I
Illiteracy
Incontinence
Infatuation
Infertility
Insomnia
Invalids
Irresponsibility
J
Jailbreak
Jargon
Jealousy
Jet
Lag
Jumboism
Junk
Food
Juvenile
Delinquency
K
Keloids
Keratomalacia
Kidnapping
Koilonychia
L
Labor
Union Problems
Lactation
Problems
Laziness
Legal
Problems
Lies
(Lying)
Lightning
Injury
Loan
Problems
Illiteracy
is a situation where a person cannot read or write. In most
Asian and African nations, illiteracy is not uncommon because
there are no proper facilities like schools and colleges in
the rural and remote areas. Some people speculate it is better
to do some kind of manual jobs instead of studying some
courses. Many people, who are illiterates, dont want to send
their children to school because they want their children to
help them in the farms or in their workplaces. They would
think that the children should learn their occupations,
whatever they are and education is not important. Some other
parents would wish to send their children to school but have
no means to do so or the school is very far from their homes.
Some people dont know that illiteracy is bad for the children.
Many people in different nations are computer illiterate too.
Non-Spiritual
Solutions
The
governments of all the nations, where illiteracy is high, must
leave no stone unturned in helping the people to be literate.
They should run programs for adults so that they can read and
write. There are other countries, which have literacy programs
that are not reaching every adult. The government should also
reward illiterate adults who are still trying to learn. It is
to make a mandatory rule for all children to attend school,
whether they like it or not. Most countries, that are
economically strained, should be helped by UNICEF and other
charitable agencies with finance to run schools. Particularly
children in remote areas should be assisted so that these
children can go to school and study. The government must
discourage and punish those guilty of using children to work
in mines, fields and factories. They should ensure that these
children go to school. To eradicate illiteracy, is not the
work of only the government but of every person to do the
little he or she can in order to help. Everybody ought to
encourage the persons, who are not literate, to learn to read
and write. Media like television and radio are to be used to
encourage all the illiterates to become literate.
There
are many persons in many nations that are literate but not
computer literate. There should be schemes and short-term
programs to make all people computer literate because
now-a-days computers are used in every walk of life.
Top
Incontinence
is lack of control of the body discharges. Urinary
incontinence means that there is no control of the urinary
flow and the fecal incontinence means there is no control over
defecation. Urinary incontinence is generally very common in
small children and in the elderly. Urinary incontinence is
caused by infections like urinary tract infection, vaginitis,
alcohol drinking, tumor in urinary tract, weak sphincter
muscles, some drugs like diuretics, antihistamines, and
anti-psychotic drugs. Fecal incontinence could be caused
because of various reasons like weak sphincter muscles,
traumatic delivery (forceps delivery) and episiotomy among
women, anal surgery or injury to the rectum and anus, and
Alzheimers disease. Children who are below six years usually
have some incontinence of the feces and also suffer from
nocturnal enuresis, which is bed wetting.
Management
For
urinary and fecal incontinence patients should seek the help
of medical doctors. If it is urinary incontinence due to
urinary tract infection or vaginitis, then it should be
treated accordingly. The patients could be taught biofeedback
mechanisms, where they could control and tighten their bladder
muscles, and tighten their sphincter muscles and buttocks. If
it is the nocturnal enuresis for children, they should be
taught toilet training with motivation and counseling to
ensure that they dont have bed-wetting incidences. They ought
to be rewarded for successful nights. Serious scolding of
children will only aggravate the situation. Motivating them to
try to control their bladder is more appropriate. They should
not take any fluids at least three hours before going to bed.
Persons with urinary incontinence should not ingest alcohol
and caffeine, which have diuretic effects. For fecal
incontinence, the patients must visit a gastroenterologist.
The management would be based on the underlying cause.
Sometimes surgical repairs may be needed or drugs may be used.
The patients could also be taught biofeedback training, which
could help them.
Top
Infatuation
is an ardent love or admiration for the member of opposite
sex. A boy may fall in love with a girl at first sight without
really knowing her history and other information. There are
some boys who are infatuated for some time with one girl and
may then lose the infatuation for that girl and develop an
infatuation for another girl. They are very flimsy with their
infatuations. Infatuation mostly affects teenagers but age has
no barriers for it. Old people can be infatuated, adults can
be infatuated but the children that are quite young, who know
nothing of romantic love, may not experience infatuation.
Infatuation, if it is an obstacle for concentrating on other
things, can be a serious problem. If infatuation leads to
stress and concentration problems, then it is an alarming
issue.
Non-Spiritual
Solutions
It
is human tendency, especially during teenage and even
adulthood, to be infatuated with the opposite sex. However,
that infatuation should not be drawn into a stage where it
handicaps life. Life
should go on as usual and that infatuation should not disturb
studies or eating habits or health conditions. If the
infatuation leads to love, it is no problem, but if it is only
one-sided love and the other person is not responding, then
he/she is wasting time and energy. I suggest some points to
escape infatuation or to overcome it. The points are as
follows:
1.
It is okay to be infatuated provided the other person
responds and reciprocates.
2.
If the person of the opposite sex shows no interest,
dont waste time.
3.
Try to show your infatuation subtly. Through
conversation find out if your love will be reciprocated. If
not, move on.
4.
Remember there are many girls and boys in this world.
It is like a garden full of roses. If you try to pluck one
rose and you get pricked by a thorn, forget that rose and try
another.
5.
Dont let infatuation or emotions control you.
