Overview: Cystic Fibrosis, or CF, is a genetic disease that affects children to young adults. It occurs when a child has two defective copies of the gene that causes cystic fibrosis, one from each parent. The disease primarily affects the digestive system and it also affects the respiratory system, mainly the lungs bronchi and bronchioles. Cystic fibrosis affects the cells that produce mucus and digestive juices, as it changes the protein that regulates the movement of salt in and out of cells. Which leads to people thick and sticky mucus and digestive juices, such as pancreatic juices. Whereas people who do not have CF have thin and slippery mucus and digestive juices. The severity of the disease differs from one person to the next, yet the …show more content…
Symptoms of cystic fibrosis is persistent cough that are full of mucus, shortness of breath, weight loss and infertility or decreased fertility in both men and women. Also, intestinal blockage can occur, where a part of the intestines folds in on itself.
Two or more of the symptoms might indicate that you have cystic fibrosis and a doctor might conduct a sweat test, which tests for how much salt is in your sweat. If the salt levels are high enough, it might indicate cystic fibrosis. Other tests that can determine if you have cystic fibrosis is genetic testing and newborn screening.
There is no cure for cystic fibrosis, but medication can be provided to help ease the symptoms that accompany the disease. Things like antibiotics can treat and prevent lung infections. A person can also take mucus thinning drugs that help to improve lung functions, by helping you cough out the mucus. Furthermore, a person can also take in pancreatic enzymes that help to digest food in the small intestines and stomach. If a person’s intestine folds in on itself, then the person would have to have surgery that removes the part of the intestine. If the blockages in the ducts in the lungs become resistant to medication, or antibiotics, then the person might need to have a lung transplant. Cystic fibrosis does not occur in the set of lungs that have been transplanted into
You guys were wondering, when do you have to see the doctor, well you know when you have it or not. If you don’t know Often has lung infections (pneumonia), colds, a cough, shortness of breath, or wheezing. If you or your child or even you parents has symptoms of cystic fibrosis or if someone in your family has cystic fibrosis, you should talk to your doctor and has to be very
Cystic fibrosis (or CF) is a disease of the secretory glands. To simplify the term, secretory comes from the word secrete; in this particular case we are referring to the production and secretion of sweat and mucus. Besides the fact that cystic fibrosis is an illness, it is
Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder in which mucus glands produce abnormally thick secretions. These secretions can lead to chronic infections of the lungs and eventually lead to obstruction of the pancreas, resulting in digestive enzyme deficiency, the liver is also sometimes affected. Secretions from the sweat and salivary glands of a CF patient frequently contain abnormally high amounts of sodium and chloride. Because the body produces a high amount of salt, a sweat test is generally used to diagnose the disorder.
Nausea and loss of appetite, and weight loss. There are also a lot of symptoms if you have Cystic Fibrosis in you lungs and respiratory system such as coughing or increased mucus in the sinuses or lungs, fatigue, nasal congestion, repeated episodes of pneumonia, fever, increased coughing and shortness of breath, increased mucus, loss of appetite, and sinus pain or pressure caused by infection or polyps. Also with Cystic Fibrosis you could only experience symptoms later in your life like infertility (in men), repeated inflammation of the pancreas, respiratory symptoms, and clubbed fingers. One general symptom of Cystic Fibrosis is salty tasting skin. The treatment for Cystic Fibrosis is fairly mild with only treatment through antibiotics, inhaled medicines to clear the airways, a lung transplant in extreme cases, and oxygen therapy if a lung infection becomes really bad. Treatment for Cystic Fibrosis that impacts your digestive system is also pretty mild. It can be treated with a special high protein and high calorie diet, ingestible pancreatic enzymes, and vitamin
Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disease that causes the body’s lungs to generate a different type of mucus than a non-infected body would. The contaminated lungs will produce mucus that is thick and adhesive which clogs the lungs and leads to an unpleasant and abhorrent lung infection. CF also interferes with the pancreas, disallowing the digestive enzymes from breaking down and absorbing food in the intestine. This can result in low nutrition, feeble growth, excessive sweat production, difficulties in breathing, and sometimes lung disease. When producing extra sweat and mucus, the body loses salt. If too much salt is lost, it can cause abnormal heart rhythms, disturbance of minerals in the blood, and perhaps, shock.
Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disorder that affects many functions of the body: breathing, digestion, and reproduction. The lifelong illness usually gets more severe with age and can affect both males and female equally. The symptoms and severity of cystic fibrosis differ from person to person. Most patients have both respiratory and digestive problems, while others only have respiratory problems. Intelligence is not affected in people with CF.
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited autosomal recessive disorder that affects the lungs and digestive system most often. In the United States some 30,000 children and adults have CF. There are approximately 1,000 new cases of cystic fibrosis diagnosed each year in the US with 70% of patients diagnosed with CF by the age of two, 40% of patients with CF are 18 or older. In the 1950's most children with CF did not survive to attend elementary school, but in 2006 the median age of survival was 37 years (Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, 2007).
Cystic Fibrosis, a very serious inherited genetic disease, is also known as CF and sixty-five roses. This disease affects one in every 3,000 live births. It may first appear in a newborn, but can appear all the way up until a young adult. However, ten percent of most cases are apparent at birth. CF affects the lungs and causes a build-up of abnormally thick mucus which leads to chest infections, and CF also affects the reproductive system. Doctors do not know what causes the mucus to thicken. CF’s infections usually lead to death in childhood and early adulthood. Most people infected with CF had a life span into their teens long ago. Now, due to advanced technology, the life span is in the fifties or older.
