Summary the al chemist book Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Summary the al chemist book - Essay Example While he has to understand the importance of realizing his dreams, Santiago needs control over his fear of failure and defeat, which he may face, as he continues his quest for fortune. The characters of the story include, apart from Santiago, the gypsy woman, the old king, the crystal merchant and the English man. The story tells the alchemist being a 200 year old man, who lives at the Al-Fayoum oasis, this man has an intuition of Santiago coming to him and thus Alchemist feels his responsibility to lead and guide him in his pursuits. All these characters play an important role in his quest. As Santiago dreams about a child leading him to the pyramids of Egypt, the gypsy woman motivates him for going there, while Santiago meets the old king, who teaches him about the omens. As he buys a ticket for going to Tangier, Santiago is robbed of all his money, after he arrives there. Accordingly, Santiago has to work for the crystal merchant for almost one year, to collect money for returning home. (The Alchemist) Like all those who want to realize their dreams, Santiago needs doing something different and in this direction, he must trust completely the Alchemist, although the man may look mysterious and unreliable. He surely has knowledge, which Santiago can use. Although Santiago faces many obstacles, during his adventure and travel, he always has a clear vision about his aim and the path that he needs taking for realizing the same. Ultimately he realizes his dreams, which turn out to be far better than his expectations.( The Alchemist Summary & Study Guide

Investigation of red bull Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Investigation of red bull - Research Paper Example In contrast, the consumption of coca-cola and hot chocolate per day was found to be much lower, with an average consumption of –cups of coca-cola and –cups of hot chocolate per day. From the experiments conducted, the mean arterial pressure (MAP) for all participants at baseline (i.e. time=0 min) was found to be 92.09 Â ± 0.45 mmHg after consuming water, while the average heart rate was found to be 74.72 Â ± 1.75. Similarly, the readings for MAP and heart rate at baseline after the consumption of glucose drink were comparable, i.e. 92.09 Â ± 1.25 mmHg and 73.71 Â ± 2.65. However, as the time progressed, it was observed that while the readings for MAP and heart rate after consumption of water did not vary much, there was an observed increase in the MAP and heart rate after consumption of the glucose drink, peaking at 90 minutes post-consumption i.e. HR=79.01 and MAP= 94.75 mmHg and then declining to 73.76 and 92.73 mmHg, respectively, at 120 minutes. These findings a re depicted in the graph (Figure 1) below. Figure 1: Variation of MAP and Pulse Pressure with time: A comparison of Glucose vs. Control A similar trend, i.e. an initial increase in the heart rate and MAP followed by a decline, was observed in the after the consumption of the energy drink, i.e. Red Bull, but with certain differences. Although, as observed in the case of glucose drink, the heart rate and MAP increased after the consumption of Red Bull too, but the observed increase was much greater than that observed in the case of the glucose drink (i.e. Heart Rate: 81.71 post Red Bull consumption vs. 79.01 post-glucose consumption and MAP 100.1 mmHg post Red Bull consumption vs. 94.75 mmHg post glucose consumption respectively). Moreover, another important difference that was seen was that in the case of Red Bull consumption, the peak MAP and heart rate were achieved earlier, i.e. at 60 minutes post-consumption after which they started declining. Figure 2 below is a graphical repres entation of these findings. Figure 2: Variation of MAP and Pulse Pressure with time: A comparison of Red Bull vs. Control Another aspect of this experiment was to compare the differences, if any, in the variation of MAP and pulse between Red Bull and Red Bull without sugar. When the students were asked to consume Red Bull without sugar, an interesting observation was noted. It was seen that the results for the consumption of Red Bull without sugar were comparable to those obtained after the consumption of Glucose drink. After the consumption of Red Bull without sugar, the MAP and heart rate were observed to rise, reaching a peak at 90 minutes, when the MAP rose to 97.74 mmHg from a baseline MAP of 92.98 Â ± 1.70 mmHg and the heart rate rose to 80.83 from a baseline heart rate of 72.71Â ± 2.99. After 90 min, both the heart rate and the MAP were observed to decline. This is illustrated in the figure 3 below. Figure 3: Variation of MAP and Pulse Pressure with time: A comparison of Re d Bull without sugar vs. Control It is also important to note that the magnitude of the effect of Red Bull with no sugar on the heart rate and MAP was higher as compared to glucose drink while it was lower than the magnitude of effect of conventional Red Bull, i.e. with the sugar component. This study also aimed at elucidating the impact of the different beverages, i.e. water (control), glucose drink, Red Bull and Red Bull without sugar on the reaction times of the subjects. When the reaction tim

Sickle Cell Anemia And Hemophilia Biology Essay

Sickle Cell Anemia And Hemophilia Biology Essay Abstract In the following paper, sickle cell anemia and hemophilia disorders were studied extensively. Sickle cell anemia was found to be the disorder where the red blood cells develop into sickle shaped cells due to a mutation of the hemoglobin protein. When the cell becomes sickle shaped, they also become sticky and will clump with other cells in the blood vessel. This can lead to decrease blood flow in that blood vessel which will lead to various effects. Sickle cell anemia is a hereditary disease in that it is passed down generations genetically. The main effect of sickle cell anemia is the decrease in number of red blood cells in the blood and lack of oxygen transport to certain areas of the body. Though are many drugs to help with the pain caused by sickle cell anemia, there is no definitive cure to the disorder. However, the main type of treatment is bone marrow transplant. However this procedure is very risky and not advised unless the symptoms of sickle cell anemia are severe. There is much research being done on sickle cell anemia, but no definitive cure has been found. The life expectancy of patients with sickle cell anemia is from 40 -60 years old and majority of the patients are African descent. Hemophilia is the disorder that prevents the body to stop bleeding. If a person is cut, the body will not form clots to stop the bleeding because people with hemophilia lack a clotting factor. This is also a genetic disorder and is found only on the X chromosome. Hemophilia can be divided into two categories: hemophilia A (lacks clotting factor 8) and hemophilia B (lacks clotting factor 9). About 9 out of 10 people who have hemophilia have type A. Rarely, hemophilia can be acquired. This means that you can develop it during your lifetime. About 18,000 people in the United States have hemophilia. Each year, about 400 babies are born with the disorder. Hemophilia usually occurs only in males (with very rare exceptions). The major signs and symptoms of hemophilia are excessive bleeding and easy bruising. The main treatment for hemophilia is called replacement therapy. Concentrates of clotting factor 8 or clotting factor 9 are slowly dripped in or injected into a vein. These infusions he lp replace the clotting factor thats missing or low. Hemophilia treatment centers are located in many areas of the United States. These centers can provide treatment, education, and support to hemophilia patients, their families, and their health care providers. Sickle Cell Anemia What is Sickle Cell Anemia? Sickle Cell Anemia or sickle cell disease is a blood disorder that is genetic. This disorder affects the red blood cells of the human body and can cause much damage to the body. It causes the red blood cells of the body to become an abnormal shape, usually in the shape of a sickle or crescent. Red blood cells are cells that carry nutrients and oxygen to different organs in the body and carry carbon dioxide back to the lungs. However, Sickle Cell Anemia basically does not allow for the red blood cells to act normally. The way a red blood cell is able to carry the oxygen molecules to the organs is by a protein molecule located on the cell called