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Happy Holidays Without Heartburn 别让胃灼热作怪

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Chinese New Year provides Taiwanese with a well-deserved break from work and school, and allows them to reconnect with their families and relax. It’s also a time when many people gorge themselves on greasy home-cooked meals and all the mouthwatering desserts that you’ve missed throughout the year. However, sometimes these marathon eating sessions can take a toll on our bodies. If you feel an uncomfortable burning sensation in your chest after a meal, you may be suffering from heartburn.

农历新年提供台湾人一个应得的休憩机会，让他们暂时放下工作或校园生活，稍作喘息，与家人相聚。这也是时候让人们尽情享用自家烹调的油腻大餐，和他们已经错过一整年、令人垂涎欲滴的点心。不过有时候，这种马拉松式地进食对身体有害。如果餐后你感觉到胸口有股不舒服的灼热感，这可能是胃灼热的症状。

Heartburn occurs when stomach acid builds up and flows back into your esophagus. The pain often gets worse if you bend over or lie down. Occasional heartburn is relatively common, so there is no cause for alarm. But if you are experiencing these pains on a regular basis, you may be suffering from a more serious condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD. GERD is a chronic digestive disorder that’s similar to heartburn, but episodes are often more intense and frequent.

当胃酸堆积且逆流入食道，就会产生胃灼热现象。通常在你弯腰或躺下时，疼痛感会加剧。偶发性的胃灼热相当常见，所以不必过度恐慌。但是如果发生胃灼热的次数频繁、那你可能是罹患一种更严重的疾病，名为胃食道逆流疾病，又称GERD。GERD是一种慢性消化系统的疾病，它和胃灼热很类似，不过发作次数更频繁，症状也更加剧烈。

If you are regularly suffering from heartburn, there are steps you can take to reduce the discomfort. A good place to begin is your diet. Many foods such as soft drinks, fatty foods, fried foods, and black pepper can trigger heartburn, so they should be avoided, if not eliminated. You should also consider eating smaller meals, to aid digestion and decrease the chance of overeating. Maintaining a healthy weight can also help, as it reduces pressure on the stomach and prevents acid from backing up into the esophagus. If these methods don’t work, prescription medications and surgical procedures are also available.

如果你经常有胃灼热的症状，有些方法可以舒缓你的不适。良好饮食是很好的起步。许多食物像是汽水、高油脂、油炸食物，还有黑胡椒都会引发胃灼热，所以如果没办法完全不吃这些食物，至少应尽量避免。你最好每餐少量进食以帮助消化，并避免暴饮暴食。维持健康体重也能帮助舒缓症状，因为减轻体重能降低胃压，防止胃酸逆流回食道。如果这些方法都不管用，处方药以及手术治疗也是种选择。

－by Jamie Blackler

Vocabulary

单词发音

well-deserved adj. 当之无愧; 应得的

gorge [gɔrdʒ] v. 塞饱 [H][（+on/with）]

session [ˋsɛʃən] n. 时期; 一段时间

sensation [sɛnˋseʃən] n. 感觉，知觉

heartburn [ˋhɑrt͵bɝn] n. 胃灼热﹐ 烧心

esophagus [iˋsɑfəgəs] n. 食管

alarm [əˋlɑrm] n. 担忧

gastroesophageal adj. 胃食道的

reflux [ˋri͵flʌks] n. 逆流

digestive [daɪˋdʒɛstɪv] adj. 消化的

episode [ˋɛpə͵sod] n.（整个事情中的）一个事件

trigger [ˋtrɪgɚ] v. 触发，引起

prescription  medication [prɪˋskrɪpʃən] [͵mɛdɪˋkeʃən] 处方药

Idiom

片语发音

take a toll  造成重大损失(或毁坏等)  to cause damage

build up 集结; 储备  to accumulate or collect

Reading Questions

1.    What might happen if you eat too much during Chinese New Year?

(A)  Your stomach might shrink for a few hours.

(B)  You might come down with a life-threatening disease.

(C)  You will probably feel a burning sensation in your head.

(D)  You could get an uncomfortable feeling in your chest area.

2.    Which of the following statements about heartburn is NOT true?

(A)  It can often occur when people eat too much.

(B)  The pain will usuallylessen if you take a rest on your bed.

(C)  It is a condition that many people experience occasionally.

(D)  Losing weight can help improve this problem.

3.    How can we best summarize the author’s advice regarding heartburn?

(A)  People should try simple methods before they visit a doctor.

(B)  If you think you have heartburn, go to the hospital immediately.

(C)  Medicine is never needed for heartburn, because it always goes away.

(D)  If surgery doesn’t cure heartburn, people should try eating smaller meals.

Understanding GERD (GERD #1)

What's That Pain in My Chest (Heartburn #2/GERD #2)

Treating GERD (GERD #3)

Answer