to type A or AB |
Can donate red cells to type B or AB |
Can donate red cells only to AB; plasma may be donated to all other blood types |
Universal donor; can donate red cells to any blood type |
|
A RhD positive (A+) |
B RhD positive (B+) |
AB RhD positive (AB+) |
O RhD positive (O+) |
|
A RhD negative (A-) |
B RhD negative (B-) |
AB RhD negative (AB-) |
O RhD negative (O-) |
Currently, these are eight known common blood types that you may already be familiar with: A+, A-, B+, B-, O+, O-, AB+, and AB-. It is important you note this on medical records, health cards, and even on your driver’s license to that medical teams can refer to this if you ever need a blood transfusion.
If you are qualified, regular blood donation is highly encouraged to help patients needing transfusion when illnesses, accidents, or emergencies arise.
No matter what your blood type may be, it is always important to have a healthy lifestyle. Keep your mind and body strong by fortifying your diet and exercising daily. Consult your doctor should you feel sick or if you want to have concerns regarding your holistic health.
General disclaimer
Your doctor will always be in the best position to give the appropriate medical advice for your condition. For suspected undesirable drug reaction, seek medical attention immediately and report to the FDA at www.fda.gov.ph and UNILAB, Inc. at 8-UNILAB-1 or productsafety@unilab.com.ph. Always buy your medicine from your trusted drugstores and retailers.
Sources:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/218285
https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/blood-types.html
https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/blood-types/know-your-blood-type.html
https://www.science.org.au/curious/people-medicine/understanding-different-blood-types
https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/what-does-your-blood-type-mean-for-your-health
https://www.pennmedicine.org/updates/blogs/health-and-wellness/2019/april/blood-types
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/blood-groups/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2265/
https://www.healthline.com/health/blood-typing#followup
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