hemoglobin. This molecule is able to carry oxygen from the lungs to the bodys tissues and return carbon dioxide to the lungs. A defect of this molecule can affect every part of the body that is supplied oxygen by red blood cells which is everything. In Sickle Cell Anemia, the regular hemoglobin is mutated and changes from the normal hemoglobin A to hemoglobin S. the ability for a protein to be mutated that is located on the red blood cells means that this mutation can will be passed down to the persons child, making this disease hereditary. The mutated hemoglobin causes the entire normal red blood cell to become sickle shaped and stickier. The abnormal cells begin to clump together and have a difficult time being transported throughout the body through the blood vessels. When the blood vessels become obstructed by the sickle cells, blood flow decreases in that part of the body. This will cause a lack of oxygen in those areas which, ultimately, leads to those cells death. Another characteristic of Sickle Cell Anemia is that the abnormal red blood cells have a shorter life expectancy. Normal red blood cells usually live up to 120 days and through a process called phagocytosis they are removed from circulation. However, the red blood cells infected with the sickle cell disease live only about 10 to 20 days. This means that the body needs to produce ten times as many red blood cells if the person has Sickle Cell Anemia than a normal person. However, the body cannot produce that many red blood cells that fast. Red blood cells are produced in bone marrow, located in the inner hollow interior portion of bones, by a process called erythropoiesis. The bone marrow cannot produce red blood cells fast enough to replace the dying ones. This will lead to decreased number of red blood cells which can lead to many side effects. Causes of Sickle Cell Anemia Sickle Cell Anemia is a type of disease that someone cannot get unless if they were born with it. This disease is an inherited blood disorder that one is born with. A person is born with genes that give him/her distinctive appearance and personality. They get these genes from their parents, half from each. In Sickle Cell Anemia, there is a specific gene that can be passed down generation which will cause the disorder. This gene, sickle cell gene (HbAS), is a recessive type of gene which means that unless there is another one of it, it will not be expressed. However, that gene will be part of them forever and there will be a 50% chance that their child will have that gene. However, if two people with the sickle cell gene have a child, then there will be a 25 % chance that there child will have the disorder, 50% chance that their child will have only sickle cell gene, and 25% their child will have zero copies of the sickle cell gene. This gene which represents a specific trait will cause the Sickle Cell Anemia. Once the person has the trait, then it will begin to cause the body to make abnormal proteins on the red blood cells called hemoglobin. As discussed earlier, the mutated form of hemoglobin causes the cell to become sickle shaped and cause all sorts of havoc in the body. In addition, a distinctive trait about Sickle Cell Anemia is that once someone gets it, there is no way to get rid of it. Also since this is a genetic disease, there can be different variations of the disease. If a person inherits one sickle cell trait and if the person has the abnormal hemoglobin C (not hemoglobin S which is present in Sickle Cell Anemia), then the person will develop a milder form of the Sickle Cell Anemia disease called HbSC. If a person inherits one sickle cell gene and one gene for beta thalassemia (another type of anemia) which can be 0 or + then the person will either severe case of Sickle Cell Anemia (if HbS Beta 0- thalassemia) or a milder case of it (if HbS beta +-thalassemia). Symptoms of Sickle Cell Anemia Even though that people are born with Sickle Cell Anemia, the symptoms do not appear until after 4 months of age. The symptoms of Sickle Cell Anemia can be divided into three categories: symptoms related to anemia, symptoms related to pain, and symptoms that arise due to disorder. The first category deals with how the lack of red blood cells can affect the body. The most common symptom is fatigue because in order for the body to function and stay alert, it needs oxygen which is what anemia decreases. In addition, anemia causes dizziness, headaches, pale skin, chest pain, coldness in the hands and feet, and shortness of breath. These are all caused by the lack of oxygen reaching certain areas of the body. The second category deals with symptoms that are related to pain. A person with Sickle Cell Anemia is likely to express pain throughout their body which is called sickle cell crisis. This occurs when there is a mass of sickle cells in the blood vessels. With decreased blood flow to organs and limbs, there is usually sharp pain and organ damage. This crisis also has a range on how painful the pain is. If it is an acute pain, then the pain will be mild to severe and may last from hours to days. On the other hand, chronic pain will last for a lot longer period of time and will be hard to bear and mentally draining. This pain may severely limit your daily activities. The final category deals with the complications of Sickle Cell Anemia. This category examines certain complications that arise in certain areas of the body due to the Sickle Cell Anemia. The first complication is called Hand-Foot Syndrome. This occurs when the mass of sickle cells block a blood vessel in the limbs of the body. This will cause there to be pain, swelling, and/or fever. This is syndrome is one of the first signs an infant may have Sickle Cell Anemia. The next complication arises in the spleen. The spleen filters out abnormal red blood cells and helps fight infections. If a person has Sickle Cell Anemia, the spleen may become enlarged due to all of the sickle cells getting stuck in the spleen. If the spleen becomes enlarged, then the person will feel weak, have pale lips, higher respiration rate, extreme thirst, and abdominal pain. To treat the enlarged spleen, the patient should get a blood transfusion. Another complication that can occur is infections. Since Sickle Cell Anemia affects the immune fighting organ, the spleen, both young and old patients will have a hard time fighting infections. Young children who have a damaged spleen will most likely die in a few days due to the infections. Some common infections a child may get are pneumonia, meningitis, influenza, and hepatitis. Another life threatening complication due to Sickle Cell Anemia is acute chest syndrome. This occurs when there is sickle cells trapped in the lungs which may lead to the patient developing pulmonary arterial hypertension. This is when the lungs are damaged which make it hard for the heart to pump blood through the lungs. This will lead to elevated heart rate and pressure. A complication that is common with children is their delayed growth and puberty. This is caused by the shortage of red blood cells in the body. Young children will grow slower and reach puberty later than normal children. Adults will be thinner and smaller than normal adults. A more serious complication that can arise in adults however, is a stroke. Sickle Cell Anemia can cause both types of strokes in adults: a blood vessel in the brain is blocked or a blood vessel bursts. Both types of strokes lead to learning disabilities, brain damage, paralysis, or even death. Sickle Cell Anemia can also lead to priapism. This is when a male Sickle Cell Anemia patient will have painful unwelcomed erections. This will occur because the sickle cells block the blood flow out of an erect penis. Since sickle cells have a shorted life span, they break down too fast for the body to remove them from the body. When a red blood cell dies, it will release the hemoglobin protein in the form of bilirubin. The bilirubin will form stones in the gallbladder called gallstones. This will cause the patient to feel pain, nausea, vomiting, fever, sweating, chills, clay-colored stools, or jaundice. Jaundice is when the skin color of a patient turns to a yellowish color because of elevated bilirubin level in the blood. A more severe symptom of Sickle Cell Anemia are ulcers or sores that begin as small, raised, crusted sores on the lower third of the leg. Leg sores occur more often in males than in females. These sores usually appear between the ages of 10 and 50. The cause of sickle cell ulcers isnt clear. The number of ulcers