The way to determine if one has Cystic Fibrosis, which is caused by the mucus in the body’s organs, varies from patient to patient and depends on the severity of the disease. “CF is characterized by several clinical features: increased viscosity of mucous gland secretions, a striking elevation of sweat electrolytes, an increase in several organic and enzymatic constituents of saliva, and abnormalities in autonomic nervous system function” (Essentials of Pediatric Nursing 795). Failure to grow, persistent cough with mucus production, and large frequent bowel movements are early manifestations of CF in childhood. Additionally, one of the first signs of cystic fibrosis is an excessively salty taste to the skin, and parents often can taste the salt when they kiss their child. Nonetheless, problems with breathing are among the most common symptoms. In adults, a frequent cough is the first symptom of Cystic Fibrosis. Pneumonia, bronchiolitis, and bronchitis are among other respiratory problems that may be indicative of Cystic Fibrosis. “The disease progresses from being a disease of the small airways (Chronic bronchiolitis) to involvement of the larger airways, and finally causes destruction of lung tissue. CF also progresses to a restrictive lung disease
In more severe cases, cystic fibrosis can cause damage to the lungs and other organs, chronic lung infections, and pancreatitis. The main concern with the symptoms of the disease is that they can be unpredictable. Symptoms and signs of cystic fibrosis may worsen or improve over time, and people who contract the disease do not necessarily show symptoms of contracting it until they reach adolescence or adulthood, when the disease is difficult to treat effectively. Symptoms can also vary based on age. Younger people may experience symptoms such as higher levels of salt in their bodily fluids compared to others their age, while adults will experience abnormal and atypical symptoms for the disease such as pancreatitis. Unfortunately, the disease has dangerous long term effects. Those who are infected with cystic fibrosis are usually more at risk for osteoporosis, as well as an electrolyte imbalance due to having higher salt levels in their sweat, which can cause a mineral imbalance in their blood, causing fatigue, weakness, and low blood-pressure. CF also increases the chances of developing diabetes. Some
Cystic Fibrosis, a genetic disease that is often considered progressive, affects a person's ability to breathe by causing frequent lung infections. A thick buildup of mucus in several organs such as the lungs and pancreas are caused by a defective gene in those with cystic fibrosis. This gene is inherited by either parent who carried the gene. In some cases, the buildup of mucus can cause respiratory failure or prevent the release of digestive enzymes that allows the body to break down food and absorb vital nutrients. Common symptoms to look for in people with cystic fibrosis are chronic coughing, frequent sinus infections, shortness of breath, salty tasting skin etc.
Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic life threatening disease that causes severe damage to the lungs and digestive system and slowly limits your breathing. What happens with CF is there is a large buildup of mucus in the lungs, pancreas, liver, intestines, sinuses, and sex organs. The mucus is usually made of sweat and digestive juices that are meant to act as lubricant but end up clogging up and blocking tubes, ducts and passageways. With the buildup of mucus it makes it easier for certain bacteria’s to grow, which make it easier for infections to start and spread, especially through the lungs. This in time can cause lung damage. When certain tubes get blocked it makes it to where your intestines cant fully absorb different nutrients
People with this disease typically have higher levels of sodium and chloride concentrations than a person without the disease (Davies 2007). This is because of the missing gate of the chloride channel that the CFTR protein regulates, as described earlier. The most common organs to be affected by cystic fibrosis are the upper and lower air ways, reproductive tracts, pancreas, and bowel. In each organ, there is a buildup of mucus. By not being able to expel the mucus in the lungs, breathing becomes tougher and tougher and infections are very common (Ezzell, 1992). A CF patient’s main problem is often with their lungs because they cannot effectively clear out the bacteria that has been inhaled. The immune system tries to fight this bacteria, but it ultimately causes a great inflammatory response. To compare just how bad the inflammation is, it is ten times more inflamed than a person with a lower respiratory tract infection (Davies,
Although there is no cure for cystic fibrosis, treatments have improved over the years. The early diagnosis, prompt treatment and nutritional support will improve overall health by managing symptoms and reducing complications. The symptoms of cystic fibrosis vary in severity from person to person, so treatment will need to be tailored to one 's needs. These include preventing and controlling lung infections, loosening and removing thick mucus from the lungs, preventing or treating blockages in the intestines, providing proper nutrition (diet and supplements) and preventing dehydration (NIH, 2013; O’Donohoe & Fullen, 2014).
There are approximately 1,000 new cases of Cystic Fibrosis (CF) are diagnosed each year in the United States. There are more than 30,000 patients, who are living with cystic fibrosis, in the States. It is a genetic disorder, which produce thick and sticky mucus in the lungs and digestive system. It is one of the most common life-threatening chronic lung disorders among children and young adults. In normal conditions, the mucus helps the body to prevent from the bacterial infection but in cystic fibrosis, the secreted mucus becomes thick and sticky. In the respiratory system, the produced mucus can clog the airway and cause severe lung damage, which can lead to respiratory failure. In the Digestive system, the thick mucus prevents the secretion of the digestive enzymes that helps the body to breakdown food.