Dear doctor,

I have been to hospital many times but never bothered to ask for my blood group. Is it important to know my group urgently?

Henry

Dear Henry,

It is important to know one’s blood group. Firstly, it adds to one’s identity like name, age, birth mark, etc. In case of an accident, knowledge about your blood group comes in handy. If there is severe blood loss and an urgent blood transfusion is required, knowing your blood group will save time that would have otherwise been spent on tests. It is not only for receiving but also donating blood in any emergency. situatrion,

Studies have also shown people of certain blood groups to be more prone to certain health issues. For example, women with blood group O have fewer viable eggs, hence are less fertile. People with blood group A are more prone to stress and even gastric cancer. Those having blood group AB, have increased susceptibility to deep vein thrombosis and coronary artery disease. If a woman is rhesus negative and her husband is rhesus positive, then during pregnancy she has a high risk of miscarriage.

Therefore it is vital to know the blood group. However it can be done at the first convenient opportunity. It hardly takes about 5 minutes to know the results.

Dr Rachna Pande is a specialist in internal medicine at Ruhengeri Hospital