Income disparity between the rich and the poor has been a condition known to exist since time immemorial. In the United States, the gap between rich and poor grows wider in unprecedented levels for the last years. Two-thirds of Americans believed “income differences in the United States are too large,” but there are no existing policies to address this situation. Legislators are not coming up with policies that would tax the rich, raise wages of those in lower income bracket, tax wealth inherited or guarantee health care and shelter to all Americans.
This is due to the fact that most Americans believed that the light regulations helped in pushing the economy higher. Also, Americans tend to focus on issues such as abortion, crime, immigration and environment rather than income inequality.
Some wonder why the gap between rich and poor gap matters. After all, if all incomes increase by 5%, everybody benefits, although a person making $100 a day will have higher increase compared to someone who makes $1 a day.
Income inequality is a serious concern because the high levels of inequality could result in increased social disruption. In New Orleans, social disruption due to income inequality is evident which shows that even the richest country on earth is not immune to the consequences of unequal distribution of wealth. Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan has testified before the US Congress that the gap of income could eventually undermine the stability of democratic capitalism.
There is also the possibility that extreme gap between rich and poor could affect growth. Human Development Report 2005 states, “A world economy in which 40% of the population lives on incomes so low as to preclude fully participating in wealth creation is hardly good for shared prosperity and growth.”
Finally, inequality is an important concern because of its implications on fairness and social justice. A child born to rich family could live to 80 years, while a child born in poor families would have difficulties availing of healthcare. The child from rich families will also be better educated, healthier and more productive than those in the lower income bracket.
References:
Burdess, Gary and Jencks, Christopher. ( 5 March 2003). America inequality and its consequences. Brookings.edu website. Retrieved on February 13, 2008 from World Wide Web: http://www.brookings.edu/gs/events/americaninequality.pdf
Rogers, Nathan. (17 October 2005). The rich-poor gap; a growing problem. New York University website. Retrieved on February 13, 2008 from World Wide Web: http://homepages.nyu.edu/~nar257/docs/rich_poor_gap.pdf
Social class. (2008). Wikipedia.com. Retrieved on February 13, 2008 from World Wide Web: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_class
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Causes and Effects of a Migraine
A migraine is a severe headache which affects women more often than men. It is a neurological disease which is commonly manifested through a headache. A migraine headache is a vascular headache is caused by vasodilatation or enlargement of blood vessels and the release of chemicals from nerve fibers that wrap around the blood vessels.
In a migraine attack, temporal artery which is found just outside the skull under the skin temple enlarges. The enlarged temporal artery stretches the nerves that goes around the artery and forces the nerves to release chemicals. The chemicals cause inflammation, pain, and more enlargement of the artery. The growing enlargement of the artery increases the pain.
Migraine Triggers
A migraine trigger is a factor that causes migraine headaches. These triggers however are hard to identify. The most common causes of migraines or the triggers are stress, sleep disturbances, fasting, hormones, bright or flickering lights, odors, cigarette smoke, alcohol, aged cheeses, chocolate, monosodium glutamate, nitrites, aspartame, and caffeine.
Some women experience migraine headaches at the onset of menstruation due to the decrease in blood level of estrogen. The time that lapses between exposure to a trigger and the start of headache could take as little as a few hours to two days. A trigger does not always cause headache. Just as successfully avoiding triggers cannot assure prevention of headaches. Different persons may react differently to triggers. .
Sleep and migraine
Migraine and tension headaches could be brought about by sleep disturbances such as deprivation, prolong sleep, poor quality of sleep, and frequent waking up in the middle of the night. Studies have shown that quality sleeping habits could lead to lower frequency of migraine headaches. Sleep could also minimize the length of migraine headaches.
Fasting and migraine
Fasting causes the discharge of stress-related hormones and decrease in levels of blood sugar. People prone to migraine are, therefore, advised to avoid prolonged fasting.
Bright lights and migraine
Bright lights and other high intensity visual stimuli can cause headaches even in healthy persons as well as migraine sufferers. Migraine patients though are more prone because of their lower than normal threshold for pain caused by light. Sunlight, television, and flashing lights could cause migraine headaches to people sensitive to light.
Caffeine and migraine
Caffeine is a main ingredient in a number of food products particularly cola, tea, chocolates, coffee even in OTC analgesics. In low dosage caffeine can help increase mental and physical alertness and energy. In high doses, though, it can cause insomnia, irritability, anxiety, and headaches. Constant use of analgesics with caffeine could cause rebound headaches. Individuals who take high levels of caffeine daily could develop withdrawal headaches when caffeine consumption is stopped.
