Interactive transcript · 187 lines
Hello everyone and welcome to TalkCast, the podcast where we dive deep into the science of our daily lives.
大家好，欢迎收听 TalkCast，这是一个带我们深入探讨日常生活科学的播客。
I am your host, Diana.
我是你们的主持人 Diana。
Today we are talking about something that is probably sitting in your home cabinet right now. Medicine.
今天我们要谈论的东西，此刻可能正放在你家里的药柜里。药物。
Have you ever had a headache, reached for a bottle of painkillers, saw that the expiration date was
你是否曾有过头痛发作，伸手去拿一瓶止痛药，却发现保质期
still a year away, and took a pill without a second thought?
距离现在还有一年，然后想都没想就吃了一粒药丸？
Well, a recent news trend has shocked many of us.
嗯，最近的一则新闻趋势让许多人感到震惊。
It turns out, once you open a bottle of medicine, that expiration date printed on the box might no
事实证明，一旦你打开一瓶药，印在盒子上的那个保质期可能
longer be true.
就不再准确了。
To help us understand the real lifespan of our medicines, we have a very special guest today.
为了帮我们了解药物的真实寿命，我们今天请到了一位非常特殊的嘉宾。
Joining us is Dr.
加入我们的是
Robert Harrison, a senior pharmacologist and director of public health education.
罗伯特·哈里森博士，他是一位资深药理学家兼公共卫生教育总监。
Welcome to TalkCast, Robert.
欢迎来到 TalkCast，罗伯特。
Thank you, Diana.
谢谢你，戴安娜。
It is a pleasure to be here.
很高兴能来到这里，这是一种荣幸。
This is such an important topic because almost everyone makes these common mistakes with medicine.
这是一个非常重要的话题，因为几乎每个人在用药时都会犯这些常见的错误。
It is a vital public health issue.
这是一个至关重要的公共卫生问题。
It really is.
确实如此。
I think most of us assume that if a box says expires December 2027, we can safely use it until that
我想我们大多数人都假设，如果盒子上写着2027年12月到期，我们可以安全地使用它直到那一
exact day, no matter when we opened it.
确切的日子，不管我们什么时候打开它。
Why is that a misconception, Robert?
为什么这是一个误解呢，罗伯特？
Well, Diana, that date printed on the package is what we call the manufacturer's expiration date.
嗯，戴安娜，印在包装上的那个日期是我们所说的制造商保质期。
But here is the key.
但关键在这里。
That date only applies if the container remains completely sealed and is stored under perfect
只有当容器保持完全密封并储存在完美
conditions in the warehouse.
仓库条件下的产品才适用。
The moment you break that seal, you change everything.
就在你打破那个密封的瞬间，你改变了一切。
In pharmacology, we call the new lifespan of the medicine the beyond you state, or BUD.
在药理学中，我们将药物的新寿命称为“超越使用期状态”，简称BUD。
Once opened, the clock starts ticking much faster.
一旦打开，时间就开始滴答作响得更快。
The beyond you state.
超越使用期状态。
That is a very interesting term and definitely a new concept for many of our listeners.
这是一个非常有趣的术语，对我们的许多听众来说绝对是一个新概念。
Why does breaking the seal change the medicine so much?
为什么破坏密封会如此大地改变药物？
What actually happens to the chemical ingredients inside?
里面化学成分究竟发生了什么？
It all comes down to chemistry and environment.
这一切都归结于化学和环境。
When you open a bottle, you let in three main enemies of medicine.
当你打开一瓶药时，你放进去了药物的三大敌人。
Air, moisture, and light.
空气、湿气和光线。
Also, microscopic organisms like bacteria and fungi from our hands in the air can get inside.
此外，来自我们手部和空气中的细菌和真菌等微生物可以进入内部。
For example, many pills are highly sensitive to moisture.
例如，许多药丸对湿气高度敏感。
When they absorb water from the air, a process called hydrolysis happens.