can vary from one to many. Some heal quickly, but others persist for years or come back after healing. The last major complication of Sickle Cell Anemia is multiple organ failures. This may be one of the more rare complications but is one of the most dangerous. If too many of your organs fail, then there is a high probability that you will die. Though only a few of the symptoms of Sickle Cell Anemia have been presented, there are many more which can lead to serious damage to the body if gone unattended. Demographics Though Sickle Cell Anemia is a worldwide disease, it is most common in people who come from Africa, South America, Central America, specifically panama, the Caribbean islands, Turkey, Greece, Italy, other Mediterranean countries, India, and Saudi Arabia. Statistically, 1 in every 500 African American births has the sickle cell disease and about 1 in every 1,000 Hispanic Americans have the disease. About 2 million people carry the sickle cell trait in America and about 1 in 12 African Americans carry the trait in America. There have been close to 72,000 cases of Sickle Cell Anemia in America and the prevalence rate in America is 0.10% or 272,000 people. The deaths from Sickle Cell Anemia are close to 500 deaths per year. Diagnosis One way someone can find out if they have Sickle Cell Anemia is by a simple blood test. When a baby is born, he/she will go through a series of newborn screening exams which test for diseases or disorders the baby may have. A blood test will show if the baby has the disease or if he/she has only the trait. Once the tests are conformed by a second test, the baby will be sent to a hematologist who is a specialist in blood diseases and disorders for further guidance. There is also a way for a parent to know if their child will have sickle cell anemia before he/she is born. Doctors do this by taking a sample of amniotic fluid or tissue from the placenta and testing it for sickle cell anemia gene instead of the hemoglobin the gene makes. Treatment Treatment for sickle cell anemia can be divided in to the three categories that were created for the different types of symptoms. The first category was the pain category. To treat the pain caused by sickle cell anemia, pain killers and fluids are used. To treat the pain, fluids and pain killers are used because the fluids will prevent dehydration which is caused by the disease. The pain killers that doctors prescribe can include acetaminophen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and narcotics which include meperidine, morphine, oxycodone and others. Another drug that doctors use for sickle cell anemia is hydroxyurea. This drug will reduce the number of pain crises the patient experiences. This drug does not treat the pain crises when they occur but prevents them from occurring at all. Also research has found that this drug will reduce organ damage and improve growth of children. The treatment discussed in the next category, symptoms that deal with Anemia, can help treat anemia. The treatment is called blood transfusion and is used to treat severe cases of anemia. Blood transfusion is a procedure where blood is given to the patient by an intravenous line. This is done to replace the dead red blood cells that were a result of the disease. The last category dealt with complications that arise due to sickle cell anemia. One complication that can be treated is an infection. Due to the reduced number of red blood cells, the human immune system is weakened and children will be at risk for harmful infections. One infection that usually kills children is pneumonia. To treat pneumonia, children should take vaccines regularly. Also to treat other infections, antibiotic medicines and blood transfusion may be used. To treat the acute chest syndrome that arises from sickle cell anemia, the patient must get treated with oxygen, blood transfusions, and antibiotics. The main medication for this complication is the same one that reduces the number of pain crises, hydroxyurea. To prevent and treat patients with sickle cell anemia that experience strokes, the patient should get ultrasound scans of their heads. This will allow the doctor measure the blood flow to the brain see if there are any complications due to the sickle cell disease. The ulcers in the leg can be treated with pain killers, cleansing solutions, creams or ointments, and skin grafts (for severe ulcers). And lastly, to treat the gallstones, surgery may be needed to remove them from the gallbladder. Surgery can also be used to help patients that have priapism. Since the discovery of sickle cell anemia, doctors have been working hard to find new treatments for the disease. In recent years, there have been new and experimental treatments that help patients with the disease. One of these treatments is bone marrow transplant. Since the sickle cell anemia affects the red blood cell production, it was thought that replacing the material the produces the cells may help people with the disease. After numerous trials, it has been shown that bone marrow transplant is somewhat of a cure. However, the procedure is very dangerous and lead to serious side effects or even death. Due to this risk, only young patients and people with significant symptoms or problems get the treatment. The procedure is still being researched. Another experimental treatment is gene therapy. Gene therapy is when researchers insert the normal gene for hemoglobin creation into the bone marrow of infected patients. Researchers hope that the normal genes will begin to produce the correct hemoglobin or if they can cancel the sickle cell gene by turning it off in babies. In addition, researchers are producing new drugs that may help patients. On drug has butyric acid in it which can increase the amount of normal hemoglobin in the blood. Another drug has nitric oxide in it which makes the actual sickle cells less sticky which will lead to less blocked blood vessels. The final drug contains decitadine. This will increase the amount of certain hemoglobin protein that carries more oxygen. Though there are many drugs that seem that they will work, there still more research to be done. Research Due to the severity of sickle cell anemia, there are many doctors working hard to find a definitive cure. One research that may help with finding a cure dealt with the prevalence of pulmonary hypertension in adults with sickle cell disease. The research group studied the mechanism of its development, and its prospective prognostic significances. They performed Doppler echocardiographic assessments of pulmonary-artery systolic pressure in 195 consecutive patients (82 men and 113 women with the average age of 36). The pulmonary hypertension was prospectively defined as a tricuspid regurgitant jet velocity of at least 2.5 m per second. Patients were followed for a mean of 18 months, and data were censored at the time of death or loss to follow-up. The group reached the following results. They determined that the Doppler-defined pulmonary hypertension occurred in 32 percent of patients. Multiple logistic-regression analysis, with the use of the dichotomous variable of a tricuspid regurgitant jet velocity of less than 2.5 m per second or 2.5 m per second or more, identified a self-reported history of cardiovascular or renal complications, increased systolic blood pressure, high lactate dehydrogenase levels (a marker of hemolysis), high levels of alkaline phosphatase, and low transferrin levels as significant independent correlates of pulmonary hypertension. The fetal hemoglobin level, white-cell count, and platelet count and the use of hydroxyurea therapy were unrelated to pulmonary hypertension. A tricuspid regurgitant jet velocity of at least 2.5 m per second, as compared with a velocity of less than 2.5 m per second, was strongly associated with an increased risk of death and remained so after adjustment for other possible ri sk factors in a proportional-hazards regression model. They came to the following conclusions. They believed that the pulmonary hypertension, diagnosed by Doppler echocardiography, is common in adults with sickle cell disease. It appears to be a complication of chronic hemolysis, is resistant to hydroxyurea therapy, and confers a high risk of death. Social Impact Though many believe that living with sickle cell anemia is impossible, that is not true. The infected people can live like any other person with just a few deviations. The only negative thing about living with sickle cell anemia is that the life expectancy is between 40 and 60 years