Chocolate, wine, tyramine, MSG, nitrites, aspartame and migraine
Chocolate is said to cause migraine headaches, but scientific studies could not find direct association between ingesting chocolate and headaches. Red wine is said to cause migraine headache but it is unclear if white wine will have the same effect.
Tyramine which is a chemical in cheese, wine, beer, dry sausage, and sauerkraut can cause migraine headaches, but it could not be determined if a low-tyramine diet can lessen migraine frequency. Monosodium glutamate (MSG), a food flavoring, is said to cause headaches, facial flushing, sweating, and palpitations when eaten in high doses on an empty stomach. This is also called Chinese restaurant syndrome. Nitrates and nitrites are chemicals in hotdogs, ham, frankfurters, bacon and sausages is said to cause migraine headaches. Aspartame, a sugar-substitute used in diet drinks and snacks, is reported to cause headaches when used in concentrate dosage for lengthy period of time.
Female hormones and migraine
Some women suffer frequent migraine headaches in their menstrual periods. Others experience migraine headaches only during the menstrual period. "Menstrual migraine" is a term used to refer to migraines occurring in women two days or one day after their menstrual periods. Decrease in the levels of estrogen at the start of menses is said to be probable cause. Decreased estrogen is also the probable cause for migraines in birth control pills users in the week that estrogens are not taken.
Side Effects of Migraine
Migraine headache is often a “pounding” or throbbing pain felt in one side of the head, but in some cases it may also affect the other side. There are two types of migraine:
Common migraine (without aura) causes 75 per cent of migraine headaches. This is characterized by sudden headache that occurs without warning and gets worse as time elapses. Side effects of this migraine manifests in nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or increased urination, loss of appetite, fatigue, chills and irritation.
Classic migraine (with aura) affects the remaining 25 percent of people with migraine. People often sense a headache coming or an aura usually an hour before headache occurs.
The main effects manifested by classic migraine are visual disturbance such as seeing flashing lights or zigzag lines, visual hallucinations, blurred vision and inability to read, increased sensitivity to bright light, temporary blind spots and visual in size or shape of an object.
Other symptoms reported are sensitivity to loud sounds, temporary numbness or a “needle” sensation in hands, frequent yawning, feelings of hunger and thirst. Sufferers sometimes feel numbness around mouth, a slight inability to form a correct sentence, trouble finding the right words and weakness on one part of the body. These symptoms may not recur. But if vision is affected, professional help should be sought.
Migraine headaches are very irritating and can interfere with daily activities but there are no serious effects of migraine or permanent health damage. Real migraines are not brought about by serious medical problems or brain tumors. If aura symptoms are not followed by a migraine, headaches occur frequently and are longer or migraine comes with high temperature, it is advisable to see a doctor and undergo some neurological tests.
For people who sometimes suffer from migraines, there are natural remedies and prescribed drugs that can help cope with the problem and alleviate the symptoms. Caution should be exercised in using over the counter drugs. These drugs and most prescribed medications could temporarily lessen the symptoms but do not stop the root causes of migraine. Inappropriate use of drugs could lead to very serious side effects and cause more severe headaches.
References:
Nikitina Arina. “Side effects of Migraine”. Ezine Articles. 2008. Accessed 2 March 2008 from http://ezinearticles.com/?Side-Effects-Of-Migraine&id=487479
“Migraine headaches, vision effects.” eMedicineHealth website. 11 October 2005. Accessed 2 March 2008 from http://www.emedicinehealth.com/migraine_headaches_vision_effects/article_em.htm
In a migraine attack, temporal artery which is found just outside the skull under the skin temple enlarges. The enlarged temporal artery stretches the nerves that goes around the artery and forces the nerves to release chemicals. The chemicals cause inflammation, pain, and more enlargement of the artery. The growing enlargement of the artery increases the pain.
Migraine Triggers
A migraine trigger is a factor that causes migraine headaches. These triggers however are hard to identify. The most common causes of migraines or the triggers are stress, sleep disturbances, fasting, hormones, bright or flickering lights, odors, cigarette smoke, alcohol, aged cheeses, chocolate, monosodium glutamate, nitrites, aspartame, and caffeine.