Top
Infertility
is the inability of the woman to conceive or the inability of
a man to assist in conception. What are the causes of
infertility? Men and women both could have problems. Let me
first deal with the male problems. If a man is infertile, it
means that he is not producing a sufficient supply of sperm. Men who
dont produce many sperms suffer from oozospermia. Sometimes,
they may produce enough amount of sperms but the sperms are
not motile or strong enough to move to the fallopian tube to
fertilize the egg. A woman may be infertile for two main
reasons. The first reason is the obstruction in reproductory
tract, especially in the fallopian tube. The other reason is
the inability to ovulate. Usually the obstruction in the
fallopian tube is because of tissue damage induced by
infections like gonorrheal infection. Sometimes the use of
intra-uterine devices could produce infections or
obstructions. Pelvic inflammatory disease could also produce
infertility. It is very hard to find out the cause why a woman
is not ovulating. Maybe it is due to hormonal disturbances.
Sometimes the problem escalates as the woman ages. If the
woman is too obese or severely underweight, there could be
problem of inability to ovulate.
Non-Spiritual
Solutions
The
solutions for male problems:
If
a man is not able to produce enough sperm, he may increase his
sperm count by not wearing tight underwear, or living in a
colder place. Some experts believe that frequent sexual
intercourse just before ovulation can help in spite of the
lesser sperm produced. During intercourse, because sperms
cannot live in the acidic environment of the vagina, the male
must have deep penetration. If the sperms are deposited near
the cervical opening, then the chances are more that they will
go up into the uterus and on to the fallopian tubes. If these
solutions still do not assist the man in bringing about
conception, then he should see a medical doctor. Sometimes
surgery could help if there are structural problems of the
testes. It is best for a man to have sex a few days during the
ovulation time, which is usually fourteen days before the next
menstruation.
The
solutions for female problems:
When
the problem is blocked fallopian tubes, the infertile female
must see a doctor who specializes in treating infertility. If
it is a problem of inability to ovulate, then drugs like
clomiphene citrate could be used in oral form to bring about
ovulation.24
Advice
for the infertile couple:
If
everything fails, then the couple could go for test tube baby,
which is also known as in vitro fertilization and embryo
transfer. Here, the procedure is very simple. The egg and the
sperm would be combined and fertilized in a glass dish and
later inserted into the uterus. Another technique is GIFT also
known as Gamete Intra-Fallopian Transfer, where the egg and
the sperm are directly inserted into the fallopian tubes. If
this fails, then there is surrogate parenting, where the
embryo is inserted into another
womans uterus, who acts as surrogate mother or that woman
would be inseminated with the semen of the expected father.
Surrogating is not advised if it involves the insemination of
the expected father, as it is unethical. If there are some
uterus problems, then they could seek the sister or a close
relative of the infertile woman as a surrogate but this
involves ethical
considerations. I do not advise artificial insemination by
donor as it could be committing adultery indirectly but it is
okay to have artificial insemination by the husband.
Most
significantly, God controls fertility and they ought to pray
to Him and if it is His will, He will bless them with a baby.
In the Bible one can read the stories of how God shut up the
womb of Rachel and Sarah for quite some time but they were
later opened. Hannah literally cried for many years for a
child and God did finally give her a child. Everything is in
the hands of God. Pray and then try to use some of the
previously mentioned techniques as well.
Top
It is
inability to sleep. Stress, physical discomfort, environmental
conditions, alcoholism and smoking can cause insomnia. Some
health problems that may cause insomnia are delirium,
depression, severe pain, asthma, maniac disorders,
hypothyroidism and respiratory problems.
Non-Spiritual
Solutions
The
solution to insomnia could be psychological strategies and
medications. Anyone suffering from sleeping problems should
not watch television in the bedroom or eat in the bedroom. The
bedroom should be meant only for sleeping and if you are
married, to have sex. Do not sleep for a short time during the
day but only during the nights. Do not drink caffeine and
smoke because this would discourage sleepiness. Do not drink
alcohol because it might disrupt the continuity of sleep. Do
not drink too much fluids in the nights because you have to
get up to urinate, which spoils the continuity of sleep. For
some, drinking warm milk before sleep can help. When you do
vigorous exercise during the day, it may tire you and cause
you to sleep in the nights. Sedative drugs should be taken
with medical doctors consultation and are usually meant for
short-term. Sometimes antihistamines can also help to sleep.
Top
An
invalid is a person who is disabled or very sick. Invalids
cant depend on themselves but they have to depend on others to
live. The paralysed patients and cerebral plastic children
become invalids. There has to be a long term care of these
persons. They have to be monitored and helped because they
cant really do much without the help of others. So taking care
of these invalids could also be a problem for those
administering care.
Non-Spiritual
Solutions
The invalids
must be cared with love and patience. They must not forget
their medications. The invalid children should be sent to
special schools. Those persons caring for the invalids must
have a lot of patience. They should be grateful to God that
they themselves aren't invalids like their wards.
So they should have a lot of patience as they help them
with their baths and their meals and clean up their discharges
(urinary & fecal). All this could be really tiring and
very discomforting. But as you do all this you must show love
to the invalids. The person taking care of the invalid should
never curse in her mind, If this invalid dies, my headache
will be over. Never make fun of disabled persons. Try to help
them if you can.
Top
Irresponsibility
is a small problem but it begets big problems. Everybody
should be responsible in his duties. If a man, whose duty is
to change railway tracks manually, is irresponsible, then he
can cause major train accident where hundreds and hundreds of
people can die. If the nurse is irresponsible in her duties,
it could cause the life of the patient or could cause the
spread of nosocomial infections, that is, hospital-acquired
infections. Everybody should be responsible as
irresponsibility could lead to dangerous problems. Blaming
others is irresponsibility too.