old. However a person can live longer if they maintain a healthy lifestyle, control the complications that arise from the disease, and if they learn the correct ways to cope with the pain. A healthy life style means you eat healthy foods or foods that contain certain vitamins that may help your body cope with the disease. An example of a vitamin would be folic acid. Also doctors advise patients to drink plenty of water so he/she wont become dehydrated. To help prevent and control the complications of sickle cell anemia, the patient needs to follow certain instructions and warnings. Some of these instructions and warnings include avoiding decongestants and drugs that tighten blood vessels. Also the patient should avoid living in extreme hot and cold areas or in low oxygen level areas (well above sea level cities). Also doctors recommend that the patient avoid or reduce stress in their life and to avoid jobs that require a lot of physical labor. In addition, the patient should get all of the vaccines and flu shots that are available. Though following doctors recommendations will help a patient, learning and studying different treatments and lifestyle choices on their own can help them a lot. If a patient reads about sickle cell anemia, they will be better equipped to deal with symptoms and complications that may arise. If you or someone in your family has sickle cell anemia, you may want help with the stresses of this lifelong disease. Sickle cell centers and clinics can provide information and counseling. Ask your doctor or the staff at a sickle cell center if there are support groups for families in your area. Talking with others who are facing the same challenges you are can be helpful. Its especially important to find ways to control and cope with pain. Different techniques work for different people, but it might be worth trying heating pads, hot baths, massages or physical therapy. Prayer, family and friends also can be sources of support. If you have a child with sickle cell anemia, learn as much as you c an about the disease and make sure your child gets the best health care possible. A child with sickle cell disease has special needs and requires regular medical care. Your doctor can explain how often to bring your child for medical care and what you can do if he or she becomes ill. Conclusion Sickle cell anemia is a significant disease that must be addressed immediately. The number of people that know about sickle cell anemia is alarmingly low and that must change. People must become aware of the dangers of this disease and must do everything in their power to help prevent it from spreading. This disease can lead to death in infants, children, teens, and adults. It is also a worldwide disorder that needs more attention. This disease, which is genetically passed down to people, needs more people researching it and trying to find cures to. Though there are many doctors hard at work to find a cure, there can be so much more that can be done. Though there is a group of people unaware of this disease, it does not mean the work already done should be neglect. Through the hard work of doctors, we have been able to find almost every symptom of sickle cell anemia and how to treat most of the symptoms. To find a cure for sickle cell anemia, everyone must do their part and help in some way. Hemophilia What is Hemophilia? Hemophilia is a blood disorder that prevents your blood to clot normally. When the body experiences an injury where the person begins to bleed, the body reacts in a very unique manner. Blood is a liquid membrane that is composed red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. The purpose of the blood is to transport nutrients and oxygen from the lungs to different areas of the body and to transport carbon dioxide and waste from those areas back to the lungs. Blood also serves as a transport system for white blood cells which are part of the immune system and fighters of the immune system. However, blood also serves as a clotting mechanism. In order for the body to clot an injury, platelets must be able to stick together at the injury site. This stickiness is called the blood clotting factor. Hemophilia is a disorder that causes people to have little to none clotting factor. Hemophilia is usually an inherited disease which does not allow your blood to clot externally or internally. People with hemophilia will have a gene that will cause the clotting factor, a protein, to not work properly which will cause the patient to keep bleeding. The clotting factor is needed to form clots with platelets. Hemophilia can be divided into two major types: hemophilia A or hemophilia B. about 9 out of 10 people who have hemophilia will have type A hemophilia which means the body is missing or has low levels of clotting factor 8. If the person has type B, then they are missing or have low levels of clotting factor 9. In addition, hemophilia is usually genetically acquired but some can develop hemophilia during their lifetime. This can happen if your body forms antibodies (proteins) to the clotting factors in your bloodstream. The antibodies can prevent the clotting factors from working. Causes of Hemophilia A person usually inherits hemophilia but as discussed earlier, they can develop hemophilia during their lifetime. If a disease is inherited, then that means the parents of the patient will also have the gene for the disease. In the case of hemophilia, the gene for hemophilia is located on the X chromosome. Females have two X chromosomes, while males have one X and one Y chromosome. Only the X chromosome carries the genes related to clotting factors. A male who has the abnormal gene on his X chromosome will have hemophilia. A female must have the abnormal gene on both of her X chromosomes to have hemophilia; this is very rare. A female is a carrier of hemophilia if she has the abnormal gene on one of her X chromosomes. Even though she doesnt have the condition, she can pass the gene on to her children. If a father does not have the hemophilia trait but the mother does have only one copy of the gene and they have 2 daughters and 2 sons, then each daughter has a 50 percent chance of inheriting the abnormal gene from her mother and being a carrier. Each son has a 50 percent chance of inheriting the abnormal gene from his mother and having hemophilia. However if the father has hemophilia and the mother has neither hemophilia or the hemophilia trait and they have 2 daughters and 2 sons, then each daughter will inherit the abnormal gene from her father and be a carrier. None of the sons will inherit the abnormal gene from their father, and, therefore, none will have hemophilia. Very rarely, a girl is born with hemophilia. This can happen if her father has hemophilia and her mother is a carrier. In addition to the genes that cause hemophilia, there are other factors that may cause it. One factor is the type of clotting factor that the person is missing. If the person has hemophilia A, then the person lacks clotting factor 8. If the person has hemophilia B, then the person lacks the clotting factor 9. Finally, if the person has Hemophilia C which is rare in the United States, then person has a different inheritance pattern and lacks clotting factor 9. Symptoms of Hemophilia The main symptom of hemophilia is excessive bleeding externally and internally. The extent of bleeding depends on the type and severity of the hemophilia. Children who have mild hemophilia may not have symptoms unless they have excessive bleeding from a dental procedure, an accident, or surgery. In addition, the symptoms of hemophilia vary depending on how deficient your clotting factors are. If levels of your deficient clotting factor are very low, you may experience spontaneous bleeding. If levels of your deficient clotting factor are slightly to moderately low, you may bleed only after surgery or trauma. If you bleed spontaneously then you have the following symptoms: many large or deep bruises, joint pain and swelling caused by internal bleeding, unexplained bleeding or bruising, blood in your urine or stool, and prolonged bleeding from cuts or injuries, or after surgery or tooth extraction. Bleeding in the knees, elbows, or other joints is another common form of internal bleeding in people who have hemophilia. This bleeding can occur without obvious injury. At first, the bleeding causes tightness in the joint with no real pain or any visible signs of bleeding. The joint then becomes swollen, hot to touch, and painful to bend. Swelling continues as bleeding