Some women experience migraine headaches at the onset of menstruation due to the decrease in blood level of estrogen. The time that lapses between exposure to a trigger and the start of headache could take as little as a few hours to two days. A trigger does not always cause headache. Just as successfully avoiding triggers cannot assure prevention of headaches. Different persons may react differently to triggers. .
Sleep and migraine
Migraine and tension headaches could be brought about by sleep disturbances such as deprivation, prolong sleep, poor quality of sleep, and frequent waking up in the middle of the night. Studies have shown that quality sleeping habits could lead to lower frequency of migraine headaches. Sleep could also minimize the length of migraine headaches.
Fasting and migraine
Fasting causes the discharge of stress-related hormones and decrease in levels of blood sugar. People prone to migraine are, therefore, advised to avoid prolonged fasting.
Bright lights and migraine
Bright lights and other high intensity visual stimuli can cause headaches even in healthy persons as well as migraine sufferers. Migraine patients though are more prone because of their lower than normal threshold for pain caused by light. Sunlight, television, and flashing lights could cause migraine headaches to people sensitive to light.
Caffeine and migraine
Caffeine is a main ingredient in a number of food products particularly cola, tea, chocolates, coffee even in OTC analgesics. In low dosage caffeine can help increase mental and physical alertness and energy. In high doses, though, it can cause insomnia, irritability, anxiety, and headaches. Constant use of analgesics with caffeine could cause rebound headaches. Individuals who take high levels of caffeine daily could develop withdrawal headaches when caffeine consumption is stopped.
Chocolate, wine, tyramine, MSG, nitrites, aspartame and migraine
Chocolate is said to cause migraine headaches, but scientific studies could not find direct association between ingesting chocolate and headaches. Red wine is said to cause migraine headache but it is unclear if white wine will have the same effect.
Tyramine which is a chemical in cheese, wine, beer, dry sausage, and sauerkraut can cause migraine headaches, but it could not be determined if a low-tyramine diet can lessen migraine frequency. Monosodium glutamate (MSG), a food flavoring, is said to cause headaches, facial flushing, sweating, and palpitations when eaten in high doses on an empty stomach. This is also called Chinese restaurant syndrome. Nitrates and nitrites are chemicals in hotdogs, ham, frankfurters, bacon and sausages is said to cause migraine headaches. Aspartame, a sugar-substitute used in diet drinks and snacks, is reported to cause headaches when used in concentrate dosage for lengthy period of time.
Female hormones and migraine
Some women suffer frequent migraine headaches in their menstrual periods. Others experience migraine headaches only during the menstrual period. "Menstrual migraine" is a term used to refer to migraines occurring in women two days or one day after their menstrual periods. Decrease in the levels of estrogen at the start of menses is said to be probable cause. Decreased estrogen is also the probable cause for migraines in birth control pills users in the week that estrogens are not taken.
Side Effects of Migraine
Migraine headache is often a “pounding” or throbbing pain felt in one side of the head, but in some cases it may also affect the other side. There are two types of migraine:
Common migraine (without aura) causes 75 per cent of migraine headaches. This is characterized by sudden headache that occurs without warning and gets worse as time elapses. Side effects of this migraine manifests in nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or increased urination, loss of appetite, fatigue, chills and irritation.
Classic migraine (with aura) affects the remaining 25 percent of people with migraine. People often sense a headache coming or an aura usually an hour before headache occurs.
The main effects manifested by classic migraine are visual disturbance such as seeing flashing lights or zigzag lines, visual hallucinations, blurred vision and inability to read, increased sensitivity to bright light, temporary blind spots and visual in size or shape of an object.
Other symptoms reported are sensitivity to loud sounds, temporary numbness or a “needle” sensation in hands, frequent yawning, feelings of hunger and thirst. Sufferers sometimes feel numbness around mouth, a slight inability to form a correct sentence, trouble finding the right words and weakness on one part of the body. These symptoms may not recur. But if vision is affected, professional help should be sought.
Migraine headaches are very irritating and can interfere with daily activities but there are no serious effects of migraine or permanent health damage. Real migraines are not brought about by serious medical problems or brain tumors. If aura symptoms are not followed by a migraine, headaches occur frequently and are longer or migraine comes with high temperature, it is advisable to see a doctor and undergo some neurological tests.
For people who sometimes suffer from migraines, there are natural remedies and prescribed drugs that can help cope with the problem and alleviate the symptoms. Caution should be exercised in using over the counter drugs. These drugs and most prescribed medications could temporarily lessen the symptoms but do not stop the root causes of migraine. Inappropriate use of drugs could lead to very serious side effects and cause more severe headaches.