当它们吸收空气中的水分时，会发生一个叫做水解的过程。
Now, hydrolysis is just a fancy word meaning that water molecules break down the active chemical
现在，“水解”只是一个花哨的词，意思是水分子分解了活性化学
ingredients of the drug.
药物的成分。
Over time, this makes the medicine lose its strength.
随着时间的推移，这会使药物失去其药效。
So when hydrolysis happens, does the medicine just stop working or can it actually become dangerous
那么当水解发生时，药物是直接停止起效，还是实际上会变得危险呢？
to take?
无法服用？
It can be both.
两者皆有可能。
Most of the time, the medicine simply becomes less effective.
大多数时候，药物只是变得不那么有效了。
So a pill that is supposed to cure your headache or lower your blood pressure might only be half as
所以一颗原本应该治疗你头痛或降低你血压的药丸可能只有一半
strong as it should be.
本该有的强效。
In critical situations like a heart condition or a severe infection, a weak medicine can be very
在心脏病发作或严重感染等危急情况下，微弱的药物可能会非常
dangerous because it fails to treat the illness.
危险，因为它无法治愈疾病。
However, in some rare cases, the chemical breakdown can actually produce harmful toxic substances
然而，在某些罕见情况下，化学分解实际上会产生有害的有毒物质
that might make you sick.
这可能会让你生病。
That is quite alarming.
这真令人担忧。
Does this degradation happen to all types of medicines at the same speed?
这种降解现象会以相同的速度发生在所有类型的药物上吗？
For example, are solid pills safer than liquid syrups?
例如，固体药丸比液体糖浆更安全吗？
Yes, they are.
是的，它们确实如此。
Different medicines have very different lifespans once opened.
不同的药物一旦开封，其寿命（保质期）会有很大差异。
Solid forms like tablets and capsules are generally the most stable.
像片剂和胶囊这样的固态药物通常是最稳定的。
They can often last up to six months or even a year after opening as long as they are stored in a
只要它们被存放在
dry place.
干燥的地方。
However, liquid medicines like cough syrups are much more vulnerable.
然而，像止咳糖浆这样的液体药物则要脆弱得多。
Water is a perfect playground for bacteria.
水是滋生细菌的绝佳温床。
Once a syrup bottle is opened, we generally recommend using it within one to three months at most.
一旦糖浆瓶打开，我们通常建议最多在一到三个月内用完。
One to three months?
一到三个月？
That is much shorter than the two -year expiration date printed on my typical cough syrup bottle.
这比我平常的止咳糖浆瓶上印着的两年保质期要短得多。
What about eye drops?
眼药水呢？
I know many people who keep eye drops in their bags for months and use them whenever their eyes feel dry.
我知道很多人把眼药水放在包里好几个月，每当眼睛感到干燥时就会使用它们。
Oh, that is actually one of the most dangerous habits.
哦，这实际上是最危险的习惯之一。
Eye drops are the most sensitive of all medicines.
眼药水是所有药物中最敏感的。
Once opened, typical eye drops should be thrown away after just four weeks, which is 28 days.
一旦开封，常规的眼药水在短短四周（即 28 天）后就应该被扔掉。
Only four weeks?
只有四个星期？
Why is the window so incredibly short for eye drops?
为什么眼药水的这个期限会难以置信地短？
Because your eyes are extremely delicate and very easy to infect.
因为你的眼睛极其娇嫩，非常容易感染。
Eye drops are manufactured to be completely sterile, meaning they have absolutely zero bacteria.
眼药水在制造时要求完全无菌，这意味着它们绝对不含任何细菌。
To keep them safe, manufacturers add preservatives.
为了保持安全，制造商会添加防腐剂。
But once opened, bacteria from your eyelashes or the air can easily enter the bottle.
但一旦开封，来自你睫毛或空气中的细菌很容易进入瓶子。
After four weeks, the preservatives can no longer fight off the growing bacteria.
四周过后，防腐剂就无法再对抗不断滋生的细菌了。
If you keep using those drops, you are literally dropping bacteria directly onto your eyeball, which
如果你继续使用这些眼药水，你简直就是在把细菌直接滴到眼球上，这
could lead to a serious eye infection.