continues. Eventually, movement in the joint is temporarily lost. Pain can be severe. Joint bleeding that isnt quickly treated can permanently damage the joint. Internal bleeding in the brain is a very serious complication of hemophilia that can happen after a simple bump on the head or a more serious injury. The signs and symptoms of bleeding in the brain include long-lasting, painful headaches or neck pain or stiffness or convulsions or seizures. Demographics Hemophilia affects 1 in 5,000 male births. About 400 babies are born with hemophilia each year. The exact number of people living with hemophilia in the United States is not known. Currently, the number of people with hemophilia in the United States is estimated to be about 20,000. In the United States, most people with hemophilia are diagnosed at a very young age. Based on CDC data, the median age at diagnosis is 36 months for people with mild hemophilia, 8 months for those with moderate hemophilia, and 1 month for those with severe hemophilia. In about two thirds of cases, there is a family history of hemophilia. The diagnosis of hemophilia is made using a special blood test and most babies can be tested soon after birth. Sometimes prenatal genetic testing is done to diagnose hemophilia before birth. Treatment Though, like sickle cell anemia, there is no definitive cure for hemophilia, there are many treatments that help people cope with the disease. However, the treatments people get is based on the severity of the disease. However there is main treatment for hemophilia; it is called replacement therapy. In this therapy, the missing clotting factor is injected into the body intravenously to replace the clotting factor. Though this treatment sounds good, there is a drawback, the patient has to continuously take injections of the therapy to prevent bleeding. Antifibrinolytic medicines (including tranexamic acid and aminocaproic acid) may be used with replacement therapy. Theyre usually given as a pill, and they help keep blood clots from breaking down. Another complication to this treatment is that the body may develop antibodies that act against the new clotting factor or there might be damage to joints, muscles, or other parts of the body resulting from delays in treatment. Antibodies can destroy the clotting factor before it has a chance to work. This is a very serious problem. It prevents the main treatment for hemophilia (replacement therapy) from working. Antibodies to clotting factor, also called inhibitors, develop in about 20 percent of people who have severe hemophilia A and 1 percent of people who have hemophilia B. When antibodies develop, doctors may use larger doses of clotting factor or try different clotting factor sources. Sometimes, the antibodies go away. Desmopressin (DDAVP) is a man-made hormone used to treat people who have mild to moderate hemophilia A. DDAVP isn

Lorraine Glass :: essays research papers

Landscape Writing and the Lorrain Glass   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Looking through my Lorrain glass I saw different moods of a scene. I sat on top of my car and looked out over a field of apple trees, raspberry bushes, and pumpkin patches. At the end of the fields was a huge white house with a ton of windows. The house had a wide porch that went all the way around to the back. I couldn't see much detail from such a great distance, but the smoke coming out of the chimney told me there was someone inside.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I chose three different colors to put into my Lorrain glass. Red, yellow, and green slates of color all gave a different feeling to the picture I was creating in my frame. It was almost like a snap shot. I chose colors that I thought were drastically different to give a different feeling for the same scene.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Each slate did give a different feeling, but they looked similar in shape. Through the cellophane wrap, when the wind blew, the images seemed to wave. They had a small slant and looked as if they were moving. It was about 4 p.m. and the sun was just going down. The sun would hit the Lorrain Glass and made the image bright.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The red piece of cellophane made me feel hot. I felt that the sun coming through made it seem even warmer. It gave me a feeling of desert warmth with no water in sight. All the trees looked bare and dead. The yellow piece of paper made everything seem sunny and bright. The house looked full of light. I could picture in my mind the owner of the house having a glass of lemonade on the porch. The trees, the house, and the pumpkins all seem to come to life. They looked full and lively. The green cellophane seemed kind of cold and dark. The sun coming through of course made it seem a little brighter but it still had that sense of dreariness. The pumpkins looked rotted and old, the trees appeared bare with bad apples around its base, and the house just seemed to blend into the back round.

An Exploration of the causes and effects of obesity Essay

Obesity is excess body fat. It is usually defined by body mass index (BMI) which is individual’s weight (kg) divided by their squares of height (m) (Jebb, 2004; Eagle et al, 2004). At the same time, BMI was classified into four conditions. Firstly, when the BMI less than 18.5 kg/㎠¡is underweight. Secondly, 18.5 kg/㎠¡to less than 25.0 kg/㎠¡ belong to normal weight. Thirdly, overweight is 25.0 kg/㎠¡to less than 30.0 kg/㎠¡. Finally, exceeding 30.0 kg/㎠¡ is totally obese (Eagle et al, 2004). Other papers categorize more detailed in the part of obese, which sections three parts, such as, Grade I obesity (30.0 kg/㎠¡to less than 35.0 kg/㎠¡), Grade II obesity (35.0 kg/㎠¡to less than 40.0 kg/㎠¡) , extreme obesity or Grade III (40.0 kg/㎠¡or more) (Borrell and Samuel, 2014). Obesity has been defined as an epidemic by the International Task Force on Obesity and World Health Organization in the 21st century (Jimà ©nez, 2011). For example, 65 per cent adults and 15 per cent children are overweight in America, and this data has not a decreasing trend (Jimà ©nez, 2011). In recent years, increasing obesity problems have emerged in developed countries and even in some city centers in developing countries (Jimà ©nez, 2011). According to Rosin’s investigation (cited in Tomer, 2011), incidences of obesity in the United States are high and have been dramatically increasing over the past thirty years, although there are some steady trends recently (Rosin in Tomer, 2011). For instance, the percentage of the obese population in America rose twice from about 13.95 per cent (in 1976) to 29.57 per cent (in 2000), and this figure is continuing to grow (ibid). However, rates of obesity are not only in America; it is growing in all of the world; even in Japan which has one of the lowest rates in the world (Bleich et al in Tomer, 2011; Delpeuch et al in Tomer, 2011). This essay consists of four sections, including introduction, effects of obesity, causes of obesity and conclusion. It will focus on the effects and causes of obesity. On the one hand, it analyses that two aspects of negative impacts which are death rate and chronic conditions are caused by obesity. On the other hand, this article discusses the complex reasons of obesity, which are classified as the congenital factors and acquired factors respectively. Effects of obesity Nowadays, increasingly, people have been focused on obesity bringing to serious impacts of health. The effects of obesity can be classified into two parts. One is the relationship of obesity and death rates; another is the relationship of obesity and chronic conditions (Tomer, 2011). It is claimed that the mortality risk and premature deaths are influenced by obesity epidemic amid American adults (Borrell and Samuel, 2014). Some data indicates 300,000 premature deaths per year are connected with obesity in America (Tomer, 2011). Furthermore, there is a school of thought that obesity is a main risk factor for many chronic conditions. There are known as the Western disease; including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), certain types of cancer, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia (Rosin in Tomer, 2011). Let us now discuss two aspects of negative impacts. The relationship of Death Rate and Obesity There is a possibility that obesity will decrease individual’s lifespan by 3 to 13 years on average (Jimà ©nez, 2011). Mortality might be greater and greater when the obesity phenomenon becomes serious