References:
Nikitina Arina. “Side effects of Migraine”. Ezine Articles. 2008. Accessed 2 March 2008 from http://ezinearticles.com/?Side-Effects-Of-Migraine&id=487479
“Migraine headaches, vision effects.” eMedicineHealth website. 11 October 2005. Accessed 2 March 2008 from http://www.emedicinehealth.com/migraine_headaches_vision_effects/article_em.htm
Dark Chocolate Can Ease Up Stress and Anxiety
Researchers led by Sunil Kochhar, Phd, head of Nestle Research Center in Switzerland, have recently uncovered another wondrous health benefit of dark chocolate – as an effective anti anxiety drug.
The study revolves around the effects of ingesting dark chocolates daily for two weeks on the metabolism of stress hormones. Thirty young people, composed of 19 women and 11 men, were asked to take part of the test. Thirteen participants have manifested high levels of anxiety while 17 showed “low anxiety.”
The participants ate 40 grams of dark chocolate with 74% cocoa daily for two straight weeks. After two weeks, blood and urine tests were conducted on them. Participants belonging to the high anxiety level group showed lesser levels of stress hormones. There was a noted “biologically significant” positive transformation in them. Also, the participants reported that they feel less anxious after they ate the chocolate.
People in the “low anxiety” group did not manifest any marked changes during the experimentation. The researchers observed that high anxiety levels generally improve once the subjects consumed chocolates.
The chocolate product used for the said research is Nestlé Noir Intense. This is not available in the United States but people can always use any dark chocolate that contains more than 60% cocoa. Anxiety sufferers will still reap similar benefits. Also, bear in mind that the darker the chocolate, the higher its cocoa content usually is. This means the healthier and better it is for anxiety sufferers.
The subjects ate around 220 calories of chocolates daily but there were no noted increases in blood sugar levels. However, continued consumption of dark chocolates may not be advisable since it could lead to gaining more weight in the process. If you plan to do this for a long time, it will be a good idea to consult your doctor in case you are suffering from diabetes. Also, daily exercise will be a good idea to keep the extra calories away.
Chocolates are also associated with decreasing stress levels which are one of the culprits behind anxiety attacks. According to studies, chocolate contains anandamide compound also known as “bliss chemical” which can ease up stress and make the person relax. This delectable confection also contains enzymes that can inhibit the metabolism of anandamide. The result is a prolonged feeling of relaxation.
Chocolates also contain magnesium. A person under stress often has reduced magnesium in his or her body. Chocolate can enhance the magnesium levels which can alleviate stress.
From these findings, one can glean the numerous benefits reap from eating chocolates. This mouth-watering confectionery contains specific properties that can effectively reduce stress and anxiety levels. However, it must be consumed in moderation as ingesting more chocolate may affect sugar levels later. Consult your physician before adding chocolate to your diet.
The study revolves around the effects of ingesting dark chocolates daily for two weeks on the metabolism of stress hormones. Thirty young people, composed of 19 women and 11 men, were asked to take part of the test. Thirteen participants have manifested high levels of anxiety while 17 showed “low anxiety.”
The participants ate 40 grams of dark chocolate with 74% cocoa daily for two straight weeks. After two weeks, blood and urine tests were conducted on them. Participants belonging to the high anxiety level group showed lesser levels of stress hormones. There was a noted “biologically significant” positive transformation in them. Also, the participants reported that they feel less anxious after they ate the chocolate.
People in the “low anxiety” group did not manifest any marked changes during the experimentation. The researchers observed that high anxiety levels generally improve once the subjects consumed chocolates.
The chocolate product used for the said research is Nestlé Noir Intense. This is not available in the United States but people can always use any dark chocolate that contains more than 60% cocoa. Anxiety sufferers will still reap similar benefits. Also, bear in mind that the darker the chocolate, the higher its cocoa content usually is. This means the healthier and better it is for anxiety sufferers.
The subjects ate around 220 calories of chocolates daily but there were no noted increases in blood sugar levels. However, continued consumption of dark chocolates may not be advisable since it could lead to gaining more weight in the process. If you plan to do this for a long time, it will be a good idea to consult your doctor in case you are suffering from diabetes. Also, daily exercise will be a good idea to keep the extra calories away.
