Donating blood could be a frightening prospect for those with a fear of needles. But Velma Fenton, a registered nurse team leader with the Mid-Illinois Chapter of the American Red Cross, encouraged those who are eligible to give it a try.

Donors must weigh between 110 and 350 pounds. Sixteen-year-olds can donate with parental consent, and there is no upper age limit for giving blood. A person can donate as often as every eight weeks.

Each unit of blood, which takes about an hour and a half to collect, can help save multiple lives. A unit of blood yields red cells, plasma, platelets and cryoprecipitate after a unit is separated out. These products can be used in the treatments of surgery or chemotherapy patients, people with chronic illness and trauma and burn victims, Fenton said.

"Most of the time they're just afraid," Fenton said of first-time donors. "It's that fear of the unknown. Once they do it, they figure out it's not a big deal and come back."

Here is Fenton's advice for ensuring a successful donation experience:

"You should eat well for a week," she said. "High iron-rich foods are good: raisins, cream of wheat, red meat."

Drink plenty of fluids and stay hydrated the day of the donation. Drinking more water or juice after a donation can help a person's body replace lost fluid, too.

"Within 24 hours, your volume is replenished, so you don't feel as tired," Fenton said.

Eating a good meal before giving blood can also help donors keep from experiencing a queasy or nauseated feeling during the donation process.

Those who want to get tattoed will soon be able to give blood, too. A law that went into effect Jan. 1 requires regulation of Illinois tattoo parlors, Fenton said. This will allow Illinois residents who get tattoos after the regulation begins to skip the usual one-year wait before being able to donate again.

Annie Getsinger can be reached at agetsinger@herald-review.com or 421-6968.