Fasting may reset your body, but can it reset your mind? The new trend of dopamine fasting claims it can. And wait, there's more. This trend also works against dopamine resistance, implying that things that did not make you happier before will now do. You see, dopamine is a part of the brain's reward system and plays an important role in your pleasure reception. While this neurotransmitter is not directly linked to an individual's happiness, it triggers feelings of satisfaction, motivation and pleasure.

However, a person can also reach a stage of dopamine resistance if they continue to indulge in activities that trigger its frequent or constant release. In this case, the individual stops feeling the impact of this neurotransmitter and thus, does feel good or happy.

So does dopamine fasting work?

Dopamine fasting is a practice where individuals limit their exposure to activities or stimuli that typically provide a surge of dopamine. The idea behind dopamine fasting is to reset or recalibrate the brain's reward system. This is usually done by abstaining from gratifying things or experiences like social media, junk food, and even sex. Proponents of dopamine fasting argue that continual overstimulation from digital devices, social media, and easily accessible indulgences has numbed our brain's reward pathways. By regularly denying ourselves these dopamine triggers, the idea claims, we might restore our ability to acquire fulfilment from life's basic pleasures.

How Does Dopamine Imbalance Affect Your Mental Health?

Having low levels of dopamine can make you less motivated and excited about things. In Parkinson's disease, there is not enough dopamine in the areas of the brain important for movement. This leads to problems with muscle stiffness and movements such as walking.

The symptoms of a dopamine imbalance depend on what is causing the problem. They include physical symptoms such as:

• muscle cramps, spasms or stiffness
• digestion problems, such as constipation or reflux
• pneumonia
• trouble sleeping
• moving or speaking more slowly than usual

• feeling tired and unmotivated, or sad and lacking hope
• having low libido (sex drive)
• hallucinations (experiencing something that's not real)

How Can I Adjust My Dopamine Levels?

Adjusting dopamine levels is complicated, as it is involved in many different roles in the brain. Your doctor won't measure your dopamine levels directly, and there is no simple test to measure it. Your symptoms will be the clues that tell your doctor if you have too much or not enough dopamine. They will then prescribe medicines to adjust your dopamine level, based on your symptoms, and make adjustments based on how your body responds and how you feel.

ALSO READ: Not Just a Screen Time Fix: 5 Timeless Health Habits from the ’50s

Being aware of personal and family cancer risk may be a critical component in women's knowledge and empowerment to make appropriate screening, prevention and treatment decisions.

Cancer treatment is fast evolving. Doctors are now focusing more on the person than the location or type of cancer and are considering the personal attributes of the patient and the disease. Genetic/genomic testing can complement this and can offer something more that could inform personalised cancer care.

Genetic testing: Knowing your inherited risk

Genetic testing screens for changes in the genes that could be passed down from parents. Some genetic mutations passed down from parents can make a woman more likely to get breast or ovarian cancer.

Having such a genetic change does not mean that a woman will develop cancer. This information will help her and her doctor discuss screening, monitoring and preventive action (if applicable) to reduce her risk.

This information may be useful for family members who could be at risk and should talk to their health care provider about their own risk.

Genomic testing: Understanding the cancer better

There is a difference between genetic testing and genomic testing. Genetic testing is usually performed on blood or saliva to look for inherited changes or genetic predisposition. Genomic testing is usually performed on the tumour or blood to identify its molecular features to enable better understanding of its biology and biomarkers.

Cancer is not one disease and even two patients with the same type of cancer can have different biological characteristics, which can help doctors decide on the treatment and options that may be suitable for an individual patient.

Genomic testing could help to pinpoint features of a tumour that can be used to consider particular targeted treatments or other methods. But not all of them will be suitable or available to all patients based on the results of testing.

Why Awareness About Health Issues Is Important

For women, knowing their family history and discussing any concerns with a doctor can be an important starting point. Genetic or genomic testing should not be done simply because it is available. A specialist may recommend testing based on factors such as family history, age at diagnosis and the type of cancer involved.

It is also important to understand test results correctly. Genetic counselling and discussions with an oncology specialist can help women understand what their results mean and what they do not mean.

Ultimately, genetic and genomic testing is not about predicting the future with certainty. It is about giving patients and doctors more information to make better-informed decisions.

As cancer care moves towards greater personalisation, the freedom to know your risk can become a powerful part of taking control of your health—helping women move from fear and uncertainty towards awareness, informed choices and personalised care.

(Dr. Jyoti Wadhwa, Principal Lead, Medical & Precision Oncology, Apollo Athenaa Women’s Cancer Center)

World Mosquito Day, observed on August 20, raises awareness about mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, malaria, Zika, yellow fever, and chikungunya and the health risks they pose.

Among these diseases, dengue remains a major public health concern, affecting people across regions worldwide throughout the year.

Dengue Cases: The Latest Numbers

• Global: More than 1.5 million dengue cases and over 500 dengue-related deaths have been reported globally since the beginning of 2026, as of July 31.
• Americas: 1,373,756 cases had been reported as of epidemiological week 26, updated July 23. Of these, 28.9% were laboratory-confirmed, according to WHO PAHO.
• South-East Asia: WHO SEARO bulletins published in June and July reported dengue in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Timor-Leste since July 2025.
• India: 22,938 cases had been reported in 2026 as of June. June recorded 6,625 cases, up from 3,747 in May — a 77% increase.

Also read: India’s First Approved Dengue Vaccine: Takeda’s QDENGA Protects Against All Four Virus Serotypes

Why Can Dengue Affect the Kidneys?

