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.

Most people who hear the words “robotic surgery” picture something from a science fiction film. A machine operating independently, the surgeon watching from across the room. The reality is considerably less dramatic and considerably more reassuring.

In robotic-assisted surgery, the surgeon is in control throughout the procedure. The robotic system does not make independent decisions. It functions as a precision instrument, translating the surgeon’s movements into actions with a degree of accuracy that is difficult to achieve through conventional techniques alone. A useful parallel is GPS navigation — the driver still steers, still makes every turn, still decides the route. The technology makes the execution more reliable.

What this means for patients, practically, is a procedure designed to do what it needs to do with less disruption to the surrounding tissue. Less disruption means less post-operative pain. Less pain means rehabilitation begins sooner. And sooner rehabilitation means the things patients actually care about — walking without discomfort, climbing stairs, travelling, returning to work — come back faster.

This is why robotic surgery has gained traction in orthopedics in particular. Joint replacement patients are not looking for a technical achievement. They are looking to move again. They want to walk to the kitchen without wincing, attend a family function without sitting out the evening, and pick up their grandchildren. The recovery is the point, and the precision that robotic assistance enables is what makes that recovery more predictable.

There are persistent myths worth addressing directly. That robotic surgery is risky because it relies on machines — it is not, because the surgeon remains in control and the system includes multiple real-time safety checks. That it is only accessible in premium or specialty settings — increasingly, it is not. That the higher upfront cost cannot be justified — for many patients, the shorter hospital stay, lower post-operative pain, and reduced likelihood of complications make the calculus straightforward.

Healthcare is moving toward precision and personalization, and patients are moving with it. The question most people are now asking before surgery is not only whether the procedure will work. It is how quickly and how fully they will get their life back afterward. Robotic-assisted surgery was built to answer that question.

Lifespan across the globe is increasing. More people are living to old age and spending more years in later life. This is a big societal achievement.

India, too, is witnessing this demographic shift. Life expectancy in India is expected to rise from about 72 years in 2023 to nearly 77 years by 2045, and it may reach 83 years by 2080. But the question here is whether this increased lifespan also translates into good health?

Even though people are living longer, the number of years they live in good health has not increased by the same amount.

People are now spending more years coping with health challenges that affect their independence, mobility, and quality of life. One of the key reasons behind this gap between lifespan and healthy years is the rising burden of chronic diseases in an ageing population.

How Ageing Increases Health Risks

Ageing is associated with a gradual deterioration of the immune system, a process called immunosenescence. As people enter their 50s, the body’s ability to respond quickly and effectively to bacteria and viruses decreases.

Its ability to produce antibodies reduces. It makes the body stay in a constantly inflamed condition, even in the absence of an infection.

This process is strongly linked to a higher risk of chronic conditions like diabetes, cancer, heart disease, or kidney disease.

These chronic conditions further weaken the already weakening immune system of the ageing adults. This, in turn, makes older adults vulnerable to various vaccine-preventable infections such as flu, shingles, and their complications.

In this phase of life, even a routine illness like the flu may lead to hospitalization or serious complications such as pneumonia.

Shingles, which is caused by the reactivation of the chickenpox virus and is far more likely to strike in older adults, can result in debilitating nerve pain that lasts for months.

The impact of these infections goes far beyond an individual’s physical suffering. When adults fall ill, the consequences extend to families and the broader healthcare system. There are medical bills, lost wages, caregiver responsibilities, and often a long road to recovery.

For older adults, infections can mean loss of independence or worsening of underlying health conditions.

At the system level, preventable hospitalizations lead to overcrowded facilities and diverted resources, putting additional strain on India’s already overburdened healthcare system.

Ageing society And Preventive Healthcare

India is shifting from being one of the world’s youngest societies to the world’s oldest.

It already has around 150 million older adults, making it the second-largest ageing population in the world. By 2047, this number is expected to double to nearly 300 million, and by 2067, India may have the largest population of older adults globally.

As this shift continues, protecting the health of ageing adults will become increasingly important for families, communities, and the healthcare system.

As life expectancy continues to rise, it is important to ensure that these added years are lived in good health.

Preventive healthcare measures such as balanced nutrition, regular physical activity, and adequate sleep, along with timely vaccination, can help achieve healthy ageing.

Vaccination works by stimulating the immune system to recognize and fight infections more effectively.

As immunity naturally weakens with age, adult vaccination can help strengthen the body’s defences and maintain protection against certain preventable diseases.

Adults, especially those entering their 50s and beyond, should speak with their doctors about recommended vaccinations and take timely steps to stay protected. Proactive preventive care can play an important role in supporting healthier, more active years later in life.

Self-medication simply refers to the use of medicines without a prescription from a doctor. There are many reasons why individuals prefer to self-medicate, as it appears convenient.

For example, a person may choose to self-medicate for a headache using painkillers, take antibiotics for a fever, or anxiety pills due to high levels of stress.

Why More People Are Self-Medicating

Initially, self-medication will appear to be effective since pain is temporarily reduced. Nevertheless, the real problem lies in the dangers of self-medicating.

Though self-medication may provide relief to the patient temporarily, continuous usage of these medicines without the advice of a doctor will result in such health complications as chronic kidney disease, liver failure, stomach ulcers, as well as increase cardiovascular risks.

Ease of availability of medicines is the main reason why more people have started self-medication. Many individuals fail to visit doctors because of being too busy, believing that they can cure themselves of the illness, or fearing costs.

Nonetheless, constant usage of painkillers can negatively affect kidney function over time. Pain killers, which are not steroid-based anti-inflammatory medicines, limit the flow of blood in the body's kidneys and, therefore, prevent them from performing properly. According to recent research, excessive and long-term use of NSAID painkillers can significantly increase the risk of developing chronic kidney disease over time.

The Hidden Dangers Of Daily Painkiller Use

In the early stages, most people do not experience major symptoms. With time, people see noticeable signs such as swelling, fatigue, nausea, reduced urination, or high blood pressure appear; the kidney may already be affected.

People with diabetes, hypertension, or existing kidney problems are at an even greater risk. Another growing concern is that many people do not follow the right dosage while taking painkillers. Fast-paced lifestyles, work pressure, lack of sleep, and easy access to online medical information have encouraged more people to self-diagnose and self-medicate.

Dangers Of Social Media And Online Health Trends

Health experts also warn that social media and online health trends are making self-medication more common than before. Many people are increasingly relying on self-medication for quick relief. People use YouTube videos, websites, advice from bloggers, and home remedies proposed by famous personalities without verifying their validity and reliability regarding health concerns.

However, although the advice provided might seem innocent and insignificant, following this advice could make patients' conditions worse rather than better. Moreover, a remedy that helps an individual might not help someone else due to certain factors like age, existing illness, etc.

Doctors advise that medicines should never become a substitute for proper medical care. A few lifestyle modifications, like sleeping at the right time, eating properly, exercising, and managing stress, can go a long way in dealing with small health problems. Seeking professional advice before taking medicines regularly is important, especially for people with existing health conditions.

While self-medication may seem like an easy solution at the moment, its hidden consequences can become serious over time. What feels like a readily available solution right now could gradually turn out to be a serious medical concern in the future.