Spiritual
Solutions
It
should be inculcated from childhood that we should be
responsible for whatever we are supposed to do. We are not to
take it for granted that others are going to do our chores
because irresponsibility can cause more problems. The Bible
declares in Song of Solomon 2:15, The little foxes spoil the grape.
It is not really the big foxes that spoil the grapes but the
little foxes. Little things like irresponsibility can cause
major problems in the world. Let us, therefore, be
responsible, whether as a teacher, secretary, janitor or
student. Everybody should be responsible for his/her work. If
the janitor doesnt keep the things clean, there is the
probability that it will not look very aesthetic and can also
cause the spread of diseases. If a gardener is not responsible
then the plants could die. Hence, no matter what the work is,
everybody should be a responsible person. Don't blame others.
Anyone who is not responsible should be seriously punished so
that others would not take heart and follow his/her
irresponsible example. All who are responsible for all their
duties would be rewarded someday.
Top
From
time to time you will know through television or radio or read
in the news that there was a jailbreak in some place. Why do
jailbreaks happen? The reasons could be impotent security
system, poor infrastructure as well as disloyal internal
individuals working in the jails, who have some kind of
connection with the prisoners or with outside criminals and
sabotage the security. Most prisoners desire to escape from
their prisons while others attempt to do so.
Non-Spiritual
Solutions
First,
the government of any nation should make the jail conditions
pleasant but not too pleasant. When jail conditions are
pleasant then some prisoners will not want to escape. The
infrastructure should be good and foolproof in order that
prisoners cannot escape from jail. All the staff working in
the jails must be honest and loyal persons. If one hires
dishonest staff, chances are that one-day there will be a
jailbreak. If the jail staff are earning about two thousand
dollars a month, which is about twenty four thousand dollars a
year and a don or famous criminal is placed in the facility
and he offers him one million dollars to assist him to escape;
it is quite likely that after considering that he will never
be able to make that kind of money in his life time, the jail
worker will try to help this criminal to escape. Hence,
trained persons who are loyal to their jobs, who will not be
tempted no matter how low they are on cash, but would uphold
their duties, are to be employed in the prisons.
Anyone
guilty of helping prisoners to escape should be severely
punished. The prisoners who escape must be harshly punished so
that other prisoners will not venture to escape when they hear
of the report. The rules and regulations should be extremely
strict within the prisons because there are some visitors who
would talk to the prisoners and cleverly send some knives,
hack saw blades and the other equipment, which could help to
escape, through food and other items. As some prisoners are
even smuggling in cell phones to communicate and mastermind
further criminal activities outside, there should be stricter
security measures.
Top
Jargon
is a strange or unintelligible language; it is a confused
outlandish language or dialect. Many people use words, which
dont make any sense. In different disciplines, there could be
jargons, which is not understood by the non-disciplinary
people. Hence, the problem of jargon may affect persons that
do not belong to the particular discipline or faculty.
Non-Spiritual
Solutions
Do
not use unintelligible language, which would confuse people.
If one is speaking to an English audience and suddenly he uses
some words, which are in his vernacular language, it could
cause confusion. Some people might use some Latin words or
other words in churches and may call it speaking in tongues
but to others it might be a jargon. They may not understand a
thing. If I say, Shambalam katam dalam, the words would be
gibberish to the persons reading my book. Anyone who gives a
speech or writes something should do so in a manner that is
clearly understood by others. Let us not use jargon when it
makes no sense to others. There are some difficult terms in
the medical language but when there are used while speaking to
non-medical individuals, those terms become jargon to them.
When a medical term is used, one should explain to the
person what it is or else it would be a medical jargon.
Please see appendix I if you do not know medical terms
used in this book.
Top
Jealousy
is a hostile attitude towards a rival or one believed to have
an advantage. Jealousy is the brother of pride.
Jealousy
could be a serious problem because it could cause distrust and
intolerance. The Bible says in Song of Solomon 8:6, Jealousy is cruel as the grave.
Jealousy could cause more problems like hatred, battering or
harming someone or even murder. It could also lead to
indiscrimination against women by men and to racism.
Non-Spiritual
Solutions
If
one is jealous of somebody because of his/her singing talent,
it will be of no use since bitterness would make the person
sadder. Instead of being jealous of the person's talent one
could praise that person's talent or one could make a decision
that he/she could strive to do as well as the person or even
better. Do not harbor jealousy and pride as they may have
synergistic effect. Jealousy only sows seeds for hatred and
sometimes murder. We ought to some how curtail the growth of
jealousy and not let it grow. If you are jealous of somebody's
beauty or disposition, think that if you were in that person's
shoes, how you would feel if others were jealous of you. Would
you like it? Not likely.
Top
Jet
lag is a condition where one has travelled by aeroplane and
crossed time zones and feels sleepy or tired. Suppose you had
left the Eastern world and reached Western world, there may be
a difference of 9-12 hours. Since it was night-time for you in
Eastern world you may fall asleep in the daytime, or you may
be awake in the night because it was daytime in Eastern world.
This poses a problem for many persons for a few days.
Non-Spiritual
Solutions
To
fix or avoid the sleepiness because of jet lag, you have to
expose yourself to bright light. The pineal gland, which is in
the brain, produces a hormone known as melatonin, which will
induce sleep. If you're exposed to bright light, then the
melatonin may not be produced and you will not feel sleepy.
