例: Other alternatives are available for people with a penicillin allergy. (對盤尼西林過敏的人有其他選擇。)
2. arthritis n. 關節炎
例: Her arthritis got so bad that she had to stop playing the piano. (她的關節炎嚴重到要停止彈琴。)
3. prescription drug n. phr.處方藥
例: What is a prescription drug in one country may be an over-the-counter drug in another country. (在一個國家也許是處方藥的藥品，在另外一國家可以是非處方用藥。)
Officials from the Food and Drug Administration under the Department of Health say steroids are used to treat inflammations of the body, and are appropriate for rheumatism and allergies, including rheumatoid arthritis as well as allergies and inflammation of the eyes or nose. Since steroids are a prescription drug, they must be administered by a certified doctor. 衛生署食品藥物管理局官員表示，類固醇是治療身體發炎的症狀，適用風濕性疾患與過敏性疾病，因此包括風濕性關節炎、眼睛、鼻子過敏與發炎等，都可能使用。由於是醫師處方用藥，必須由合格醫師開立使用。
Yang Ti-shan, head of orthopedics at Ton Yen General Hospital in Hsinchu County, says steroids rely on the liver to metabolize and have too many side effects, adding that they are not used in orthopedics to treat osteoarthritis or arthritic pain any longer. When dealing with muscular inflammations or when drug treatment is not working, he does not use steroids unless absolutely necessary and keeps the dosage under 0.5 cubic centimeters. Yang also administers an equal dosage of pain relievers to ensure that the body is able to metabolize everything within 24 hours. 新竹縣東元綜合醫院骨科主任楊迪山說，類固醇因靠肝臟代謝，有太多的副作用，目前醫界骨科幾乎都不再用於治療退化性關節炎或關節疼痛。他在面對肌膜發炎且經藥物治療都無效下，實在逼不得已才會使用，使用的劑量則控制在零點五CC以下，而且還必須搭配一比一的止痛藥，以確保患者一天就能代謝掉。
Yang says that he only administers steroids to be taken orally for an extended period of time in cases of rheumatoid arthritis, systematic lupus erythematosus, and anklosing spondylitis, and he only administers them together with pain relievers during treatment. 楊迪山說，目前只有類風濕性關節炎、紅斑性狼瘡、或是僵直性脊椎炎等，才會以長期口服的方式，合併使用類固醇及止痛藥進行治療。
It is easier for children to get sick in the spring due to highly unpredictable weather and temperatures as well as children’s lower resistance to infection. Chang Tao-tse, a pediatrician at Miaoli County’s Da Chien General Hospital, says there have been many cases of colds, bronchitis, mycoplasma pneumonia, and croup recently. He reminds parents to pay more attention when a child is not feeling well and to seek immediate medical attention.
Chang says that the common cold is the most frequently seen illness among children in the springtime. Usually a cold passes simply by drinking more water and resting, but if a high fever persists there is the possibility that it will bring about tympanitis or sinusitis. Parents and teachers should teach children to wash their hands often, avoid visiting public places, and wear masks if they do have a cold so that the virus does not continue to spread.
Also common in the spring is bronchitis, the initial symptoms of which resemble the common cold — coughing and a runny nose, but usually the patient recovers in one to two weeks. High fevers and labored breathing occur in serious cases, possibly leading to hypoxia, which requires hospitalization and is a situation that must be taken very seriously.
Chang says that mycoplasma pneumonia is often seen in school-aged children. Its initial symptoms include headaches, fever, sore throat, and lethargy. After two to five days, coughing begins, and sometimes non-respiratory symptoms such as vomiting, abdominal pains, conjunctivitis, and skin rashes also appear.
Croup occurs when a child’s voice suddenly becomes hoarse, with a “barking” cough, stridor, and breathing difficulties, during which time parents usually do not know what to do. Chang says the symptoms of croup usually appear late at night or early in the morning. Breathing warm steam can mitigate the symptoms, but it must not be taken lightly in cases of epilottitis, high fevers, short-temperedness or difficulty swallowing, or if it leads to an acute obstruction of the airways.
Other illnesses that are frequently seen in the spring include chicken pox, enterogastritis, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, and enteroviruses. Some viruses are picked up at school, so teachers must also help in protecting children’s health by letting parents know when a child is not feeling well and arranging for them to see a doctor.
A doctor at Tungs’ Taichung MetroHarbor Hospital points to a picture of a patient with shingles in Greater Taichung on Aug. 11, 2010. 台中童綜合醫院醫師二０一０年八月十一日指著一位感染帶狀皰疹病人的照片。
Photo: Ou Su-mei, Liberty Times 照片：自由時報記者歐素美
It is a huge mistake to assume that herpes zoster, commonly known as shingles, only occurs among old people. Doctors say that, aside from children who are studying too much being treated for shingles, in recent years office workers are also getting shingles because they stay up late watching TV dramas or playing Candy Crush Saga, which gives the virus ample opportunity to strike.
Dermatologist Chao Chao-ming says that more than half of his patients being treated for shingles in the past were usually over the age of 50, but that in recent years many young people are getting shingles, including elementary school students. One young female employee working for a foreign trading company, typically under a lot of pressure at work, was finally able to get three days off from work, but after staying up every night having fun she eventually got shingles after returning to work for a week.
Many people mistake shingles for another virus when it first infects them, or even assume it is caused by allergies, and after waiting another week before going to the doctor they miss the opportunity to use antiviral drugs to treat the virus.
Taiwan Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics secretary-general Chang Hao-hsiang says that the risk of shingles increases with age. Around a third of people in Taiwan over the age of 80 have had shingles and nearly half of them will experience postherpetic neuralgia — excruciating nerve pain caused by damage to the nerves from the virus.
If shingles infects the forehead or the area surrounding the eyes, it can do damage to the eyes and affect one’s eyesight, and if it infects the auditory vestibular nerve it can damage your hearing, so that is why the National Health Insurance program provides antiviral drugs when the virus infects these organs. Besides making sure you keep a regular lifestyle and do not stay up late at night, it is also important to regulate stress and maintain a balanced diet to keep your body’s immune level normal and keep shingles at bay.
(Liberty Times, Translated by Kyle Jeffcoat)
TODAY’S WORDS 今日單字
1. allergy n.
過敏 (guo4 min3)
例: Most food allergies are caused by milk, fish, eggs or nuts.
(食物過敏通常是牛奶、魚肉、蛋與堅果引起。)
2. eyesight n.
視力 (shi4 li4)
例: Barry’s eyesight is terrible. He can’t see anything without his glasses.
(巴里視力頗差。他若沒戴眼鏡什麼都看不到。)
3. keep at bay idiom
不使迫近；牽制 (bu4 shi3 po4 jin4; qian1 zhi4)
例: Economists hope the economy will slow down enough to keep inflation at bay.
