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For more than a decade, Michelle Skeldon kept getting stronger and stronger medications for asthma as breathing became more and more difficult.
十多年来，米希尔·谢尔顿的抗哮喘药物强度越来越强，因为她呼吸愈加困难。
Just to walk up maybe five steps, you know, it was extremely hard for me and it was hard to breathe.
或许你只走了五步，对于我很艰难，因为我呼吸困难。
And at one point I was actually on oxygen. After she developed a serious case of pneumonia, her doctor sent her to see a gastroenterologist.
一次我都吸上了氧气，之后她还患上了严重的肺炎，她的医生让她去看一名胃肠病学家。
What we try to do is take a step back and say, Is there a root cause of those lung symptoms? And is it possible that this isn't asthma?
我们做的就是往回看，这些肺部症状的根源在哪里？有没有可能这不是哮喘？
Tests showed Skeldon's stomach acid was flowing back into her esophagus,
检测表明希尔顿的胃酸回流到了食道，
the tube that connects the mouth and the stomach. She didn't have asthma.
它是连接嘴和胃的管道，她没有患哮喘。
It is very common for us to see people here at National Jewish who have come to us with a diagnosis of asthma.
很常见的是，患者来到国立犹太医学中心，但却诊断为哮喘。
And once we put them through formal pulmonary testing, we actually find that they probably don't have asthma at all.
一次我们让他们进行了常规的肺测试，我们发现了他们或许并没有哮喘。
Some reflux is normal. But, when the contents of the stomach travel up the esophagus and into the back of the throat,
一些回流是正常的，但是胃部的东西流到食道内，进入到喉咙后部，
the liquid can flow into the airway and enter the lungs. What Skeldon had was gastroesophageal reflux disease,
液体可以进入气管，进入肺部，谢尔顿得的是胃食管返流病。
often called by its acronym "GERD. That can cause a slew of symptoms including cough, hoarseness, shortness of breath, pneumonias.
通常我们叫它“GERD”，它会引发一系列症状，比如咳嗽、喉咙嘶哑、气短和肺炎。
Risk factors for GERD can include obesity or pregnancy. Smoking, eating fatty or fried foods, and drinking coffee
产生该疾病的风险因素有肥胖或怀孕，抽烟，食用多脂肪或油炸食品，或者是咖啡，
or alcohol can increase the symptoms. Losing weight or making other lifestyle changes can help.
饮酒，这些都会增加症状，减肥或是改变生活习惯有帮助。
So can medication or even surgery to prevent stomach contents from reaching the lungs.
通过药物甚至手术也可以避免胃部液体进入肺部。
As soon as I had the surgery done, it was a totally different world. You know, the coughing stopped.
我做完手术后，整个世界都不一样了，咳嗽停止了。
It was amazing. It was like night and day. Skeldon says her new diagnosis came as a relief.
太神奇了，就像一个晚上，一个早上，谢尔顿说她的新诊断让她轻松了。
It was kind of like I was vindicated when they looked at me and they said, This is not asthma. You have acid reflux.
我就像是被判无罪一样，当他们看着我说你不是哮喘，而是胃酸回流。
Left untreated, GERD can lead to permanent lung damage or even esophageal cancer.
如果不治疗，该疾病可以导致永久性非损害，甚至食道癌。
If a patient is having more and more symptoms, is requiring more and more medications,
如果病人的症状增加，那么就需要更多药物治疗，
and/or is not responding to those mediations as well as they previously did,
如果药物不像之前一样对他们有效果，
that should set off alarm bells that some other condition may be causing their symptoms.
那么这就要敲响警钟了，或许是其他原因造成了这些症状。
Skeldon's life is once again back to normal with no shortness of breath.
谢尔顿的生活再一次回到正轨，她不再气短了。
Carol Pearson, VOA news
卡尔·皮尔森，VOA新闻
