Cystic Fibrosis: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a hereditary disease that attacks often the lungs, however also the pancreas, kidneys, liver, and intestine.Long-term effects include difficulty breathing and coughing up mucus as a result of recurrent lung infections.
Other signs and symptoms may hold sinus infections, fatty stool, poor growth, clubbing of the fingers and toes, and infertility in some men.Various people may have varying degrees of symptoms.
Causes & Risk factors of Cystic Fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis is caused by a faulty gene that a child inherits from both their parents. Many different defects can occur in the gene. The type of gene mutation is associated with the severity of the condition. When two CF carriers have a child, there is a 25 percent chance that the child will be born with CF. There is also a 50 percent chance that the child will be a carrier.
Risk factors
- Family history.-it runs in families.
- Race- Although cystic fibrosis happens in all communities, it is most prevalent in white people of Northern European ancestry.
Signs and Symptoms of Cystic Fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis signs and symptoms vary, depending on the severity of the disease. People with cystic fibrosis become a higher than normal level of salt in their sweating.The common symptoms of Cystic fibrosis are:
Respiratory signs and symptoms
- persistent coughing
- shortness of breath
- wheezing
- Repeated lung infections
- nasal polyps, or small, fleshy growths found in the nose
Digestive signs and symptoms
- Foul-smelling, greasy stools
- poor weight gain in spite of excessive appetite
- Intestinal blockage, particularly in newborns (meconium ileus)
- Severe constipation
Difficulty in the pancreas can commence to malnutrition and poor growth. It has also been connected with an increased risk of diabetes and osteoporosis.
Diagnosis of Cystic Fibrosis
If a physician suspects a sufferer has CF, a ‘sweat test’ may be conducted. This test marks the amount of salt content present in the sweat. If the test positive, it indicates the sweat collected contains more salt than usual and establishes a diagnosis of CF. Genetic testing, prenatal and newborn screening for CF are other techniques for determining the presence of CF.
Cystic Fibrosis treatment
Advances in medicine and physical therapy techniques mean that many of the symptoms of cystic fibrosis (CF) can be managed effectively.
Physiotherapy, exercise, and medication perform an enormous role in managing the challenging symptoms of CF.
Numerous commonly used medication for people with cystic fibrosis:
Lungs
Medicine to benefit the lungs can be taken by nebulizer, orally or intravenously. Some common examples include:
- Bronchodilator drugs open your airways by relaxing the surrounding muscles, relieving tightness and shortness of breath.
- Antibiotics treat or manage persistent infection.
- Steroids diminish inflammation in the airways.
- Mucolytics such as DNase split down mucus, initiating it gently to clear from the lungs.
Digestive system
- Cystic fibrosis affects the pancreas, with the condition require enzyme capsules with meals and snacks. The capsules replace pancreatic enzymes in assisting to break down food more effectively.
- Your physician can recommend you on the appropriate type/dosage of enzyme supplement.
- Nutritional complements such as high energy drinks can also benefit to compensate for ineffective digestion.
If you undergo cystic fibrosis-related diabetes, you will require balancing your food intake with proper diabetic treatment like tablets or insulin.