Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)

🧾 Definition

- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), also known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), is a complex disorder characterized by severe, persistent fatigue lasting more than 6 months that is not relieved by rest and significantly interferes with daily activities.  

- Unlike ordinary tiredness, the fatigue in CFS worsens after physical or mental exertion, a phenomenon called post-exertional malaise (PEM).

⚠️ Key Symptoms

- Extreme fatigue not improved by rest  

- Poor concentration and memory problems (“brain fog”)  

- Sleep disturbances (unrefreshing sleep, insomnia)  

- Muscle and joint pain, headaches  

- Sore throat, tender lymph nodes  

- Dizziness or fainting (sometimes linked to orthostatic intolerance)  

🔍 Possible Causes (still unclear)

- Viral infections (e.g., Epstein-Barr virus, human herpesvirus-6)  

- Immune system dysfunction  

- Hormonal imbalances (stress-related hormones)  

- Nervous system abnormalities  

- Psychological stress factors  

🩺 Diagnosis

- There is no single test for CFS.  

- Diagnosis is made by excluding other medical conditions and confirming that fatigue has persisted for at least 6 months along with other symptoms.  

- Criteria from the CDC and other health organizations are often used.

💊 Treatment & Management

There is no definitive cure, so treatment focuses on symptom relief and improving quality of life:  

- Medications: pain relievers, antidepressants, sleep aids  

- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): coping strategies and stress management  

- Graded Exercise Therapy (GET): gentle, gradual physical activity (though controversial and not suitable for everyone)  

- Lifestyle adjustments: balanced diet, good sleep hygiene, pacing activities to avoid overexertion  

⚠️ Important Note

CFS is often misunderstood as “just being tired,” but it is a serious medical condition that can severely impact daily life. If someone suspects they may have CFS, it’s important to consult a healthcare professional for proper evaluation and support.

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만성 피로 증후군 (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, CFS)

만성 피로 증후군(CFS)은 6개월 이상 지속되는 극심한 피로가 휴식으로도 회복되지 않고 일상생활에 큰 지장을 주는 질환입니다.

🧾 정의

만성 피로 증후군(Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, CFS)은 특별한 원인 질환 없이 설명되지 않는 피로가 6개월 이상 지속되거나 반복되는 상태를 말합니다.

일반적인 피로와 달리 휴식으로 회복되지 않으며, 신체적·정신적 활동 후 증상이 악화됩니다.

⚠️ 주요 증상

극심한 피로감

집중력 저하 및 기억력 감퇴

수면장애 (불면, 숙면 부족)

근골격계 통증, 두통

권태감, 식욕부진

감기와 유사한 증상 (인후통, 림프절 통증 등)

🔍 원인 (아직 명확히 규명되지 않음)

바이러스 감염 (예: EBV, HHV-6 등)

면역학적 이상 (면역체계 과민 반응)

신경호르몬계 이상 (스트레스 호르몬 불균형)

중추신경계 이상

정신적 요인 (우울증, 불안, 극심한 스트레스)

🩺 진단

특정 검사 수치로 확정할 수 없으며, 다른 질환을 배제한 후 진단합니다.

미국 CDC 기준: 6개월 이상 지속되는 피로 + 기억력/집중력 장애, 인후통, 근육통, 관절통, 수면장애 등 8가지 증상 중 4가지 이상 동반 시 진단 가능.

💊 치료 및 관리

현재 완치 치료법은 확립되지 않았으며, 증상 완화 중심으로 접근합니다.

약물치료: 항우울제, 진통제 등

인지행동치료(CBT): 스트레스 관리 및 생활습관 개선

점진적 유산소 운동: 무리하지 않는 범위에서 꾸준히 활동

생활 관리: 규칙적인 수면, 균형 잡힌 식사, 과로 피하기

⚠️ 유의할 점

만성 피로 증후군은 단순한 피로와 다르며, 방치할 경우 삶의 질이 크게 저하됩니다.

증상이 의심된다면 반드시 전문의(가정의학과, 내과, 정신건강의학과 등)와 상담하는 것이 중요합니다.