But if you are in a dark and cold place, melatonin would be
produced and that would induce sleep. In the nights, eat
lightly. Sometimes,
you may not have any appetite but eat a little any way as this
may be the case for a few days until your body gets used to it
and you may not have further problems. Usually jet lag is more
common when people travel from Eastern world to the Western
world or from hot countries to colder countries. When people
travel from colder countries to hot/tropical countries, jetlag
is not much of a big problem. They may feel little sleepy but
because of the bright sunlight in the Eastern nations they
would not have much of a problem.
Top
Jumboism
is an interest in possessing or owning big things. There are
people who like to possess only big things, whether it is a
big house or a big car. Is this a problem? For some it is,
because it involves spending a lot of money buying big things
and moving big things. Others may consider you as crazy
because everything you want must be big.
Non-Spiritual
Solutions
Owning
big things or jumbo-sized things is not necessarily all that
great. We should not be proud of the things that are big. We
are to own small things in life too. We must not lose our
minds in order to own only big things and waste money buying
big things. A Texan went to London and stayed in a hotel. He
asked the manager of the hotel, "How is it that your
hotel is so small? It is the size of my closet in my house in
Texas!" Then he looked out the window and remarked,
"Your swimming pool is so small. It is the size of my
bath tub!" The Texan continued belittling everything in
the hotel. The manager wanted to fix him up for his pride and
craze for big things. The next day, when the Texan returned to
his London hotel, after visiting various places in London, he
found a tortoise under his pillow. He called the manager and
shouted, "What nonsense is this? How come, there is a
tortoise under the pillow?" The manger replied,
"Sir, that is not a tortoise, it is a bed bug!" In
this illustration the Texan was put in his place because he
felt that everything should be big. We must, therefore, be
willing to settle for smaller things also.
Top
Food
that is very high in fat and carbohydrates can be junk. Fast
food is also junk food. If
you daily eat diet that has too much fat, rich in
carbohydrates and does not contain high fibre and nutrients
like vitamins or minerals, it can cause problems like obesity,
atherosclerosis, diabetes and hypertension. It can also lead
to acne vulgaris, constipation and colon, prostate and breast
cancers.
Non-Spiritual
Solutions
Many people
eat junk food because it is cheap and also tasty. Whether you
attend school or work, if you carry food with you then the
chances are that you will not indulge in junk food. If you
prepare your own food, you will not want to have junk food.
But most people are very busy and have no time to prepare
food. So how do we solve this problem? It is better to have
some bread, peanut butter, jam, pastry and some fibre rich
cereals. These can be carried and be eaten in your offices or
in educational institutions. Eating junk food once in a while
may be okay but daily consumption can give rise to serious
health problems. Eating junk food just to save money is not
the principle to follow. If you think that by ingesting junk
food, you are saving time and money, think of the adage, Penny
wise, pound foolish, which is not a cliché. If youre trying
to save a few pennies, then you are going to waste a lot of
pounds later because you may develop obesity, hypertension,
diabetes and problems like cancer of colon, prostate or
breast.
Top
Delinquency
is conduct, which is not in accordance with accepted behaviour
or the law of the land. Juveniles are persons who are not
adults. There are many cases of juvenile delinquency in the
world, especially in the Western nations. The teenagers and
children are involved in drug addiction, stealing, lying,
murder and all kinds of other problems in society. Sometimes
they simply want to disobey the law for the heck of it. They
just want to do anything they like without any authority
telling them what to do and what not to do. Juvenile
delinquents are not a small but big problem in the society.
Spiritual
Solutions
The
solution should start from birth. The moment the child is able
to understand what is to be done and what is not to be done,
they should be trained in such a way that they will not be
involved in doing anything contrary to the acceptable laws of
the land. If the child does something that is against accepted
behaviour, he should be corrected. The child is not to be
abused and beaten mercilessly but the child should be
corrected with strict discipline. If the child is not
corrected firmly, that child will inevitably be a juvenile
delinquent. The Bible advises in Proverbs 29:15, The rod and reproof gives wisdom,
but a child left to himself brings his mother to shame.
This statement has not become hackneyed. But it is a maxim.
Hence, the child must be corrected and reproof should be
given. If the children are taught in school that the parents
have no right to reprimand and spank them, then children will
become braver to disobey the laws.
The juvenile delinquents must be punished harshly. If
they are treated as juveniles and not as adults, then more
innocent persons would be killed by other juvenile delinquents
as they are aware that they will not be treated as adults.
There are students who take guns to their classes and kill
their peers or teachers that they dislike. All these things
are being encouraged further because severe action is not
being taken against these youngsters.
Since
the time the Bible and prayer were banned from public schools,
the children had no spiritual guidance of how to behave as
good citizens of the country and juvenile delinquents have
multiplied geometrically. The Bible and prayer should be
re-introduced to public schools.
In
summary, I am making some recommendations to prevent juvenile
delinquency:
1.
Teach the children, from childhood, what is correct
behaviour and what is not.
2.
If the child makes any mistake, he should be
reprimanded or rebuked firmly and sternly.
3.
Prayer and the Bible should be brought back to the
public schools to avoid problems. They are to love and fear
God.
4.
All the juveniles that are guilty of a felony are to be
treated as adults and not as juveniles.
5.
The delinquents must be severely punished and the
sentence should be so strong that it would be a deterrent to
other juveniles.
6.
All juveniles should attend prayer meetings and
worships, where they should be taught how to behave in society
and how to love and respect other people.
7.
Juveniles should be shown love and not be despised.