可能会导致严重的眼部感染。
That is a massive wake -up call for me and surely for our listeners.
对我和我们的听众来说，这绝对是一个巨大的警钟。
I am definitely going to check my bag and throw away my old eye drops today.
我今天一定会检查我的包，把旧眼药水扔掉。
Now, Robert, let us talk about the things we find inside a new medicine bottle.
罗伯特，现在我们来谈谈在新的药瓶里发现的东西。
There is often a little cotton ball or a small packet of silica gel.
里面通常有一个小棉球或一小包硅胶。
Should we keep them inside the bottle after we open it?
我们打开瓶子后应该把它们留在瓶子里吗？
Actually, no.
事实上，不要。
This is another very common mistake.
这是另一个非常常见的错误。
Manufacturers put that cotton ball inside to prevent the pills from shaking and breaking during shipping.
制造商放入棉球是为了防止药丸在运输过程中晃动和碎裂。
They put the silica gel packet in to absorb any moisture while the bottle is sealed.
他们放入硅胶包是为了在瓶子密封时吸收任何水分。
But once you open the bottle, you should throw the cotton ball away immediately. Really?
但一旦你打开瓶子，你应该立即把棉球扔掉。真的吗？
Throw it away?
把它扔掉？
I always thought keeping the cotton ball inside would protect the pills from moisture and dust.
我一直以为把棉球放在里面可以保护药丸免受潮湿和灰尘的影响。
It is actually the exact opposite.
事实恰好相反。
Once the bottle is open, that cotton ball acts like a sponge.
一旦瓶子打开，那个棉球就会像海绵一样。
It absorbs moisture from the air every time you open the bottle and holds that moisture right next
每次你打开瓶子，它就会吸收空气中的水分，并将这些水分紧紧贴着
to the pills.
药丸。
Even worse, as you reach in with your fingers, bacteria from your skin can transfer onto the cotton,
更糟糕的是，当你把手指伸进去时，皮肤上的细菌会转移到棉球上，
making it a perfect breeding ground for germs.
使其成为滋生病菌的绝佳温床。
The silica gel packet is slightly different.
硅胶包则稍微有些不同。
You can actually leave the silica gel packet inside to help keep things dry.
你实际上可以把硅胶包留在里面，以帮助保持干燥。
But the cotton ball must definitely go.
但那个棉球绝对必须走。
That makes perfect sense when you explain the science behind it.
当你解释背后的科学原理时，这就完全说得通了。
It is literally trapping moisture and germs inside.
它实际上是在把水分和病菌锁在里面。
Now, let us talk about storage.
现在，让我们来谈谈储存。
Where do most people keep their medicines?
大多数人把他们的药放在哪里？
Usually in the bathroom cabinet.
通常在浴室的柜子里。
It seems so convenient.
这看起来很方便。
But is that actually a good place?
但那实际上是个好地方吗？
The bathroom is actually the absolute worst place to store medicine.
浴室其实是存放药物绝对最糟糕的地方。
I always tell my patients to avoid it at all costs.
我总是告诉我的病人无论如何都要避开它。
The worst?
最糟糕的？
Why is that?
为什么会这样？
Think about what happens in a bathroom.
想想浴室里发生了什么。
You take hot showers, which creates a lot of steam, moisture, and heat.
你洗热水澡，这会产生大量的蒸汽、水分和热量。
Medicines need a cool, dry, and dark place.
药物需要一个阴凉、干燥和黑暗的地方。
The high humidity and constantly changing temperatures in a bathroom will speed up the chemical
浴室里高湿度和不断变化的温度会加速化学
breakdown of your medicine very quickly.
药物的分解非常快。
The same goes for the kitchen cabinet above the stove.
同样的道理也适用于炉灶上方的厨房橱柜。
It simply gets too hot.
它简直太热了。
So, no bathrooms and no areas near the kitchen stove.