어느 AI 스타트업

어느 AI 스타트업

몇 년 전 자금 유치를 하려는 한 스타트업 기업을 만난 적이 있습니다.

AI 기술을 기반으로 한 기업이었는데, 구글 본사에서도 자기네 기술을 보며 찬사를 했다면서, 구글 담당자가 제품을 시연하는 동영상도 보여주었습니다.

그 이후 AI의 기술 발전과 함께 기관 및 개인들의 AI 관련 투자도 비약적으로 증가했습니다. 하지만, 그 기업은 존재감이 없는 상태입니다. 그 회사의 대표는 기술이 있지만, 자신의 기술을 알아주는 투자자가 없어서 실패했다고 생각할지도 모릅니다. 

하지만, 제가 보기에는 그 회사의 '독보적' 기술이라는 것이 '시각적'으로 보여줄 수 있어서 투자자 모집을 위해 시연해 보이기는 좋았어도, 핵심 기술이 아닌 응용 기술이었기 때문이라고 생각됩니다.

비록 AI 기술에 대해 정확히는 알지 못합니다만...

여기저기서 읽고 들은 이야기들을 종합해 보면 AI의 핵심 기술은 결국 자본의 싸움입니다. 작은 스타트업 기업들이 경쟁하기에는 어려운 시장입니다.

AI 관련 핵심 기술을 응용한 기술은 사용자나 투자자에게 이런 기술이 있다고 보여주기 좋습니다. 하지만, 독보적인 기술이 아니기에 언제든 경쟁이 심화되고, 때로는 훨씬 더 강력한 경쟁자가 등장할 수 있습니다.

물론 이런 현상은 비단 AI에 국한되지는 않습니다. 하지만, AI 부문에서 훨씬 강하게 나타날 가능성이 커보입니다.

Vincent van Gogh, The Starry Night, 1889

Vincent van Gogh, The Starry Night, 1889

The Starry Night is an oil-on-canvas painting by the Dutch Post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh, painted in June 1889.[1]

Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890), The Starry Night, 1889, oil on canvas, h 73 x w 92 cm, Museum of Modern Art, New York City, U.S.[2]

Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890), The Starry Night, 1889, oil on canvas, h 73 x w 92 cm, Museum of Modern Art, New York City, U.S.

Artist
Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890)

Title
The Starry Night

Object type
painting

Genre
landscape painting

Date
June 1889

Medium
oil on canvas

Dimensions
h 73 x w 92 cm

Collection
Museum of Modern Art, New York City, U.S.

Place of creation
Saint-Rémy-de-Provence

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[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Starry_Night

[2] https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Van_Gogh_-_Starry_Night_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg

Vincent van Gogh, Two Peasant Women, 1890

Vincent van Gogh, Two Peasant Women, 1890

Van Gogh used the women from Millet's The Gleaners as inspiration for this painting of women digging in the frozen snow. Unlike the others, this work is not a literal translation of the original painting. The setting sun casts a warm glow over the fields of snow. The cool colors of the field contrast to the red in the sun and sky. Jan Hulsker places the painting as one of van Gogh's "reminisces of the North".[1]

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), Two Peasant Women, March 1890 - April 1890, oil on paper mounted on canvas, h 49.3 x w 64 cm, Kunsthaus Zürich

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), Two Peasant Women, March 1890 - April 1890, oil on paper mounted on canvas, h 49.3 x w 64 cm, Kunsthaus Zürich

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), Two Peasant Women, March 1890 - April 1890, oil on paper mounted on canvas, h 49.3 x w 64 cm, Kunsthaus Zürich

Artist
Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)

Title
French: Deux Paysannes
Two Peasant Women

Object type
painting

Date
between March 1890 and April 1890

Medium
oil on paper mounted on canvas

Dimensions
h 49.3 x w 64 cm

Collection
Kunsthaus Zürich

Place of creation
Saint-Rémy-de-Provence

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[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copies_by_Vincent_van_Gogh

Vincent van Gogh, Landscape in the snow with Arles in the Background, February 1888

Vincent van Gogh, Landscape in the snow with Arles in the Background, February 1888

Landscape in the snow with Arles in the Background(1888) is a painting that Vincent painted around the time he went down to Arles.