Top
Keloid
is an overgrowth of fibrous tissue. It can be shiny and dome
shaped. It is a thick scar or an overgrowth of fibroblastic
tissue that usually arises in areas of injury, surgery or
sometimes spontaneously. Keloids usually are seen behind the
ears, neck, and chest. It might sometimes result from severe
acne vulgaris. Keloids are more frequent in the black race.
They are a problem for some persons because they do not have
an aesthetic value as they maybe behind the ear, on the side
of the face or the neck, and they can be easily seen. If the
keloids are somewhere in the chest or back region, clothes
will cover them.
Non-Spiritual
Solutions
The
affected persons should see a physician. First option is that
the doctor may use corticosteroid treatment. If a
corticosteroid injection is administered to the base of the
keloid monthly, the keloid might flatten. Sometimes this
doesnt work. Second option could be surgical excision but once
it is performed, chances are that another keloid will form
where the surgery was done.
The
third option could be laser excision. By using laser, it can
be removed and after that there should be intra-lesion
injection with a corticosteroid to prevent recurrence. Usually
this drug that is given is triamcinolone acetonide.25
This drug should be given under doctors supervision.
The
best way to prevent keloids is to avoid injury. Persons who
are prone to keloids must avoid injuries. If they are forming
keloids, it is best that they do not play games that could
cause them injury or do jobs that could lead to injury because
keloids usually form wherever there is injury.
When surgery is done, instead of stitches, clips can be
used during surgery to close up the skin. With the clips the
keloid formation is to a lesser extent. Therefore, if you are
prone to keloid formation, ask the surgeon not to use stitches
but to use clips to close the skin, if possible.
Top
Keratomalacia
Keratomalacia
is ulceration of the cornea. The cornea becomes softened and
ulcers are formed in the eye. Keratomalacia is formed because
of deficiency of vitamin A. It can strike vulnerable people
who are basically found in Southeast Asia where people eat
rice, which is devoid of carotene. It affects mostly small
children below six years. It will lead to blindness.
Treatment
The
affected persons should see ophthalmologist. Oral vitamin A
palmitate in oil would be administered. But blindness due to
keratomalacia is irreversible. For more information, see my
book, Dr. Stevensons Book on Preventive Nutrition.
Top
Kidnapping
is an act of forcefully taking someone, usually from a rich
family, and then demanding ransom. It also means to carry or
detain someone by unlawful force or fraud with the intention
of getting ransom, in the form of money or political favour.
Why do people kidnap? Because they want to be rich overnight.
The kidnappers choose persons who are easy targets and who
belong to rich families. Nobody would kidnap persons from a
poor family because it is of no use. The kidnappers may take
visitors as hostages for political mileage.
Non-Spiritual
Solutions
With
the problem of kidnapping, prevention is better than cure. If
people are rich, they should be careful that their children
are not left unsupervised. The smaller children should have
escorts to take them wherever they need to go. If they are
really rich and hold political offices they need to have
security guards for their homes and their children who are
attending school. They should not travel without security. They are to avoid
travelling to lonely places and also avoid travelling during
the nights as much as possible. The wealthy people should not
disclose their wealth to close relatives or friends because
sometimes it is a known person who will conspire and kidnap
the children or the head of the house.
What
should be done when a person has already been kidnapped? In
most cases of kidnapping, the kidnapper/s is/are known
person/s. So what they would do is, in spite of getting the
ransom money, they may consider killing the victim because the
victim is usually able to identify them and would eventually
tell the police who the kidnappers were. Therefore, extreme
caution is necessary to handle this situation. Most kidnappers
will ask the relatives of the kidnapped victim to bring the
money to a designated place and they would always insist that
they do not contact the police. However, the family should
contact the police. The first goal in trying to solve
kidnapping is that relatives of the victims should verify that
victim is truly alive. This is very important. In some cases
they would have already killed the kidnapped person but they
would still demand the money, so make sure that the kidnapped
person is alive. Sometimes they may record the victims voice
on a tape and then they would kill the victim; then every time
the victims relatives ask for proof of the victim being alive,
they would play that tape to make believe that the victim is
alive.
It
is not good to go it alone because if you do, the chances are
the victim could get killed in the process or lose all the
money and still not get the victim back. It is always good to
contact the police and other officials. The police assigned
should be experienced in dealing with kidnapping cases because
such cases are very sensitive ones. Always try to delay the
payment of the ransom money as much as possible for more
planning and more time to organize things well are needed in
order to catch the kidnappers and save the victim. Lastly, but
very important, pray to Lord Jesus because if it is His will,
the kidnapped person will be released. Keep praying and dont
panic. Pray for Lord Jesus mercies to be showered on the
victim so that he/she will be saved. Pray also for kidnappers
that they will change their lifestyles.
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Koilonychia
Koilonychia
is the spooning of the fingernails. The nails are in the form
of a spoon as there is a depression in them. This is usually
due to iron deficiency anemia.
Treatment
Iron
tablets or supplements should be given daily to the patients
who have the spooning of nails. The diet should be rich in
iron, like liver of the chicken or goat and dark leafy
vegetables. Prevention is better than cure. Hence, diet rich
in iron should be ingested from childhood.
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It
is good to have labor unions because the employers cannot
exploit their employees. However, among the labor unions,
there are some problems. Sometimes there is no unity among the
laborers because some are secretly in support of the
employers. Because of labor union elections the members might
be divided. Perhaps persons who have lost in the elections
might have some antagonism against the candidates who may have
won the election. When there is a strike called by the labor
union against the factory or industry, the low class laborers
will hardly have food to eat if the strike goes on for a long
time, whereas the labor union leaders will not suffer much
since they are all rich and have a lot of money in the banks.