所以，不要浴室，也不要厨房炉灶附近的区域。
Where should we store them instead to maximize their lifespan?
我们应该把它们储存在哪里来最大化它们的寿命呢？
A cool, dark drawer, a closet, or a dedicated medicine box in your bedroom or living room is ideal.
卧室或客厅里一个阴凉、黑暗的抽屉、一个衣柜或一个专用的药箱是理想的。
The temperature should be stable, ideally around 15 to 25 degrees Celsius, which is standard room temperature.
温度应该是稳定的，理想情况下在15到25摄氏度左右，这是标准的室温。
What about the refrigerator?
那冰箱呢？
Some people believe that keeping medicines in the fridge makes them last much longer.
有些人相信把药放在冰箱里能保存更久。
Is that true?
那是真的吗？
Only if the label specifically tells you to do so.
只有当标签明确告诉你这样做时。
Some liquid antibiotics or insulin must be refrigerated to work properly.
一些液体抗生素或胰岛素必须冷藏才能正常发挥作用。
But for most ordinary tablets and capsules, the refrigerator is actually too cold and too humid.
但对于大多数普通药片和胶囊来说，冰箱其实太冷也太潮湿了。
When you take a cold bottle of pills out of the fridge into a warm room, condensation forms.
当你把一瓶冰冷的药丸从冰箱拿出来放到温暖的房间时，就会形成凝结水。
That means tiny water droplets will form inside the bottle, which will ruin the pills even faster.
这意味着瓶子里会形成微小的水滴，这会更快地毁坏药丸。
So, unless the instructions say store in a refrigerator, keep them at room temperature.
所以，除非说明书上写着存放在冰箱里，否则就把它们放在室温下。
That is incredibly helpful advice.
这真是难以置信地有用的建议。
We need to look at our medicine storage in a whole new way.
我们需要以一种全新的方式来看待我们的药物储存。
Now, Robert, for our listeners who want to be safe, what is your best advice for managing the
现在，罗伯特，对于那些想要 安全的听众来说，你关于管理……的最佳建议是什么？
medicines we have at home?
我们家里的药？
How can we keep track of what is safe and what is not?
我们如何才能追踪哪些是安全的，哪些是不安全的？
My first and most important tip is the marker pen rule.
我的第一条也是最重要的建议是马克笔规则。
Whenever you open a new bottle of medicine, especially liquids, eye drops, or ointments, write the
每当你打开一瓶新药时，尤其是液体、眼药水或药膏，把……写下来
date of opening directly on the bottle or box with a permanent marker.
用永久性记号笔直接把打开的日期写在瓶子或盒子上。
Do not rely on your memory.
不要依赖你的记忆。
If you write opened on October 4th, you will know exactly when it is time to discard it.
如果你写下10月4日开封，你就会确切地知道什么时候该丢弃它。
That is such a simple and practical tip.
这是一个非常简单且实用的建议。
Just write the date right on the bottle. Exactly.
把日期直接写在瓶子上。没错。
My second tip is to do a medicine cabinet clean out every six months.
我的第二个建议是每六个月对药柜进行一次清理。
Go through your box, look for medicines that have changed color, have a strange smell, or have pills
检查你的盒子，寻找变色、有奇怪气味的药物，或者药丸
that are cracked or sticky.
已经破裂或发粘的。
If you see any changes in physical appearance, throw them away immediately, even if the expiration
如果你看到外观有任何变化，立即扔掉它们，即使过期
date hasn't passed.
日期还没过。
What about disposing of expired medicines?
如何处理过期的药物呢？
We shouldn't just throw them in the regular trash or flush them down the toilet, right?
我们不应该把它们直接扔进普通垃圾桶或冲进马桶里，对吧？
Is there a safe way to do it?
有没有安全的方法来做这件事？
Yes, indeed.
是的，的确如此。
Flushing medicines down the toilet can pollute our water systems and harm aquatic life.
把药物冲进马桶会污染我们的水系统并危害水生生物。
Many communities now have safe medicine disposal programs, often at local pharmacies or hospitals,
许多社区现在都有安全的药物处理 项目，通常在当地的药房或医院，
where you can drop off old medicines.