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), Landscape in the snow with Arles in the Background, February 1888, oil on canvas, 50 x 60 cm, Private collection

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), Landscape in the snow with Arles in the Background, February 1888, oil on canvas, 50 x 60 cm, Private collection

Artist    
Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)

Title    
Deutsch: Landschaft im Schnee mit Arles im Hintergrund
English: Landscape in the snow with Arles in the Background

Object type
painting

Genre
landscape art

Date
Arles, February 1888

Medium
oil on canvas

Dimensions    
h 50 x w 60 cm

Collection
Private collection

Current location
Deutsch: London

Place of creation
Arles

Source/Photographer
Copied from an art book

Vincent van Gogh, The Vicarage Garden under Snow, 1885

Vincent van Gogh, The Vicarage Garden under Snow, 1885

Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890), The Vicarage Garden under Snow, Nuenen, January 1885, oil on canvas mounted on panel, h 58.4 x w 79.1 cm, Norton Simon Museum

Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890), The Vicarage Garden under Snow, Nuenen, January 1885, oil on canvas mounted on panel, h 58.4 x w 79.1 cm, Norton Simon Museum

Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890), The Vicarage Garden under Snow, Nuenen, January 1885, oil on canvas mounted on panel, h 58.4 x w 79.1 cm, Norton Simon Museum

Artist  
Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890)

Title  
Deutsch:
Der Pfarrgarten in Nuenen im Schnee
English:
Winter
The rectory garden in Nuenen in the Snow
The Vicarage Garden under Snow

Object type
painting

Genre
genre art

Date
Nuenen, probably January 1885

Medium  
Deutsch: Öl auf Leinwand auf Holz
English: oil on canvas mounted on panel

Dimensions
h 58.4 x w 79.1 cm

Collection  
Norton Simon Museum

Current location  
Pasadena

Place of creation
Nuenen

Economics, John Kenneth Galbraith

Economics, John Kenneth Galbraith

"Economics is extremely useful as a form of employment for economists."

- John Kenneth Galbraith

This is a humorous take on economics, suggesting that while economic theories and models are complex and often debated, their practical value can sometimes seem more beneficial to economists than to society at large.

Vincent van Gogh, Snow-Covered Field with a Harrow (after Millet), January 1890

Vincent van Gogh, Snow-Covered Field with a Harrow (after Millet), January 1890

Van Gogh used Millet's work, and Alfred Delaunay's etching of Millet's work, as inspiration for this painting. In Van Gogh's version he added black crows and made the winter scene more bleak, deserted and cold. His choice of color, composition and brushstroke make this work uniquely his own.[1]

Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890), Plow and Harrow (after Millet), Saint-Rémy, January 1890, oil on canvas, h 72 x w 92 cm, Van Gogh Museum

Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890), Plow and Harrow (after Millet), Saint-Rémy, January 1890, oil on canvas, h 72 x w 92 cm, Van Gogh Museum

Artist  
Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890)

Title  
Deutsch: Pflug und Egge (nach Millet)
English: Plow and Harrow (after Millet)

Object type
painting

Genre
landscape art

Date
Saint-Rémy, January 1890

Medium
oil on canvas

Dimensions
height: 72 cm (28.3 in); width: 92 cm (36.2 in)

Collection  
Van Gogh Museum

Current location  
Amsterdam

Place of creation
Saint-Rémy-de-Provence

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[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copies_by_Vincent_van_Gogh

Wait, Joyce Meyer

Wait, Joyce Meyer

“Patience is not simply the ability to wait - it's how we behave while we're waiting.”

– Joyce Meyer

This quote emphasizes that patience is not just about the act of waiting itself, but about maintaining a positive attitude and good behavior during the wait.

Happiness, Dalai Lama

Happiness, Dalai Lama

“Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.”

- Dalai Lama

This quote emphasizes that happiness is not handed to us; it is something we create through our choices and actions. It suggests that we have the power to shape our own happiness by the way we live and interact with the world.