What does appendix pain feel like? - David R. Flum

翻译人员: Liwen Huang 校对人员: suya f.

In April 1961, the Sixth Soviet Antarctic Expedition took a harrowing turn.

1961 年 4 月，苏联第六次 南极考察突然变得让人很不安。

Doctor Leonid Rogozov, the team’s only physician,

列昂尼德·罗戈佐夫医生， 考察队唯一的医生

began feeling weak and feverish,

开始感觉虚弱和发烧，

with an excruciating pain in his right side.

身体右侧剧痛。

After a few days, it became clear that he had appendicitis,

几天后，情况变得很清楚， 他得了阑尾炎，

an infection that can cause the appendix to burst.

一种可能导致阑尾破裂的感染。

And Rogozov knew that if his appendix did rupture,

罗戈佐夫知道，如果他的阑尾破裂，

it would likely kill him.

可能会让他丧命。

Outside a blizzard raged,

外面暴风雪肆虐，

making it dangerous for him to leave the station,

这使得他离开南极站

or to have anyone else travel in.

或其他人进入南极站都很危险。

So Rogozov faced a gut-wrenching choice: wait for help that may never come,

因此，罗戈佐夫面临一个痛苦的抉择： 等待可能永远不会到来的帮助，

or cut open his own abdomen and remove the appendix himself.

或者切开自己的腹部， 自己切除阑尾。

While Rogozov’s predicament may have been extreme,

虽然罗戈佐夫的困境可能异乎寻常，

appendicitis is not uncommon.

但阑尾炎并不少见。

It affects roughly 1 in 12 people.

大约每 12 个人中 就有 1 人得阑尾炎。

So, what causes appendicitis?

那么，阑尾炎是怎么引起的呢？

And why is this organ so prone to bursting?

为什么这个器官那么容易破裂？

The appendix is a small, worm-shaped pouch attached to the large intestine

阑尾是一个附于大肠的蠕虫形小袋，

that houses a diversity of gut microbes.

储存了多种肠道微生物。

Scientists long speculated that it was a useless artifact of evolution.

长期以来，科学家们推测 它是进化的产物，是无用的。

Recent evidence shows that this organ independently evolved

最近的证据显示，该器官

in many different mammals.

在许多不同的哺乳动物中独立进化。

This suggests that it probably has some function,

这表明它可能具有某些功能，

though it's likely subtle.

不过可能难以察觉。

One possibility is that the appendix serves as a reservoir

一种可能性是阑尾充当着

for healthy gut bacteria,

健康肠道细菌的储存库，

or it may play a role in mounting immune responses.

也可能在增强免疫反应方面发挥着作用。

What we do know is this puzzling organ can cause serious complications.

我们知道的是，这个令人费解的器官 可以引起严重的并发症。

Most cases of appendicitis start with some sort of obstruction.

大多数阑尾炎病例始于某种梗阻。

For example, a small, dried piece of stool,

例如，一块干燥的小粪便，

called an appendicolith,

称为阑尾粪石，

can lodge itself in the organ’s entrance.

可能会卡在在阑尾的入口处。

Other times, pathogens like viruses or parasites activate the immune system,

其他时候，病毒或寄生虫等 病原体激活免疫系统，

causing inflammation.

引起炎症。

This immune response may even be triggered

这种免疫反应甚至可能

by one of hundreds of species of bacteria

由通常存在于肠道中的数百种细菌

that normally reside in your gut.

中的一种触发。

As a result, nearby lymph nodes swell,

结果是附近的淋巴结肿大，

effectively closing off the appendix’s opening.

其实就是封住了阑尾的开口。

Because the appendix is a closed loop, when it's sealed, pressure builds quickly.

由于阑尾是一个闭环， 当它被封住时，压力会迅速增加。

This creates the perfect environment for bacteria to colonize and overgrow.

这给细菌定殖和过度生长 创造了理想的环境。

As the inflamed appendix bloats, discomfort sets in.

随着发炎的阑尾肿胀， 不适感开始出现。

And this pain is different from your everyday stomach ache.

这种疼痛与平常的胃疼不同。

It typically starts near the belly button

它通常从肚脐附近开始，

and then migrates to the lower right abdomen and intensifies.

然后移转到右下腹并加剧。

If left untreated, the appendix can continue to stretch,

如果不治疗，阑尾会继续胀大，

hindering blood flow and weakening the organ walls.

阻碍血液流动并削弱器官壁。

Eventually, this can cause the appendix to rupture,

最终，这可能导致阑尾破裂，

allowing the infection to spread within the abdomen,

使感染在腹部扩散，

where it can pose fatal consequences.

造成致命的后果。

Thankfully, not all cases of appendicitis will lead to a rupture,

幸好，并非所有阑尾炎病例 都会导致破裂，

but it's impossible to know exactly when or if

但仅凭症状无法确切地知道

the appendix will burst from symptoms alone.

阑尾何时或者是否会破裂。

So, it’s recommended that all people with severe abdominal pain

因此，建议所有腹痛剧烈的人

seek immediate medical attention.

立即就医。

Since doctors first identified appendicitis in the late 1800s,

自十九世纪末医生首次确认阑尾炎以来，

an appendectomy, or the surgical removal of the appendix,

阑尾切除术或手术切除阑尾

has been the standard treatment.

一直是标准治疗方法。

It’s normally performed quickly, within 24 hours of diagnosis.

通常会很快手术， 在诊断后 24 小时内。

Doctors remove the inflamed organ, which can double in size,

医生将发炎的器官切除， 它的大小可能会增加一倍，

either through one large incision,

医生要么通过一个大切口 ，

or through several smaller incisions using a camera and small instruments.

要么通过几个较小的切口 用摄像头和小器械切除。

Recovery is typically quick,

恢复通常很快，

and most patients are discharged within a day or two.

大多数患者在一两天内出院。

Though, if the appendix has burst, surgery can be more extensive

不过，如果阑尾破裂， 手术的范围可能会更大，

as any bacteria and pus need to be thoroughly cleaned

因为所有细菌和脓液都需要

from the abdominal cavity.

从腹腔彻底清除。

In the long term, living without an appendix

长远来看，没有阑尾生活

is unlikely to lead to any health issues.

不大可能导致健康问题。

Today, thanks to medical advances, many patients avoid surgery altogether.

如今，由于医学的进步， 许多患者完全避免了手术。

Doctors have learned that appendicitis can often be treated

医生知道，阑尾炎通常可以

with a simple course of antibiotics,

单用一个疗程的抗生素治疗，

started in the emergency room and continued at home.

从急诊室开始，然后在家继续。

No matter the chosen course of treatment,

无论选择哪种治疗方法，

it’s likely to be less distressing than Rogozov’s,

都不大可能有罗戈佐夫那么痛苦 。

who, after giving himself local anesthesia,

他给自己局麻后，

removed his own appendix, stitched himself up,

切除了自己的阑尾，给自己缝合，

and resumed his regular duties just two weeks later.

仅两周后就恢复了正常工作。

Nevertheless, thanks to his story,

不过，多亏了他的故事，

doctors on remote stations in Antarctica now know to bring plenty of antibiotics

在偏远的南极站的医生 现在知道要带大量的抗生素

to treat appendicitis,

治阑尾炎，

just in case.

以防万一。