Chocolates are also associated with decreasing stress levels which are one of the culprits behind anxiety attacks. According to studies, chocolate contains anandamide compound also known as “bliss chemical” which can ease up stress and make the person relax. This delectable confection also contains enzymes that can inhibit the metabolism of anandamide. The result is a prolonged feeling of relaxation.
Chocolates also contain magnesium. A person under stress often has reduced magnesium in his or her body. Chocolate can enhance the magnesium levels which can alleviate stress.
From these findings, one can glean the numerous benefits reap from eating chocolates. This mouth-watering confectionery contains specific properties that can effectively reduce stress and anxiety levels. However, it must be consumed in moderation as ingesting more chocolate may affect sugar levels later. Consult your physician before adding chocolate to your diet.
The Inspiration and Authority of Scripture by Rene Pache
Where does the bible come from? How can a fallible man have penned an infallible bible?
The Inspiration and Authority of Scripture by Rene Pache scrutinizes and presents facts regarding the inerrancy of the scripture. It addresses such baffling question as how can a fallible man produce an infallible Bible? Then it examines the Bible closely with regards to its views on revelation and its inspiration. It delves on the testimony on the Bible given by Christ and the church centuries ago. Pache then sums up theories brought up regarding the Scripture and finally discusses the supernatural qualities which provide evidence to the divine origin of the Scripture and which back up its authority on the word of God.
The first chapter of the book tackles the Revelation from God. It posed some really important, thought-provoking questions to the readers. “Man on earth is placed in a paradoxical situation. Endowed with intelligence and logic, he seems intended to know the reason for his existence and the meaning of it, as well as the origin of the universe and the person of his Creator. Actually, however, he finds himself surrounded by mysteries. Left to his own devices, he is incapable of answering the questions which press in on him so closely.”
Among these questions that baffles mankind is the infallibility of the Bible. Some people accept the idea that the Bible is the inspired Word of God to some extent. To what degree is the Bible an inspiration of God’s Word? Does it extend to every word?
To this question, Pache has an answer. “The doctrine of plenary inspiration holds that the original documents of the Bible were written by men, who, though permitted to exercise of their own personalities and literary talents, yet wrote Linder the control and guidance of the Spirit of God, the result being in every word of the original documents a perfect and errorless recording of the exact message which God desired to give to man.” (The Inspiration and Authority of the Bible, p. 173).
Sometimes biblical writers use a specific phrase or quote or even a single word to prove their point that the Bible is completely God inspired. For instance in Galatians 3:16 the apostle Paul cites Genesis 13:15 and 17:8 when God said to Abraham, “Unto your seed (descendant) will I give this land”. Paul’s whole argument is due to the fact that in this particular line, God uses singular descendant rather its plural noun. Rene Pache, in The Inspiration and Authority of Scripture (p. 77), gives an explanation to this idea. He said that “very often the meaning of a whole passage rests entirely on one word, a singular or a plural number, the tense of a verb, the details of a prophecy, the precision of a promise and the silence of the text on a certain point.”
The inspiration and authority of the Bible are one of the important considerations in learning the truths about God, Christ and salvation. That is why knowing the scope of inspiration in every book and every word of the Scripture is of massive. The way to getting to the heart of the matter however is contained in the pages of the document in question itself, the Bible.
The authority of the Bible then stems from the fact that the Bible is an inspired revelation from God. Pache delves on the questions of revelation and inspiration with regard to the Bible. And by doing so, as he manages to address those questions and establish the source of inspiration, then it necessarily addresses the issue of authority also. In short, by proving its inspiration, the question of authority has been settled. How one looks at the issues on revelation and inspiration will determine how he perceive the Bible’s authority.
Since the written revelation contained in the Bible comes from God and has been recorded under the Spirit’s guidance which makes them “the very breath of God,” it naturally follows that what they contain are therefore authoritative. They gain authority by virtue of the fact that they come from the One Authority on the topic. In essence, this would lead us to conclude and give us the necessary assurance that when thumbed the pages of the Bible, we see and read the inspired Word of God.
We need to keep in mind that the authority of Scripture could not possibly be separated from the authority of God. What the Bible affirms, it follows that God affirms too. And what the Bible affirms (or denies), the affirmation (or denial) is clothe with the authority of God. Theologian Rene Pache states this in his book, as he observes that “if God entirely inspired Scripture (as we have seen that He did), then Scripture is vested with His authority.”
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