VOA慢速英语2009年-Health Report - Experts Urge Limits on Wid

This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

The United States government might place new restrictions¹ on a commonly used painkiller². Taking too much acetaminophen can cause liver damage and even death.

Last week, a group of experts advised the Food and Drug Administration that the drug needs more controls and better directions for use. Acetaminophen, also called paracetamol, is found in Tylenol, Excedrin and other products that do not require a doctor's prescription³. These products are used for pain, fever, colds and sleeplessness⁴.

Their easy availability is part of the problem. People can accidentally take too much acetaminophen if they take several medicines that all contain it.
　
Tylenol is one of the most popular painkillers⁵ containing acetaminophen

The experts recommended reducing the largest non-prescription dose of acetaminophen from one thousand milligrams. They said that is too much. They said adults should not take more than six hundred fifty milligrams at a time. The experts also said people should take less than four thousand milligrams of acetaminophen in a single day.

Acetaminophen overdose is a leading cause of liver damage in the United States. Researchers say it resulted in fifty-six thousand emergency room visits a year during the nineteen nineties. There were almost four hundred sixty deaths a year from liver failure.

The committee was especially concerned about prescription drugs that combine acetaminophen with stronger painkillers. The experts recommended banning combination drugs like Percocet and Vicodin.

Still, the experts were divided in their votes. The agency is not required to follow the advice of its committees, but generally does.

Acetaminophen is valued as a pain and fever reducer for adults and children. It does not cause stomach problems or bleeding like aspirin⁶, ibuprofen and some other competing drugs can.

But experts say taking even small amounts over the recommended dose can cause liver damage. Some people suffer harm from smaller amounts than others. Alcohol use with acetaminophen is especially bad for the liver.

Signs of liver injury include nausea⁷, vomiting⁸ and a lack of energy. But these may not develop for two or three days after an overdose -- too late to prevent damage.

People should ask a health professional about drug combinations that could be harmful. And they should make sure they know what is in the medicines they take and how much of each drug is safe to take.

And that's the VOA Special English Health Report, written by Mario Ritter. I'm Steve Ember.

1 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

2 painkiller   

n.止痛药

参考例句：

• I shall persuade him to take the painkiller.我将说服他把药吃下去。
• The painkiller only provides him a short respite from his pain.止痛药仅仅让他在疼痛中有短暂的疏解。

3 prescription   

n.处方，开药；指示，规定

参考例句：

• The physician made a prescription against sea- sickness for him.医生给他开了个治晕船的药方。
• The drug is available on prescription only.这种药只能凭处方购买。

4 sleeplessness   

n.失眠，警觉

参考例句：

• Modern pharmacy has solved the problem of sleeplessness. 现代制药学已经解决了失眠问题。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The doctors were puzzled by this strange continuous sleeplessness. 医生们对他的奇异的不眠感到疑惑。 来自英语晨读30分（高三）

5 painkillers   

n.止痛药( painkiller的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The doctor gave him some painkillers to ease the pain. 医生给了他一些止疼片以减缓疼痛。 来自辞典例句
• The primary painkillers - opiates, like OxyContin - are widely feared, misunderstood and underused. 人们对主要的镇痛药——如鸦片剂奥施康定——存在广泛的恐惧、误解，因此没有充分利用。 来自时文部分

6 aspirin   

n.阿司匹林

参考例句：

• The aspirin seems to quiet the headache.阿司匹林似乎使头痛减轻了。
• She went into a chemist's and bought some aspirin.她进了一家药店，买了些阿司匹林。

7 nausea   

n.作呕，恶心；极端的憎恶(或厌恶)

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕期常有恶心的现象。
• He experienced nausea after eating octopus.吃了章鱼后他感到恶心。

8 vomiting   

吐

参考例句：

• Symptoms include diarrhoea and vomiting. 症状有腹泻和呕吐。
• Especially when I feel seasick, I can't stand watching someone else vomiting." 尤其晕船的时候，看不得人家呕。”