They have luxury cars like Mercedes Benz and BMW, whereas the
poor lower class employees may not even have food to eat. Some
of these low class employees may want to go to work because
they dont have money and the labor union leaders would send
goons or hire criminals to beat them up or even kill them
because they are not obeying the dictates of the labor union.
Sometimes the labor union strikes run into many months and the
employers have no problem because they have a lot of money,
mobile assets and immobile assets, whereas the ordinary
employees will suffer because there is no work.
Sometimes,
when the employers secretly try to hire other people to do the
work, the employees would fight against them who were employed
to do the work secretly.
Non-Spiritual
Solutions
My
first advice is to the employers. The employers should try to
be transparent and try to help the employees. From time to
time, they need to raise the salaries of the workers provided
their company or the factory industry is financially sound.
The employers must take a father-son relationship approach
towards their employees. When they always try to dictate terms
and do not communicate properly with the employees or labor
union officers then it could give rise to problems. The labor
union leaders must also be very courteous and kind to the
members of the union. If they call for a strike and find that
other members are suffering because the strike is being
stretched for too long then the labor union should try to help
them out by giving some money or food or other items to the
lower class employees of the company. They should not be
selfish to think only of their families and luxuries.
The
labor union leaders should not hire criminals and goons to
suppress the lower class workers who are trying to secretly do
some work for their employers. Instead of hiring goons and
threatening and causing fear among the lower class workers it
is good to help them. When the labor union leaders mitigate
the troubles of those low paid workers, they would not
secretly go and work. The candidates who have lost in the
labor union elections ought not show any hatred towards the
persons who won but should unite with them and work for the
unity of the labor union. The goal of the labor union is not
to be selfish but to share and ensure that every worker is
benefited. Some of the members of the labor unions, especially
leaders, should not have a tie-up secretly with the employers
and try to deceive the other members of the union. There
should be an attitude of mutual respect between the employees
and employers at all times.
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Lactation
is a process of secretion of milk from the mammary glands.
Lactation is also used for the period when the infant is
nourished by breast milk. There are certain problems with
lactation. Some of the women in the Western countries do not
want to breast-feed their infants but prefer to bottle-feed
them. Breast-feeding could have both advantages and
disadvantages as can bottle-feeding. There are more advantages
for breast-feeding than for bottle-feeding. For some women,
they may not have enough milk initially. Some may be anemic or
under-nourished. Occasionally, some women experience leakage
of the breast milk and/or have engorged nipples.
Non-Spiritual
Solutions
I
would advise any mother to breast-feed their infants at least
initially. In the first few days, the mother produces
colostrum in the breast milk, which contains the antibodies
that could help the baby to fight pathogenic micro-organisms.
The mothers milk would also help the baby because it is
invariably sterile and at the correct temperature. There is
also a good bond between mother and infant as a result of the
breast-feeding. Another advantage, the milk comes from pretty
vessels. The disadvantage of breast-feeding could be that
there wont be much freedom for the mother to feed the child,
especially while traveling or while in front of other people
in a public place. The woman may sometimes be very bashful to
feed in front of others. Bottle-feeding will not create the
bond between the mother and child. An advantage of
bottle-feeding is the baby can be fed anywhere at any time.
But the nipples and the bottles need to always be sterilized
and warmed to the right temperature.
The
more the breast is suckled by the baby, the more oxytocin
hormones can be released, which stimulate the breast cells to
produce milk. A few women may have engorged nipples and that
could be solved by feeding the baby more often and if there is
pain it is wise to have some cold compresses placed on the
breasts and nipples. The lactating mother should increase her
protein intake by 20 grams and daily diet by nearly 500
calories. Calcium ought to be ingested about 1200 mg per day
because she is producing a lot of fluids. She must drink at
least 2 liters of pure water daily. If the lactating mother is
taking drugs like chloramiphenicol and anti-histamines, or
alcohol and caffeine, and if she is smoking, then she should
not breast-feed the baby because this could negatively affect
the health of the baby. Breast-feeding could act as a
contraceptive but is not foolproof, thus while breast-feeding
one should use other contraceptives to prevent pregnancy.
Condoms are advised for fathers and not oral contraceptives
for mothers since they could affect the baby and sometimes
cause reduction in milk production.
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Laziness
is a state of being indolent. This problem is not about person
who suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome but about persons who
just like to laze around or be indifferent. There are many
students that are slothful to do their homework while there
are some teachers who are lazy to correct and evaluate the
test papers. There are many workers who are lazy to do their
jobs and others who are sluggish to search for jobs but would
want to stay on welfare or just roam around without a job.
Laziness is not weariness caused by fevers or infections like
typhoid. It is about people who are lazy in spite of being in
good health.
Spiritual
Solutions
Lazy
people should realize that they are lazy and it is a problem
for them and for others. If they do not reason that they have
a problem, it is hard to give them solutions. Others should
prevent this laziness getting any further. People who are
slothful will have socio-economic problems, whether in study,
work or in their personal lives. The Bible states in Proverbs
6:6, Go to the ant, you
sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise. The sluggard or
lazy person should go to the ant and see how it works without
a ruler or guide and is able to provide its food and stores
food during summer. They should not borrow or beg for money
but try to be independent and do some work.