你可以在那里投放旧药物。
If those aren't available, you can mix the medicine with something unappealing, like used coffee
如果这些不可用，你可以把药物和一些没有吸引力的东西混合在一起，比如用过的咖啡
grounds or cat litter, put it in a sealed plastic bag, and then throw it in the household trash.
渣滓或猫砂，把它放进一个密封的塑料袋里，然后扔进家用垃圾桶。
This prevents children or stray animals from accidentally eating them.
这可以防止儿童或流浪动物意外误食它们。
That is incredibly responsible and safe.
这真是令人难以置信地负责任且安全。
Robert, this has been an absolute eye -opener.
罗伯特，这绝对让人大开眼界。
You have turned what seems like a simple daily habit into a vital lesson in health and science.
你把一个看似简单的日常习惯变成了一堂关于健康和科学的至关重要的课。
I am so glad I could help, Diana.
戴安娜，我非常高兴能帮上忙。
Our health is our greatest wealth, and taking care of how we store and use medicine is a small but
我们的健康是我们最大的财富，注意我们如何储存和使用药物是一个小而
powerful step to protect ourselves and our families.
有力的步骤来保护我们自己和我们的家人。
Beautifully said.
说得真漂亮。
Thank you so much, Dr.
非常感谢你，博士。
Robert Harrison, for joining us today on TalkCast.
罗伯特·哈里森，感谢你今天加入我们 TalkCast。
Thank you for having me, Diana.
谢谢你接待我，戴安娜。
Stay safe and healthy, everyone.
大家都要保持安全和健康。
And to our wonderful listeners, thank you for tuning in to another episode of TalkCast.
感谢我们精彩的听众，谢谢你们收听另一期 TalkCast。
Before we say goodbye, we have a fun and important question for you today.
在我们说再见之前，我们今天有一个有趣且重要的问题要问大家。
Based on what you heard in today's interview, which of the following is the worst place to store
根据你在今天的采访中听到的内容，以下哪个是存放
your daily medicines? A.
你日常药物的最糟糕地方？A.
Your bedroom drawer, B.
你的卧室抽屉，B.
Your kitchen cabinet above the stove, or C.
炉子 上方的厨房橱柜，或者 C.
A dedicated storage box in the living room.
客厅里的一个专用储物盒。
Please type your answer in the comment section, or check the comments to see what other listeners
请在评论区输入你的答案，或者查看评论看看其他听众
are saying.
在说什么。
We love reading your thoughts and learning together.
我们喜欢阅读你们的想法并一起学习。
If you enjoyed today's episode and want to support our show, please consider becoming a TalkCast member.
如果你喜欢今天的节目并想支持我们的节目，请考虑成为 TalkCast 的会员。
Don't forget to subscribe, leave us a positive review, and share this episode with your friends and
别忘了订阅我们，给我们留下好评，并将这期节目分享给你的朋友和
family, especially those who might still have eye drops from last year in their bags.
家人，特别是那些包里可能还有去年眼药水的人。
Your support means the world to us, and helps us keep creating high -quality, educational content.
你的支持对我们意义重大，并帮助我们不断创造高质量的、有教育意义的内容。
As always, a complete English transcript and audio recording of this episode will be posted
和往常一样，本期的完整英文文字稿和音频录音将
regularly on our official website, www .talkcast .top, as well as on our WeChat official account, also
定期发布在我们的官方网站 www.talkcast.top 上，以及我们的微信公众号上，该公众号也
named TalkCast.
名叫 TalkCast。
Be sure to check them out if you want to practice your English listening and reading skills.
如果你想练习你的英语听力和阅读技能，一定要去看 看。
Until next time, I'm Diana.
直到下次，我是戴安娜。
Keep learning, keep listening, and we'll see you in the next episode of TalkCast. Goodbye.
保持学习，保持倾听，我们将在下一期 TalkCast 节目中见。再见。
