Happiness is influenced by a complex interplay of various chemicals in our brain, particularly four key neurotransmitters, D.O.S.E or Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, and Endorphins. These chemicals, often referred to as "happiness chemicals," are responsible for creating feelings of joy, motivation, connection, and calm.

However, when there's a deficiency in any of these, it can significantly affect our mood, energy, and overall well-being. Let’s dive into what these four neurotransmitters are, how their deficiency impacts us, and how we can boost their levels naturally.

Dopamine: The Motivation and Reward Chemical

Dopamine is often called the "motivation molecule." It plays a major role in enabling motivation, learning, and the pleasure-reward system in the brain. When we accomplish something — whether it’s finishing a project, completing a workout, or achieving a goal — dopamine gives us that sense of satisfaction and determination to continue.

Deficiency Effects:

When dopamine levels are low, it can lead to procrastination, low self-esteem, lack of focus, and general fatigue. A person might feel anxious, hopeless, or experience mood swings because the brain isn’t getting the reward signals it needs.

Boosting Dopamine:

You can increase dopamine levels by setting and achieving small goals, exercising regularly, eating foods rich in L-Tyrosine (such as almonds, avocados, and eggs), and practicing mindfulness or meditation. Engaging in creative activities like writing or drawing also helps boost dopamine levels.

Oxytocin: The Bonding Chemical

Oxytocin is often referred to as the "love hormone" or "cuddle hormone" because it plays a major role in social bonding and trust. It’s released when we hug, touch, or engage in other forms of physical affection. Oxytocin fosters feelings of connection and emotional intimacy, making it essential for relationships, family bonding, and even team cooperation.

Deficiency Effects:

A lack of oxytocin can lead to feelings of loneliness, stress, anxiety, and difficulties in forming or maintaining relationships. Low oxytocin levels are associated with feelings of isolation and disconnection from others.

Boosting Oxytocin:

You can raise your oxytocin levels through physical touch, socialising, spending quality time with loved ones, and even engaging in activities like massage or listening to soothing music. Acts of kindness, such as helping others or volunteering, also help release oxytocin.

Serotonin: The Mood Stabiliser

Serotonin is responsible for feelings of well-being and contentment. It helps regulate mood, sleep, digestion, and even social behavior. People who have balanced serotonin levels often feel calm, confident, and emotionally stable. Serotonin is crucial in helping people feel valued and significant among their peers.

Deficiency Effects:

Low serotonin levels are linked to depression, low self-esteem, irritability, and mood swings. Individuals may feel overly sensitive to criticism, experience panic attacks, or struggle with social phobias when serotonin is deficient.

Boosting Serotonin:

You can boost serotonin by getting regular exercise, exposing yourself to sunlight, engaging in cold showers or massages, and practicing mindfulness. Simple activities like walking in nature, meditating, or doing yoga are also effective serotonin enhancers.

Endorphins: The Pain Reliever

Endorphins are the body’s natural painkillers. Released in response to stress, pain, or intense physical activity, they help alleviate discomfort and promote a sense of euphoria. Endorphins are what make you feel good after a workout or a hearty laugh, often referred to as the "runner's high."

Deficiency Effects:

Without enough endorphins, people may experience anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and insomnia. A deficiency in endorphins can make daily life feel overwhelming and physically draining.

Boosting Endorphins:

To boost endorphins, engage in laughter, exercise, and stretching activities. Eating spicy foods or dark chocolate can also stimulate endorphin production. Regular massage therapy and meditation are other ways to naturally elevate endorphin levels.

Heart attacks are often associated with severe chest pain, but health experts warned that many cases present with unusual symptoms such as jaw pain and nausea that are frequently ignored or mistaken for less serious conditions.

Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) or heart attacks is the leading cause of death worldwide, responsible for roughly 9 million deaths annually

Speaking to HealthandMe, the experts highlighted unusual symptoms that may indicate a heart attack — particularly in women, elderly people, and individuals with diabetes. These include:

• Jaw pain
• Nausea
• Sweating
• Dizziness
• Unusual fatigue
• Breathlessness
• Discomfort in the neck, back, or arms

Ignoring Symptoms Can Worsen Outcomes

Dr. Prasanthi Ganji, HOD - Emergency Medicine at Manipal Hospital, Gurugram, called these “referred symptoms”, where pain from the heart travels through shared nerve pathways and is felt in other parts of the body, including the jaw, neck, shoulders, or back.

The expert explained that nausea may occur because reduced blood flow and stress on the heart can affect the nervous system and digestive response.

Also read: Can Extreme Heat Trigger Heart Palpitations? Expert Explains Risks

According to her, many patients mistake these symptoms for acidity, fatigue, or muscle strain, leading to dangerous delays in treatment.

“Recognizing these warning signs during the critical golden hour can significantly improve survival and reduce long-term heart damage,” Dr. Prasanthi told HealthandMe, adding that symptoms lasting more than a few minutes should never be ignored.

Heart Attack: Silent Symptoms Often Overlooked

Dr. Saifa M. Latheef, Associate Professor and Clinical Head – Emergency Medicine at ShardaCare-Healthcity, said public awareness about silent or unusual heart attack symptoms remains low.

“Many people believe that a heart attack always causes severe chest pain. However, this is not true in every case,” she said.

Dr. Saifa noted that some patients may experience heaviness in the jaw, vomiting sensation, breathlessness, or extreme weakness without chest pain, causing them to delay emergency care.

“A heart attack occurs when blood flow to the heart suddenly gets blocked, making immediate medical attention crucial to save heart muscle and prevent complications,” the doctor told HealthandMe.