in the future. Over the past five decades, obesity has been related to morbidity or all-cause mortality which means death rates caused by diseases, except for taking dugs and suicide, in the United States and elsewhere (Borrell and Samuel, 2014). Firstly, compared with a normal weight individual, obese adults have at least 20 per cent higher rate of dying for all-cause (Borrell and Samuel, 2014). Further, an obese individual who is Grade I obesity will die earlier at least 1.6 years than a normal-weight individual considering all causes (ibid). At the same time, this figure for Grades II and III obesity person are 3.7 years (ibid). Secondly, base on Borrell’s research data, when individual who is overweight and obese (regardless of the grade) get the CVD disease, it can be found out that these individuals’ dying rate will be significantly higher than individuals who have normal weight (Borrell and Samuel, 2014). After studied individuals who were different race and have different education backgrounds, the research acquired it one result that obese individuals might have a shorter life than normal-weight individuals for CVD-specific mortality and the same phenomenon could exist in different ages people  (ibid). In addition, the dangerous situations were the worst in obese adults whose ages are between 45 and 64 for all-cause and CVD-specific mortality (Borrell and Samuel, 2014). It means that Grades II and III obese adults aged 45 to 64 years have significantly higher death rates than people who have normal weight. These higher death rates lead to among Grades II and III obese adults (45 to 64 years old) early death by at least 7 years (ibid). Through a great many prospective studies, it is widely accepted that obesity contributes to premature death. Apart from, obesity has other disadvantages to individuals. The relationship of Chronic Conditions Obesity might raise some diseases’ hazard and the biggest main risk is cardiovascular disease (Jebb, 2004). There are these who maintain that, in public health terms, the largest burden of disease is morbidity which is related with obesity and almost every organ of human body is caused by obesity (Jebb, 2004). Jebb (2004) states that ‘It effects include metabolic syndrome (type 2 diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia), and mechanical disorders (e.g. osteoarthritis, respiratory problems, sleep apnoea) and psychosocial disorders’ (Jebb, 2004). Other scholar has a similar view that it is a significant problem that obesity is not only one of the endocrine-metabolic conditions but also is a beginning of a series of diseases including type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome and some types of cancer in public health (Jimà ©nez, 2011). Let us detail that those relationships between obesity and the following diseases. Firstly, there is an extremely close relationship of type 2 diabetes and obesity. Diabetes belongs to metabolic syndrome, which causes the factors of atherosclerotic disease (Jebb, 2004). Further, the development and severity of this kind of disease is depending on weight increase (ibid), thus obesity is an important element factor. For example, women whose BMI is 25 kg/㎠¡ lead to the probability of diabetes is just five-fold, if the BMI is over 35 kg/㎠¡, the probability will increased to more than 40-fold (Jebb, 2004). Furthermore, the probability of diabetes still depends on different body  shapes, such as, apple-shaped, pear-shaped, if women have a similar BMI. Jebb found apple-shaped women who have a large waist are higher diabetes risk than pear-shaped women who have excess fat on the thighs and hips (Jebb, 2004). Secondly, cardiovascular disease is also linked with obesity or weight increase. The Nurses’ Health Study suggests that BMI is associated with cardiovascular disease (Jebb, 2004). Compared with the risk of CVD at BMI less than 21.5, the risk rose from BMI 22-23 and doubled at 25-28.9 and more than three times higher when the BMI reached at above 29 (ibid). Thirdly, the recent year have a growing recognition which is the relationship between obesity and increased risk of most types of cancer, with the exception of lung cancer, postmenopausal breast cancer, colon and kidney cancer (Jebb, 2004). At the same time, it is estimated to ascribe 20 per cent of cancer deaths in women to obesity (ibid). It seems that the link between cancer and obesity is confirmed. To sum up, obesity is a serious global problem. To some extent, it became a killer to make human beings die prematurely. In recent years, people have begun to pay close attention to this topic. But what caused the obesity is the key point, which is worth us to explore: the next section will analyze some important factors that lead to obesity. Causes of obesity The causes of obesity are extremely complex. A huge number of research indicate that the reason of obesity is not a single result. People are obese because of the complex interaction between genes and the unique personal habits (Eagle et al, 2004; Jimà ©nez, 2011; Tomer, 2011). Firstly, genes are not only crucial factor for obesity, but the environment also plays an important role (ibid). At the same time, genes will be changed with parental unique lifestyle and their surrounding (Eagle et al 2004; Jimà ©nez, 2011). Secondly, the unique personal habits involve numerous aspects, such as, diet, choice habit, sedentary lifestyle and other social factors (Tomer, 2011). It seems that the causes of obesity are complex and constantly changing. To sum up, these reasons are divided into two major categories,  congenital and acquired factors. This section will detail how two kinds of factors can make individuals obese. Congenital factors There is no doubt that genes are one of the causes for obesity. Nowadays, ‘sufficiently solid scientific evidence’ provides that genes are involved in the development of obesity (Jimà ©nez, 2011). It is determined that individuals’ metabolism, detoxification and production of hormones could increase their weight and make them obese (Tomer, 2011). For instance, some small parts of obese individuals owes to genes which lead to some clinical syndrome. Obesity’s monogenic reasons include mutations in the leptin gene and its receptor, or the melanocortin system. Other genetic syndromes are a common element of the phenotype. However, these occupy only small parts (Jebb, 2004). At the same time, heritability studies indicate that genetic factor is only influenced approximately a third of the variance of BMI (ibid). Therefore, it is claimed that genes are just potential inducers for obesity (Jimà ©nez, 2011). On the other hand, even some scholars maintain that obesity is the result mixed up with certain genes and the environment. Genetic changes produce a new trend that obesity is a result of the interaction between genes and environment (Jimà ©nez, 2011). It means that the new gene will be decided jointly by the previous generation of genes and environments. Furthermore, a mass of other candidate genes have been associated with obesity. For example, food preferences or exercise habits (Jebb, 2004). Acquired factors Compared with congenital factors, acquired factors are more influenced for obesity. It is reflected in the people’s diet, behavior patterns and many other aspects (Eagle et al, 2004; Jimà ©nez, 2011; Tomer, 2011). Jimà ©nez’s view is that due to a long time energy’s accumulation which is energy intake exceeds people needs, there are some obese people. Two crucial behaviors are food intake and taking exercise resulted in obesity (Jimà ©nez, 2011). Hyman (cited in Tomer, 2011) states that there are three dietary reasons producing obesity, including ‘diet high in refined, processed carbohydrates’, ‘diet high in bad fats’ and ‘diet low in fiber’ (Hyman in Tomer, 2011). However, Brownel (cited in Tomer, 2011) concluded that powerful forces of society and culture are the root of the obesity problem, because it can promote  individuals selecting high energy diet and a sedentary lifestyle (Brownel et al in Tomer, 2011). Over the past three decades, the obesity issue was aggravated by this kind of environment (Brownel et al in Tomer, 2011). It is worth noting, these effects will not make everyone change their eating habits; it depends on different people. Apart from genes, if someone understands nutrition very well, they may escape the effect of environment. Nevertheless, unfortunately a great many people are vulnerable to the toxic environment impact (Brownel et al in Tomer, 2011). This next section will