You would be surprised how many people in the United States live with blood disorders.

All around the country, those in phlebotomy schools are constantly asking people to participate in blood drives because the need for healthy blood has never been more prominent.

Here is a list of eight common blood disorders that require good blood donations.

1. Anemia

People who suffer from anemia have a really low number of blood cells. Even though mild anemia usually has no symptoms, severe anemia can cause people to be fatigued, have pale skin and constantly experience shortness of breath.

2. Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia

According to people in phlebotomy schools, individuals with this condition have an overactive immune system that destroys their red blood cells, which can cause anemia.

3. Sickle Cell Anemia

Individuals with this condition experience stiff and sticky red blood cells. This causes blockage to the blood flow, and intense pain and even organ damage can occur.

4. Polycythemia Vera

In this condition, the body produces too many blood cells. The cause behind this is unknown, but the extra amount of red blood cells typically creates no problems.

5. Malaria

Even though this condition is not very common in the United States, it is prominent in places like Africa. Malaria is caused by mosquitoes, which transmit a parasite into the blood of the person they bite.

6. Lymphoma

This form of blood cancer develops in the lymph-system. The white blood cells become malignant and start multiplying abnormally.

7. Sepsis

This is when an infection in the body spreads into the blood. It can cause fevers, respiratory failure, and low blood pressure.

8. Hemophilia

Those in phlebotomy schools around the world will say that this is probably one of the most common disorders out there. The bodies of people with this disorder have a hard time making blood clots when bleeding due to a genetic deficiency of certain proteins.

If you or a loved one has recently graduated from a phlebotomy training school, it?s time to party. Throwing a phlebotomy-themed celebration is the perfect way to commemorate such a significant achievement.

Themed parties are all the rage, but you?d probably be hard-pressed to find phlebotomy-themed party supplies at your local store. Phlebotomy schools are fully stocked with the tools required to draw blood, but your craft station probably isn?t.

No fear, most of the following decorating ideas can be created with common household items. Any required medical supplies, such as scrubs and hospital bracelets, can be found fairly cheaply online.

Fake Blood Drawing Kit

Set the proper mood with fake blood drawing kits at each place setting. Mirror a kit you would find in phlebotomy schools by filling a tray with a hospital band with the guest?s name written on it, a small paper cup filled with pill-shaped candies, a plastic specimen cup and a large syringe filled with something sweet and creamy, like Nutella.

Test Tube Vases

Test tubes are perfect vases for single blood-red roses and larger beakers can hold full arrangements to liven up the space.

?Cotton? Sterilizing Pads

Further, decorate the space with jars of cotton sterilizing pads. Place white cotton candy loosely pulled apart in labeled jars.

Candy Plasma

While you might not be able to find this particular candy at your local candy store, vials of candy plasma can be purchased online. Plasma has never looked so yummy.

Blood Punch

Taste of Home has the perfect recipe for a phlebotomy-themed party: Blood Orange Punch. The drink is a mix of cranberry juice, lemon juice, sugar, and blood orange Italian soda.

Ketchup Syringes

If you?re serving hot dogs, burgers or anything that may require ketchup, continue the theme by filling syringes with ketchup. Place the syringes in a bowl of ketchup, labeled with blood type for easy refills, of course.

Blood Cell Desert

Create red blood cell cupcakes for dessert by adding red food coloring to white cupcake mix. Top the cupcakes with red icing and red M&M?s or Red Hots to complete the look.

Pill Caddy

Treat your guests to a fun party favor that they can take home. A days-of-the-week pill caddy filled with seven different candies is a great favor idea.

These fun phlebotomy-themed party ideas are sure to make your party a success?you?ll be the envy of graduates from phlebotomy schools from California to the Big Apple.

Imagine someone at the doctor?s office. After a brief consultation about symptoms and severity, the doctor says they will need to run some blood tests to help perform the correct diagnosis. A phlebotomist or someone else that has taken phlebotomy courses will draw the blood sample (or samples).

Then what?

While blood testing may seem so hush-hush since so little of it is visible to patients, the reality is that all time in blood testing is time well spent. After the sample is collected and properly labeled for the patient, it is sent to the lab?in-house or outsourced to a lab?so that laboratory technicians can read the results.

There are quite a few different tests to be performed on each sample of blood. While some are tests used for large scale blood donation, other tests are used by doctors and physicians to determine which illness is plaguing their patients.

With chemistry tests, the blood is tested for chemicals that indicate disease. It can be a test to monitor blood sugar for diabetes or tests to indicate if a person is using illegal drugs.

Hematology has more to do with the blood itself, not what is found along with it. Phlebotomy courses focus more on these tests since most of those who go on to graduate will study things like cell count and protein levels of plasma.

Both immunology and molecular diagnostics tests are lumped together here. These tests are more complex and are often used to see if the immune system is functioning properly. Phlebotomy courses only graze the surface of these tests, as the tests cover things like DNA and RNA analysis to determine disease risk, as well as tests to uncover autoimmune diseases.

Virology tests look at the possibility of viral infection. Virology blood tests look at how the immune system of the patient reacted to the virus. Tests include those used for flu viruses and HIV.

Transfusion services are another test group that those who have taken phlebotomy courses are more likely to cover. They look at blood types and distribute the blood to those who need it after tests are performed to determine if the blood is safe and ready for use.

Although it may seem like a long and arduous process, all of this is usually done in a period of 24-48 hours, keeping both patient and doctor in the know.