Your body.
Biology, side effects, recovery and everyday life between donations.
18 guides
Alcohol, smoking and blood donation, the honest rules
No alcohol for 24 hours before donating. Smoking doesn't disqualify you. Drugs: declare. The questionnaire exists to protect you and the patient.
Blood disorders, explained, anaemia to thalassemia, sickle cell and more
The major blood disorders in plain language, anaemia, thalassemia, sickle cell disease, haemophilia, leukemia, dengue's platelet effect, what patients need, and why regular voluntary donors matter for every single one.
Blood donation and exercise, the gym, running and rest
Walk after donating; skip the heavy gym for a day. How to plan workouts around donation, and why athletes make excellent regular donors.
Blood donation side effects, the honest list
What is normal after donating (dizziness, bruising, soreness) how to care for each, and the signs that need medical attention.
Blood group inheritance, how ABO and Rh actually work
Why blood groups exist, how a child's group is decided from the parents', where negative groups come from, and the rare Bombay blood group. Plain-language genetics.
Bone marrow, the factory inside your bones
How bone marrow makes billions of blood cells daily, what raw materials it needs, and why blood donation never leaves you 'running empty.'
Bruising after blood donation, what it is and what to do
Why a bruise forms at the needle site, how to care for it, how long it lasts, and the rare signs that need a doctor.
Haemoglobin and anaemia, the 12.5 rule, iron, and donating
What haemoglobin does, why India's donor cutoff is 12.5 g/dL, how to read a low-Hb result, and how vegetarians keep iron up. Plain language, NBTC-aligned.
How much blood does a human have?
The average adult has about 5 litres of blood, here's how that's calculated, why donation is safe, and where the 50 kg weight floor comes from.
Is blood donation safe?
Yes, for healthy adults under standard eligibility rules. What actually happens to your body, and the safeguards that protect donors.
Plasma, the liquid that carries everything
What blood plasma is, the proteins it carries, why frozen plasma lasts up to a year, and who depends on it, from burn victims to liver patients.
Platelets, the emergency repair crew
What platelets are, how clotting works, why they last only five days in storage, and why dengue season makes platelet donation vital in Assam.
Red blood cells, the oxygen couriers
What red blood cells do, why their shape and haemoglobin matter, how long they live, and why they're the heart of every blood transfusion.
What happens when you lose blood?
From a nosebleed to a serious injury, how your body responds to blood loss, when it becomes dangerous, and why a 450 ml donation is the safe end of the spectrum.
What is blood? The complete biology, in plain language
What blood is made of, what each component does, how your body makes it, and why understanding this makes you a better donor. NBTC-aligned, plain language.
When to seek medical help after donating blood
The clear red-flag list after blood donation, bleeding that won't stop, spreading swelling, fever, fainting, chest symptoms, and where to go.
White blood cells, your immune army
Meet neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils and basophils, and find out why donated blood is filtered to remove most white cells.
Why is blood red? (And why do veins look blue?)
The physics and chemistry of blood colour, haemoglobin and iron, bright vs dark red, why veins look blue, and the one animal with truly blue blood.