Dengue is typically associated with high fever, joint pain, and low platelet counts. However, severe dengue can affect the kidneys and lead to acute kidney injury (AKI).

Speaking to HealthandMe, nephrologists said kidney problems may not always cause symptoms early on, making monitoring particularly important in severe dengue.

Dr. Anupam Roy, Additional Director - Nephrology and Kidney Transplant, Aakash Healthcare Multi-Speciality Hospital, Dwarka, said that recovering from dengue requires careful fluid management, particularly in severe cases.

It is because the kidneys regulate fluids and electrolytes, and changes in circulation caused by dengue can temporarily disrupt their function.

Fever, vomiting, and poor fluid intake can cause dehydration, while severe dengue can cause plasma leakage. Both too little and too much fluid can create problems, making medical supervision important. In hospital, healthcare professionals monitor urine output and signs of dehydration, particularly in patients with complications or underlying health conditions.

After the acute phase, patients should gradually resume eating and drinking according to medical advice. Excessive fluid intake and self-medication should be avoided, particularly when medicines could place additional stress on the kidneys.

“So, it is the quantity issue that must be tackled,” Dr. Roy said.

Signs of Kidney Problems

Read More: Dengue Serotypes Shifting In Young Adults: How India's Indigenous Vaccine Could Help Prevent Severe Disease

According to Dr. Manoj Arora, Consultant Nephrologist, NephroPlus, a network of dialysis centers, warning signs include:

• Decreased urination
• Swelling of the face or legs
• Dark or foamy urine
• Increased blood pressure
• Unusual tiredness
• Nausea
• Breathing problems

Some symptoms can overlap with severe dengue, including continuous vomiting, severe stomach pain, and bleeding.

Who Is at Higher Risk?

Kidney injury is more likely in people with severe dengue or shock. Older people and those with diabetes, hypertension, obesity, or existing kidney problems may also face higher risk.

Seek medical attention for a drastic reduction in urine, new swelling, blood in the urine, worsening breathlessness, confusion, or continuous vomiting.

In hospitalized patients, monitoring is important when creatinine rises, electrolyte levels fluctuate — particularly potassium — or urine output continues to change.

How Can Kidney Damage Be Prevented?

Early recognition and appropriate management are key. Doctors may monitor:

• Fluid balance
• Urine output
• Kidney function
• Electrolyte levels
• Potentially harmful medications

Do not self-medicate or increase fluid intake without medical advice, particularly during severe dengue.

How to Reduce Your Risk of Dengue

Reducing mosquito exposure and preventing mosquito breeding can help lower the risk of dengue.

• Eliminate stagnant water
• Use mosquito repellents
• Use bed nets
• Keep mosquitoes out
• Wear protective clothing
• Check your surroundings regularly.

Are you someone who can spend hours scrolling through short videos on Instagram, YouTube or TikTok? A new study suggests that watching preferred short videos may temporarily quiet brain regions involved in self-control and monitoring, offering a possible clue to why it can be so hard to stop.

Short Videos May Quiet Brain’s Self-Control Network

The research, published in the journal NeuroImage, found that watching preferred short videos may temporarily suppress activity in parts of the brain involved in cognitive control. This effect may also be linked to levels of the brain chemical glutamate.

The study focused on the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). Both are key regions of the cognitive control network, which becomes active during tasks that require mental effort, attention and self-regulation.

Researchers from Zhejiang University in China found that both the dACC and dlPFC showed significant deactivation when participants watched preferred videos to completion, compared with less-preferred videos that were stopped early.

The liked videos significantly reduced activity in both brain regions linked to cognitive control. When participants watched videos they chose to continue, activity in the dACC and dlPFC fell below normal resting levels.

However, disliked videos showed a different pattern. Activity in the dACC remained close to normal, while the dlPFC was still suppressed. Meanwhile, the visual cortex remained active during both types of videos, suggesting the changes were linked to the viewing experience rather than simply looking at a screen.

Glutamate May Influence How The Brain Responds

The small study of 56 participants also examined whether resting levels of two important brain chemicals could help explain differences in how participants’ cognitive control networks responded during short-video viewing.

Glutamate is the brain’s main excitatory neurotransmitter, helping increase neural activity. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the brain’s main inhibitory neurotransmitter, helping reduce or regulate neural activity.

The researchers found that resting-state glutamate levels in the dACC were associated with the extent of brain deactivation. Higher glutamate concentrations were linked to less suppression of activity in both the dACC and dlPFC.

Functional connectivity between the dACC and dlPFC also increased during video viewing, particularly when participants watched their preferred videos.

How Immersive Viewing Affects Brain

The researchers said the findings provide new evidence that immersive viewing of preferred short videos can deactivate the cognitive control network and that individual differences in this response may be linked to glutamate metabolism.

They suggested that the findings could help improve understanding of how digital media consumption interacts with neurochemical processes involved in self-regulation and may offer insights into the neural mechanisms behind excessive short-video use.

The study, however. does not establish that short-video viewing directly causes a loss of self-control or addictive behavior.

Why Excessive Short-Video Maybe Harmful?

Previous research has linked excessive short-video use with changes in attention, focus and mental well-being.

Studies in Nature Communications and research from the American Psychological Association suggest that highly stimulating, rapidly changing content may encourage constant novelty-seeking and make sustained attention more difficult.

Potential effects include:

• Reward-seeking behavior
• Reduced attention span
• Mental fatigue
• Sleep disruption
• Emotional reactivity

Short videos are not inherently harmful, but excessive or compulsive scrolling can become a concern when it interferes with sleep, work, studies or daily life.