What is Cystic Fibrosis (CF)?

Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disease that affects well over 30,000 children and adults in the United States of America.

When a defective gene causes the body to produce thick and sticky mucus, it often clogs the air sacks in the lungs and leads to a host of life-threatening lung infections. Often the thick mucus also obstructs the pancreas, thereby preventing digestive enzymes from reaching the intestines, making it difficult to digest the food.

What Causes Cystic Fibrosis?

CF is caused by defective CF genes. CF occurs in approximately one of every 3,200 live Caucasian births in USA. That is, approximately 1,000 new cases of CF are diagnosed each year in USA alone.

What are the symptoms of Cystic Fibrosis?

A variety of symptoms are observed, including:

• Salty skin,
• Persistent coughing,
• Wheezing,
• Shortness of breath,
• Excessive appetite,
• Poor weight gain, and
• Greasy, bulky stools.

Treatment Options and Remedies for Cystic Fibrosis:

Patient and Family Education is considered a very important element of patient care.

The treatment of CF depends upon the organs involved as well as on the stage of the disease. Physcal therapy to help drain the lungs of thick mucus and several drugs are often used to help the patients live as normal life as they possibly can.

Draining of mucus from the lungs is an important part of the daily CF treatment routine. Clapping on the back and chest helps to dislodge the viscous mucus from the lungs. Other types of treatments include mucus thinning drugs, and antibiotics for fighting the infections.

Prognosis for Cystic Fibrosis Patients:

The median age of survival for a person with Cystic Fibrosis is approximately 33 years.

Don't forget to check out Lung Disease News section of this website for the latest Cystic Fibrosis Treatment News, and our Lung Disease Articles Library for the latest Cystic Fibrosis related Articles.

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