Most
lazy people will become economically poor. Proverbs 24:33-34
says, Get a little
sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to
sleep so shall thy poverty come like one that traveleth and
thy want as an armed man. In order to have a life, which
is worth living, we ought not be inert but work hard no matter
how much we are paid and not sleep or be sluggish all the
time. We should detest being unemployed. Of course there are
many people who look for jobs but are unable to find jobs. To
those persons I suggest not to give up. Perhaps you could work
somewhere voluntarily to gain experience for a future job. It
may not be particularly rewarding in the beginning but will
give you needed experience. However, someday in the future,
someone will employ you. Romans 2:11 also says, Not
slothful in business yet in fervent spirit serving the Lord.
If we are to serve the Lord we should not be slothful in any
business, whether it is working in a garden or working in an
office as a secretary or working in an academic situation as a
teacher.
We must love what we are doing. If we dont love what we
are doing, then we tend to be lazy. A student who is given an
assignment will be indolent if he hates that assignment. He
should love what he does. The teacher would be indolent if he
or she doesnt enjoy marking papers, when exam papers are to be
marked. The teacher is to be happy when evaluating papers. The
parable of the talents told by Lord Jesus in the gospels also
reveals that if a person is lazy, he will be cast into outer
darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing. Hence,
lazy people can lose salvation and end up being damned in hell
when Lord Jesus comes the second time. Some rich peoples
children, become are very sluggish because in their homes they
have servants, cars and all the luxury things possible. These
inert children will not find true happiness in spite of
possessing riches and wealth.
Seest
thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before
kings. He shall not stand before mean men, states the Holy
Bible in Proverbs 22:29. Any one who is diligent in his work
will inevitably be promoted to work in high places and be
blessed.
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Legal
matter relates to the law. What is legal in one country may
not be legal in another country. The legal problems differ
from country to country. In some countries you can do
something and go free because it is not a crime whereas in
other countries it may be a crime. For example, in some Middle
East countries you cannot drink alcohol because it is illegal
but in the Western countries you can drink alcohol because
that is legal. The legal facilities, legal aids, and the
systems of law and their difficulties and loopholes vary from
nation to nation. I will discuss some general solutions to
some legal problems.
Non-Spiritual
Solutions
Since
the legal problems vary from country to country I cannot
mention the solutions to various legal problems. However, the
general rule is that if someone is accused of breaking a law
of the country and is arrested, the arresting officer should
tell him his rights. The accused has the right to advocate and
to appeal his case. Sometimes, the person being arrested could
ask for a duty counsel even if he doesnt have a lawyer. The
duty counsel should give his counsel or expertise free of
charge until the first court appearance. By then the accused
could seek for his own lawyer.
Some
of the citizens of a country, when they are extremely poor and
cannot pay for an advocate; the government should provide
counsels who would fight for their cases because they dont
have the money to hire advocates. One problem with legal
procedure is that once it goes to trial it can drag on and on
and on. The legal systems in many countries are frustrating
and sickening. If a person has been witnessed murdering
someone else, that person may go free if he has a brilliant
lawyer who can make black into white and vice versa. Most law
systems in the Western world have loopholes and the lawyers
can bypass them. Sometimes, the lawyer that is defending the
person who is guilty of some serial murders will deliberately
try to delay the matter in the court so that his sentencing or
execution may be delayed. Occasionally the guilty person
himself, if he knows some laws of the land, would change the
lawyers from time to time so that his sentencing or execution
can be delayed as long as possible. A condemned prisoner is
not executed until twenty or thirty years and by that time he
may have escaped or may have died of natural causes. There are
a lot of legal problems, where most guilty persons of murders
are not really punished. They are released on bail or on
parole and without a shadow of doubt they will commit murders
again.
There
is a lot of debate in the world regarding capital punishment.
In most Asian countries and some African countries, capital
punishment is followed. In many of the Western countries
capital punishment is not followed but some of the states in
the United States practise capital punishment. There are a lot
of human rights groups that fight for prisoners, rapists,
murderers but some of these human right groups completely
forget the victims and their relatives suffering and agony.
Notice how executing a person after twenty or thirty years is
actually useless. It should be done soon after the judge gives
the verdict that the felon should be executed. Once the person
has exceeded all appeals (appeals must not drag for years),
execution should take place immediately. The capital
punishment is good in a way because it will act as a deterrent
to others who would rape and kill.
Spiritual
solutions
The
Bible warns in Ecclesiastes 8:11, Because the sentence against evil is
not executed speedily, the hearts of men are fully set to do
evil continually. This text clearly shows that because the
sentences are not speedily executed many criminals continue to
commit more rapes and murders. Therefore, capital punishment
should be put into place and should be enforced as quickly as
possible and not after ten or twenty
years. Whenever the accused is not fully proved to be
the killer, or there isnt enough evidence as yet, that person
can be imprisoned. The person that has been proven to have
raped and murdered others must be put to death immediately.
The appeals should not take years but should be over in a few
months.
A
lot of Christian pastors and others say, Lord Jesus told that
if one slaps you on one cheek, show the other, so we should
not follow capital punishment but show leniency to criminals.
Those pastors daughters are not raped or their sons and
daughters are not murdered, hence, it is easy for them to say
so. The Bible says that vengeance belongs to God but good
people in authority are empowered by God to impose the
necessary punishment to the criminals and murderers. The Bible
declares in Revelation 13:10, He that killeth by the sword must
die by the sword. It also expresses in Matthew 26:52, For
all they that take the sword shall perish by the sword.
Persons who kill other persons should also die. So let us not
reason that there should be no capital punishment and we
should show love and mercy. Rather we should support death
sentence for these criminals otherwise there would be more
murderers and rapists. In whichever nation where capital
punishment is executed speedily, there is a very less crime
rate inevitably.
