听力文摘：你家有"鼻涕虫"吗?（在线收听）

As anyone who's had a toddler knows, they're incredibly demanding creatures. Armed with an insatiable desire to eat and/or destroy just about everything in their path, these walking embodiments of unchecked ego can be a handful. Especially when they have colds. There's nothing quite as trying as a toddler with a head cold, stuffed up nose, and ever present rivers of mucus flowing from each nostril.

家里有刚学会走路的小孩子都知道他们需求量很大。贪求无厌地要吃东西或是破坏面前的任何物品，这些不受管束的“小东西”非常难控制。特别的当他们感冒的时候。当蹒跚走路的小孩患上伤风，鼻子不通，两个鼻孔就像河流一样流出粘液。

Because most toddlers can't blow their own noses, the constant wiping and suctioning can be a chore. But runny noses serve a useful purpose. When we catch a cold, the virus stimulates membranes in the nose to produce clear mucus. When mucus streams out the nostrils or is propelled by a forceful blow, it carries germs from the nose and sinuses. When the body's immune system starts to fight the cold virus, it turns the mucus white or yellow, which is the body's way of letting you know it's been infected.

因为大多数小孩都不能自己擤鼻涕，不断地擦拭和吸入可是件苦差事。但是流鼻涕也是有益处的。当我们感冒的时候，鼻子里的病毒刺激细胞膜产生清水。粘液流出鼻孔或是通过外力流出的同时会带出鼻子和鼻窦里的病菌。身体的免疫系统与感冒病毒抗击时，粘液呈黄色或白色，这就是你被病毒感染身体表现出的征兆。

Unfortunately, there's no quick and easy way to dry up a toddler's runny nose. Although anti-histamines may stop the drainage, they can also clog up the nose and keep the mucus from draining away germs.

可惜现在还没有一种简单快速的方法解决小孩流鼻涕。尽管抗组胺能够阻止流鼻水，但也可能阻塞鼻子，细菌粘液便无法排出。

A runny nose can become a sign of a more serious infection such as sinusitis, an upper respiratory infection. But nasal discharge can continue for several days and even weeks without necessarily indicating sinusitis. It's best to let a doctor diagnose a respiratory infection rather than self-administer antibiotics on a hunch. Overusing antibiotics can create resistant strains of germs, which then require even stronger and more expensive antibiotics. So in the case of a long-running nose, it's best to let each nose run its course.

流鼻涕也可能是更严重的感染的迹象，如鼻窦炎，上呼吸道感染。但是，鼻涕持续数天甚至数周，就不一定是鼻窦炎。最好是求医诊断而不要凭预感自己给药抗生素之类的。过度使用抗生素会增强细菌的抵抗力，那样会导致患者需要药性更强，价格更贵的抗生素来医治。因此在长期流鼻涕的情况下，最好不管它。