minutely explain the acquired factors of obesity, including eating habits, less activity and watching advertisements on television. Owing to some poor eating habits, there were so many obese people (McLannahan and Clifton, 2008: p28). In the first place, different foods provide different extent energy, so that intake energy more than their need lead to obesity. For example, when individuals eat more than their need in their daily life, they will become fatter (McLannahan and Clifton, 2008: p29-31). It demonstrates that excess food’s intake caused excess body weight (McLannahan and Clifton, 2008: p29). In the second place, energy-dense diet is an important reason for make people obese. Energy-dense diets are high in fat, high in added sugars and low in fruit and vegetables and this kind of diet could enhance the probability of obesity (Jebb, 2004). Fast foods are typical energy dense diets, and these are acknowledged to be a risk factor for obesity (Niemeier et al in Musaiger et al, 2014). Musaiger’s research showed that as a result of the high consumption of fast food, there was an increase trend about obesity (Musaiger et al, 2014). At the same time, a report was carried out by Gortmaker (cited in Musaiger et al, 2014), a high consumption of soft drinks was proved to be a reason for obesity. It is concluded that ‘sugary beverages are less satiating than solid food containing similar calorie values’, therefore it contributes to acquire more energy (Gortmaker et al in Musaiger et al, 2014). In addition, there is a school of thought that eating more fruit and vegetables are beneficial to decrease the probability of obesity (Musaiger et al, 2014). For instance, in the United States, 12-year old boys and 11-year-old girls consumed any fruits and vegetable occupied 56.1 per cent and 65.5 per cent respectively (Eagle et al, 2004). It may be explained that nearly half children do not  eat any fruits and vegetable, and it boosts the number of obese children. Another important reason is lack of activity. Nowadays, modern people living in developed societies do not take more exercise than their ancestor (McLannahan and Clifton, 2008: p28). It is possible lead to obesity. Hyman (cited in Tomer, 2011) provides that a sedentary pattern can make weight gaining, through the lower metabolic rates (Hyman in Tomer, 2011). Moreover, some evidence indicates that the awareness of the innate appetite control system can be strengthened by high levels of physical activity. In the mean time, it is easier to automatically make energy intake and energy needs balance (Jebb, 2004). This is a key issue that ‘increases in obesity can not be simply attributed to over-eating or inadequate activity, rather it represents a failure of the homeostatic mechanisms to precisely match energy intake to the body’s energy needs’ (Jebb, 2004). Furthermore, exercise’s levels are also important. People whether willing to do exercise is a main factor of energy needs (Jebb, 2004). For example, if a person who is a white-collar worker has a sedentary life, driving a car commuting and not seeking leisure activity, their basal metabolic rate may be used just 30 per cent (Jebb, 2004). On the contrary, a generally active adult may expend about 60 per cent and a particular active sportsman can consume double her or him basal energy needs (Jebb, 2004). It can be seen that doing more activity contributes to consume more energy, particularly helping to maintain insulin sensitivity and reduce the risk of obesity. Furthermore, in the recent year, people spend more time on internet and watching television. Therefore, high-tech environment brings some influences to make people obese. The Henry J Kaiser Family Foundation indicates that adverts on television have effects on childhood obesity levels (Musaiger et al, 2014). At the same time, according to the American Psychological Association’s report, children less than 8 year olds do not distinguish the difference between adverts and reality (Musaiger et al, 2014). Through displaying some advertisements which some stars eating delicious foods makes a condition reflection, so that people who watches advertisements may eat more foods, and it causes an increase of intake energy, especially if people repeatedly watches these advertisements on television (Eagle et al, 2004). Actually, is utilizes the changeless relationship of stimulus and response in human’s brain, according to Classical Conditioning theory (Eagle et al, 2004). When people watches television, it equivalently irritate people’ awareness that need eating snack or meals. Thus watching television is a way to cause intake more energy and make people obesity. Further, advertisements on television not only boost people eating but also have negative impacts on food choices of viewers. To some extent, it caused people preferring to choose higher fat and higher energy foods (Eagle et al, 2004). To sum up, watching television leads to people become obesity. As discussed above, there is a dramatic rise about obesity in many countries nowadays, due to the complex interaction of a variety of reasons, divided to congenital causes and acquired factors (Wright, 2012). Moreover, obesity has many negative impacts on human health. It represents in higher death rate and many chronic conditions. The purpose of this essay is make people understand that these diseases have produced seriously harm to people’s health, and through explaining causes of obesity make people improve obesity problem. To be specific, the causes which lead to obesity are extraordinary complex, divided into congenital and acquired factors. There is no doubt that the congenital factor is genes result in obesity’s development. Furthermore, the acquired factors involved many aspects, including diet, life behavior patterns and high-tech environment. This essay particularly has explained that three factors, such as eating habits, physical activity and watching advertisements on television, resulted in obesity. On the other hand, obesity is not only endocrine-metabolic disease, but also it is many other diseases’ start. For instance, some serious risks which are the premature death and morbidity of chronic conditions are caused by obesity. Firstly, about premature death, this essay used some data which compared different lifespan of different extent obese people and normal weight people, particularly middle aged and elderly people are particularly serious. In addition, in the part of chronic disease, this essay has analysed the type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and some types of cancer were produced by obesity. To sum up, obesity is a global problem. As a result of many complex reasons, there are increasing people became obesity. At the same time, obesity boosts rate of premature death and  morbidity of chronic con ditions. References: Borrell, L. and Samuel, L. (2014) Body Mass Index Categories and Mortality Risk in US Adults: The Effect of Overweight and Obesity on Advancing Death, American Journal Of Public Health, 104 (3) 512-519, SPORTDiscus with Full Text, EBSCOhost, viewed 18 August 2014. Eagle, L, Bulmer, S, Kitchen, P. and Hawkins, J. (2004) Complex and controversial causes for the ‘obesity epidemic: The role of marketing communications’, International Journal Of Medical Marketing, 4 (3) 271-287, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 18 August 2014. Gonzalez Jimenez, E. (2011) Genes and obesity: a cause and effect relationship. Endocrinologà ­a y Nutricià ³n (English Edition), 58 (9) 492-496, Available from http://www.sciencedirect.com.proxy.library.lincoln.ac.uk/science/article/pii/S2173509311000602 viewed 18 August 2014. Jebb, S. (2004) Obesity: causes and consequences. Women’s Health Medicine, 1 (1) 38-41, Available from http://www.sciencedirect.com.proxy.library.lincoln.ac.uk/science/article/pii/S1744187006000102 viewed 18 August 2014. McLannahan, H. and Clifton, P. (2008) Challenging obesity. 1st ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 28-31, viewed 18 August 2014. Musaiger, A, Al-Roomi, K, and Bader, Z. (2014) Research report: Social, dietary and lifestyle factors associated with obesity among Bahraini adolescents, Appetite, 73, 197-204, ScienceDirect, EBSCOhost, viewed 18 August 2014. Tomer, J. (2011) What Causes Obesity? And Why Has It Grown So Much? Challenge (05775132), 54 (4) 22-49, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 18 August 2014. Wright, S. and Aronne, L. (2012) Causes of obesity, Abdominal Imaging, 37 (5) 730-732, Scopus ®, EBSCOhost, viewed 18 August 2014.

