bleeding and making blood

[samdale]

random topic but hey.
just wondering if anyone knows how quickly the body can make blood?
obviously if you give blood (c.1 pint) you shouldn't do so again for 12 weeks but is this really how long it takes our body to replace that pint?
also does it depend how much you've lost as to how fast it gets made.
say you ended up losing 10ml a day everyday, would the body be able to keep up?

don't worry im not emo just had a very boring day with too much thinking time

[esselte]

I think the liquid component is made up within hours but the red blood cells take longer, a few weeks I think...

[Shaolin]

I imagine there's some supply and demand going on. If you need more red blood cells you'll start to make them at a higher rate than the usual replacement rate as they wear out. If atheletes train at altitude for instance they make more which are them reduced when they come back down to lower altitudes. No idea on how many in what time scale though.

[jims2]

Well i have a condition called haemochromatosis which basically means my body is retaining iron, its genetic. Only fix for it is to have blood removed which im doing at the rate of a pint every week. Have had 20 pints taken so far and im told i will be doing this for at least a year to get it under control.
Worst part is it goes straight in the bin as its no use to anyone with the high
iron levels.

Jim

[Shaolin]

I bet you've got well dark poo.