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A
lie is not telling the truth. Persons, who are lying to escape
from problems, do not realize that the more lies they tell the
more problems they are creating. Children tell lies if they
are scared of parents or to get certain things done or to
escape punishment. Some individuals have an obsession to lie
and they have uncontrollable urge to tell lies. Those persons
are known as pathological liars.
Non-Spiritual
Solutions
When
children tell lies during childhood and if they are not
reprimanded, when they grow big, they will still tell lies.
When children see their parents telling lies, they too would
tell lies. Parents should also correct themselves if they are
telling lies. When students tell lies in the classroom, the
teachers should correct them. The teachers themselves should
not tell lies, lest they be bad examples to the students. Some
persons lie in court because they are paid to do so,
irrespective of taking an oath. Some are professional liars.
The
pathological liars are those who cant help themselves but
invariably tell lies. Drug addicts also tell lies just to hide
their drug addiction but they tell such unintelligent lies
that they are easily caught. There was a man who was a
pathological liar. He kept lying of how he visited many
nations in the world even though he never stepped outside of
his county not even once. When his friends asked,
"Did you see Britain?" He replied, "Yes
and Britain is a lovely country!" Somebody asked,
"Did you visit India?" He said, "Oh, yes I did
and its a beautiful country!" Others asked, "Did you
go to Africa and see Ghana?" And he responded, "Yes,
and there are very nice people there." So he kept on
telling lies to people that he visited many nations. One
friend asked him, "Hey, I think you must know a lot about
geography." The pathological liar replied, "Yes, I
have been to geography and it is a beautiful country!"
This illustrates that this person is such a pathological liar
that he didn't even realize that his lies were going to reveal
him and show his ignorance too. A pathological liar should
seek help from psychological counsellors and psychiatrists to
help him to give up lying. When one lives dishonestly by lies,
his life lies with endless troubles unerringly.
Spiritual
Solutions
In
fact, the ninth commandment of the Ten Commandments, which God
gave to man, is Thou
shall not bear false witness against thy neighbour. We are
breaking the ninth commandment if we tell lies. When we fear
of God we will not tell lies because we dont want to break His
commandments. In Proverbs 6:16-19, it talks about seven
abominations, which God hates, and one of those seven
abominations is a lying tongue. God hates lying tongues.
Proverbs 12: 19 states, "But
a lying tongue is but for a moment."
There is no use in lying because one day the truth will
come out. There is also no point in telling lies as one lie
leads to another. To call a trickster or liar a weasel is a
veracious insult to all the weasels.
Some
people think it is great fun to tell lies and cheat other
people. But just imagine if someone told lies to you and he
got away, how would you feel when you find out that he told
you lies? The Bible reveals to us in Ephesians 4:25, Therefore,
putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour
for we are members one with another. We should love
telling the truth irrespective of whether or not it may cause
us harm but it would actually please God and it would cause
things to work out better for us. The Bible tells us in
Revelation 21:8 that all liars would be cast into hell fire,
so let us not tell lies. All who tell lies must seek the help
of Lord Jesus. They must pray that He will help them to get
out of this habit. It is not easy to give it up on their own
but with the help of Lord Jesus they can.
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Lightning
is a discharge from cloud to cloud. It is also a discharge of
electricity from cloud to earth. It is beautiful to see but it
is not pleasant to come in contact with. When a person is hit
by lightning, then the person will suffer from severe burns,
shock, and even death. Sometimes lightning could set a whole
field or a house on fire. What is to be done if a person is
hit by lightning?
Management
Any
victim with lightning injury must be immediately resuscitated
if the person is not breathing. As a matter of fact, the first
thing to be done is that the lightning victim should be
removed from the place where the lightning struck because the
area may be struck again. Remove the person to a safe place
and resuscitate him. Next, if the person is not resuscitated,
immediately take him to the nearest hospital. Actually
lightning has a high voltage and can cause severe electrical
burn injuries and also causes nervous system injury and
sometimes multi-system damages. The medical doctors would
treat according to the damages in the body.
In
case of lightning, prevention is certainly better than cure.
When there is lightning it is best not to go outside but if
you must, it is better to be inside a car because its tires
are resistant to the electric shock and will ensure it moves
quickly to the ground. All buildings must have lightning
conductors especially in lightning prone areas. When trying to
find shelter, do not take shelter under large trees because
the trees could conduct lightning and could transfer it to the
persons under the tree. Rather do so in buildings where there
are lightning conductors.
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Loan
is something leant. It is money leant from banks to people at
an interest. Try
to avoid taking loans as much as possible because loans can
cause problems too. If
a person takes a loan and he does not pay in a specific time
then he is guilty of violating that loan agreement.
All loans come with an interest rate.
Sometimes when somebody take a loan from a person and
cannot repay, the person will try to hide from the lender.
There are some extreme cases where the borrower murders
the lender because he was not able to repay the loan. Student
loans will become a problem if students do not repay them or
do not study well.
Non-Spiritual
Solutions
It
is better not to take loans, but if you are going to take
loans make sure you can repay them.
You can take loans from banks in order for you to buy
something. This
is because it is not possible for certain persons to buy a car
or a house that is highly expensive.
However, you make sure that you can repay that loan
within the specific time or else you could be charged or be
imprisoned, and your things would be confiscated and the
interest would increase.
My advice to people who lend money or give out loans is
not to give loans to persons of questionable character because
they will take loans but will not repay.
The people who give loans should not exploit the people
by charging high interest rates.
The students who take loans must study hard, graduate
and repay the loans much before the stipulated time.
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