Argumentive Essay on Age Differences in Relationships

There is a  funny thing about  love. And that is the fact you never tell as to whom your mate will be. Regardless of how long the relationship may be, we never know who out there will be the one we call our mate. You may have similar interests, backgrounds or have the same  sense of humor, but through it all one question sticks out among many folks out in the world today. Does age have a bearing on whether or not to enter a relationship? Some feel that you will eventually fall in love with someone half your age but the thing is how can you tell?And is that a deciding factor in getting in a relationship? Many are opposed to this as they feel the gap could cause a great deal of issues within the relationship itself. There are many different opinions about whether age factors play a huge role in a relationship. Some people say it does not matter and others say it is everything. Some people are like me, sort of in the middle. Age is just a number, or is it? One might think that if a man has been alive for forty five years, than he should possess be somewhat mature as far being experienced in relationships.Well in some cases, while the forty year-old may be experienced, when it comes to being mature he may not be all the way there. While a person may have experienced a lot of different things in their life, it does not necessarily mean that they have learned from them. It is a sad fact that some people just never grow up. This may be fortunate or unfortunate depending on how you look at it. However, it is a fact of life. If you date this kind of person you are more than likely in for a rocky relationship Maturity is more a matter of personality than age.According to journalist Vidhi Agrawal, the question of age and relationships is really difficult to answer, especially when the Cupid’s arrow strikes and you fall in love with a person who is 10 years your senior or 15 years younger to you. In historic times, it was common for a man of 30 or 40 years to marry a teenage girl. Then came the period where the difference ranged between two and seven years, with the man being older. Back then there was a simple logic was simple:  the man would be the bread winner while the wife would provide babies. (Agrawal, 2012) In my opinion, I feel that age does matter in relationships.While, it’s not the most important factor it does play a key role in whether or not the relationship sustains a lengthy period or it’s just a seasonal fling. There are issues that need to be considered with relationships that have a noticeable difference in age. These issues are not insurmountable, yet they are obstacles that must be considered and dealt with if the relationship is going to be successful and meaningful to both parties. I feel this way because in these days in time relationships are like the wind. Everyday it seems like most couples break up as fast as they fall in love.While numerous married couples who differ in age now ended up marri ed, they also end up having a divorce due to either: financial problems, fights, or cheating spouses so spending a long time growing old together seem impossible in this day and age. Most relationships today only start with physical attraction or infatuation like magnets but we all know that we are people so we will have desires and attractions to the opposite (or same sex). Choosing someone that is right for the age is probably a suitable solution to lessen breaking hearts and emotional distress. Another reason I feel that age matters is because people nowadays create labels.When a young man or woman dates an older man or woman he/she is commonly called â€Å"cougar†, on the other hand, when an old man or woman dates younger ones he/she is commonly called a â€Å"pedophile†. These two labels doesn’t apply to people who dates 1 year to 4 years older or younger, it only applies to people who are really old like five to ten years age gap. Also in some cultures, ag e gap are still approved when the parents of two persons are close friends and they talk about the future of their children and starting to pre-arrange their son and daughter’s marriage when both parents know that they are at the right age. Marsh, 2010) In addition, we define our goals, experiences and milestones in life by age. For example, by 21, most people will be a graduate, will have worked for five years and then completed a MBA by 28 and started their own company. Marry and settled with kids by 32, work hard for the next 15 years and then begin retirement planning. See, this is how the average person generally planned their life. So when an older man marries a woman much younger to him, there can be conflicts over preferences and goals.She will want to be go out more and engage in active pursuits while he will have that, â€Å"been there, done that† feeling/attitude and may not participate eagerly. Similarly, the balance of power and dominance would always be o n the side of the older spouse because he/she is more matured, wise and experienced. To them, younger spouses’ need for indulgence may appear histrionics and attention-seeking behavior. The difference in age could also deepen with time after many years with the partner, thus causing problems.At first, they have a lot of common interests but after many years somewhere between 5 and10 years, while one of them is getting old, the other one is still young in body and spirit. Because of this it would be hard to cope with and keep up with one another because they have simply grown apart. This may lead to break ups. Also, an age gap can have an influence on a relationship by the fact it could lead to three main problems which are the sickness and health, different opinions and the child issue. Sometimes the age gap could be very embarrassing.For example, when a couple goes out to do shopping to buy clothes and things for them and their children and suddenly the sales assistant talks to the woman/man and tells him/her is that person your daddy/mommy?. That would be very embarrassing and not acceptable even though the person does not mean what he says because in the first place he does not know that this person is her husband. The embarrassment that comes from such relationships with age difference makes the younger partner thinking about why he is putting him/herself in such situation, while he could be with person who looks exactly like his age without any embarrassments.This makes lots of marriages fail. Therefore, having healthy relationship without age gap will tackle this problem and makes the couples live happily without embarrassments forever. (Twoface, 2009) An example for these kinds of relationships is that of Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher. The recently divorced couple was married with an age gap of thirteen years (Demi being around forty and Ashton being around twenty-seven). In these age gap relationships, there were real differences in their intere st in physical activities that eventually resulted to the divorce.While many feel like I feel on this subject, there are those who differ with me on this issue. While many feel age will play a deciding factor in a potential break-up, on the contrary, you have those who feel age does not matter in a relationship because in most cases they want someone to match their level of maturity, having a strong commitment to each other, and having someone serious to talk in a personal way. You have those who feel they have either outgrown their age range or are just mature for their age (whether it’s due to circumstances or surroundings) so they seek companionship with mates older than they are.You have those who feel as long as both are mature and are making their own choices than age should not really matter. Another factor one will state in the case of age matters is that the younger person would benefit from the older person's wisdom and experience and the older person feels as if he has been given new life by the ego boost they get from having someone so young finding them attractive. With that the relationships would be based on only having benefits from each other. These kinds of relationships that based on having benefits from each other have never worked before and will never work (Vilbert & Lloyd, 2010).In conclusion, age does really matter in a relationship in some degree and that’s based on whether the two individuals can handle their relationship with a sense of responsibility and commitment based on their level of maturity in sharing their personal outlooks and goals from their life experiences. (Realsexfacts, 2006) Age gap relationships will always be frowned upon mainly due to their abnormality. Most people would look at a 50 year old and a 25 year old together and think â€Å"that's just  not  right†. I would say for the most part age does matter in a relationship.While you do not want the age gap to be too significant due to prac tical reasons like how long the person might have until they die or at what age they will stop having sex and procreating. Also, lifestyle and cultural differences might emerge if there is a significant age difference. There will in most cases be a lot of protests from friends and family, so opt for something like this only when you are ready to stand against them. This in turn depends upon whether you are sure about what exists between the two of you and its all that you really want in life. This is not to say that there are no exceptions.Those are always out there and I guess you should get to know your partner well and know what you are getting into before taking any chances with your life. Follow your gut. The heart wants what the heart wants in the end. It does not matter how ridiculous it may look to other people. References (2006). Relationships and Age Difference. Realsexfacts. com. Retrieved 10 March, 2013 from: http://www. realsexedfacts. com/relationships-age-difference. html Agrawal, V. (2012). Age Factor in Marriage and Relationships. BollywoodShaddis. com Retrieved 10 March 2013 from: http://www. bollywoodshaadis. om/article/lifestyle–health/relationships/age-factor-in-marriage-and-relationships Marsh, T. (2009). Does Age Really Matter In Relationships?. Love, Life and Relationships: Terrymarshworld. blogspot. Retrieved 10 March, 2013 from: http://www. terrymarshworld. blogspot. com/2010/03/does-age-really-matter-in-a-relationship. html Twoface. (2009). Does Age Matter. Socyberty. Retrieved 10 March 2013 from: http://socyberty. com/relationships/does-age-matter-age-gap-relationships/ Vilbert, D & Lloyd, A (2010). Does A Big Age Difference Doom A Relationship?. Living. MSN. Retrieved 10 March 2013 from: http://living. msn. com/love-relationships