Doctors Warn Against Delaying Treatment

The health experts also flagged the delaying attitude of patients, which increases the risk of poorer outcomes.

Dr. Nitin Jagasia, Regional Director Emergency, Western Region, Apollo Hospitals, said the biggest mistake patients make is waiting too long before seeking help.

“As an emergency doctor, I meet patients every day who say, ‘Doctor, I thought it would go away,’” he told HealthandMe.

Dr. Jagasia warned that heart attacks do not always begin with crushing chest pain and that unusual symptoms like nausea, sweating, stomach discomfort, or unexplained fatigue are often mistaken for acidity or stress.

“A simple rule to remember is this: if a symptom is sudden, severe, or frightening, do not wait for it to pass,” he said.

Read More: Early Exposure To Lead And Lithium Can Cause A Lifetime Of Mental Exhaustion

How To Prevent

The experts emphasized that timely treatment, CPR awareness, and rapid emergency response remain the strongest defences against sudden cardiac emergencies.

They also highlighted the importance of preventive measures such as regular exercise, healthy eating, stress management, quitting smoking, and controlling diabetes and blood pressure.

Obesity is a very significant modifiable risk factor for brain stroke, which is an extremely dangerous illness caused by an insufficient or lack of blood supply to the brain. Stroke leads to disability, memory impairment, paralysis, and sometimes death. As obesity is related to many illnesses, regulation of weight can considerably decrease the probability of suffering a brain stroke.

Dr Bhupesh Kumar Mansukhani, Director of Neurology at Neuromet Wellness Care & Diagnostics, in an interview with Health and Me, said, "Obesity is an excessive accumulation of fat in the body, which causes damage to health. Obesity is determined using the BMI index. Those who suffer from obesity are more prone to illnesses like hypertension, diabetes, and elevated cholesterol levels, all of which put people at a higher risk of suffering a brain stroke. Excessive fat, particularly abdominal fat, affects the arteries, leading to their constriction."

Can hypertension trigger a stroke?

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is yet another major connection between obesity and stroke. Obesity causes stress on the cardiovascular system and elevates blood pressure levels. Such a state poses a risk of injury to the blood vessels in the brain, causing their rupture or blockage. Obesity usually results in diabetes, and both conditions harm the walls of the blood vessels and increase the risk of blood clot formation. Besides, the increased concentration of cholesterol contributes to plaque accumulation in the arteries.

The presence of obesity in the body stimulates inflammatory reactions and reduces the rate of circulation, which may cause the formation of blood clots. As a result, these clots are delivered to the brain and prevent blood from delivering oxygen to it, and ischaemia becomes the trigger for an ischaemic stroke, which is the leading type of stroke.

Is obesity a modifiable risk factor?

The advantage here is that obesity is a modifiable risk factor, which can actually be avoided or managed. Proper nutrition, physical exercise, adequate sleep, and the absence of negative behaviours will enable an individual to maintain a healthy body weight. It is also important to take part in preventive measures, such as having regular medical examinations and testing one’s blood pressure, glucose levels, and cholesterol.

To conclude, it can be noted that obesity contributes significantly to increased risks of developing a brain stroke due to many reasons, including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and vascular diseases. Being a modifiable risk factor, it can be easily avoided.

Cancer is, without a doubt, one of the most feared diseases known to man. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research - National Cancer Registry Programme (ICMR-NCRP), India gets 1.5 million new cases of the disease every year, with one in nine people likely to develop cancer in their lifetime. On the other hand, the American Cancer Society (ACS) and National Cancer Institute (NCI) expect about 2,114,850 new cases in the United States this year alone.

A new study claims that the weight loss drug, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), may help slow the spread of some cancers. The research was done by the Cleveland Clinic and claimed that the medications may slow down the spread of several obesity-related cancers, including lung, breast, colorectal, and liver cancers.

The official press release by the Cleveland Clinic mentions their research being included 12,112 patients with the following types of obesity-related cancers, ranging from stage 1 to stage 3, and half of these participants started a GLP-1 medication after their cancer diagnosis. The others were taking a DPP-4 inhibitor comparator, "gliptins," a different class of diabetes medications.

The comparison between the two groups clearly shows that the patients who took GLP-1 have a much lower progression to stage 4 disease for four types of cancers.

The study author, Mark David Orland, MD, of the Taussig Cancer Institute at Cleveland Clinic, said, "Our study found that use of GLP-1 drugs, compared to DPP-4 inhibitors and other antidiabetic drugs, was associated with a meaningful reduction in cancer progression across four solid tumor types."

How To Reduce The Risk Of Cancer?

• Consuming a healthy and balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins can reduce cancer risk.
• Regular physical activity keeps the body fit and reduces the risk of breast, colon, and endometrial cancers.
• Smoking and alcohol consumption should be avoided.
• Skin cancer is one of the most preventable types of cancer. Applying sunscreen with high SPF, finding shade, and avoiding tanning beds would save you from harmful ultraviolet rays.
• Long-term stress can weaken the immune system and may contribute to an increased risk of cancer. Incorporating stress-relief techniques such as mindfulness, practising deep-breathing exercises, and engaging in enjoyable hobbies can enhance overall well-being.
• Exposure to environmental elements like pesticides, pollutants, and workplace chemicals can increase the risk of cancer. To avoid this risk, wearing protective gear, opting for organic produce, and ensuring adequate ventilation in living or working areas can greatly assist.
• By vaccinating against Hepatitis B and HPV, individuals can protect themselves against infections closely linked to liver and cervical cancers; apart from vaccination, adopting proper hygiene practices and steering clear of high-risk activities can help prevent the risk of cancer-causing infections.