Maryland's Health Matters - Upper Chesapeake - Winter 2013 - (Page 13)

AT A G L A N C E THE TRUTH ABOUT BLOOD BY THE NUMB ER S It's the ultimate, overachieving multitasker, and it's irreplaceable. (There's no making it in a lab.) It's your blood. Every minute, this life-giving liquid is performing a number of different jobs. Here's what keeps it so busy. THE DELIVERER There's a reason it's called the circulatory system. Blood delivers oxygen to the lungs and transports nutrients, hormones and proteins to the places that need them. THE PROTECTOR The platelets in your blood ensure clotting occurs when you get a cut; the white blood cells search and destroy invading germs and viruses. 120 | 6 | <1 The number of days red blood cells, platelets and white blood cells live, respectively. The percentage of your total body weight that blood accounts for. 12/9 7-8% The average man has 12 pints of blood in his body; the average woman has 9. THE TRASH COLLECTOR Your blood is in charge of rounding up waste and dumping it off at the liver and kidneys, which then clean things up. The time it takes blood to circulate to < 60 <60 every single cell in your body. SECONDS THE THERMOSTAT We wouldn't be warm-blooded creatures without ... well, our blood. It helps ensure you stay a balmy 98.6 degrees. THE PERFECT MATCH There are four possible blood types: A, B, AB and O. Blood types are inherited, and the majority of Americans are either O positive (39 percent) or A positive (31 percent). Where does most donated blood go? Not to trauma patients, as you might guess. Actually, the people who need the most blood include cancer patients and those undergoing cardiovascular, transplant and orthopaedic surgeries. scheduled for Dec. 18! Call HealthLink at 800-515-0044 to learn more or sign up. 4 The number of elements that make up your blood: red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma and platelets. The universal donor A O AB Compatible with A and AB B A A AB O AB B B AB Compatible with B and AB donor AB Can only be given to other AB patients recipient uchs.org | Winter 2013 13 http://www.uchs.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Maryland's Health Matters - Upper Chesapeake - Winter 2013

Maryland's Health Matters - Upper Chesapeake - Winter 2013
Contents
A Healthy Start
Head Strong
Weighing Your Options
A Lifesaving Gift
At a Glance
News and Events

Maryland's Health Matters - Upper Chesapeake - Winter 2013