Cystic fibrosis is a hereditary disease that affects the entire body, causing progressive disability and early death. Cystic fibrosis affects the entire body and impacts growth, breathing, digestion, and reproduction. Difficulty breathing and insufficient enzyme production in the pancreas are the most common symptoms.

The Pancreas of patients with Cystic Fibrosis fails to produce enough enzymes that are necessary to break down food. As a result the food eaten retains its fats and most of its nutrients as it passes through the body.

The bronchial tubes in the lungs also malfunction and produce a thick, sticky mucus. Germs multiply in this mucus and cause respiratory infection such as pneumonia, accompanied by a cough and high fever that is more severe than normal.

A multitude of other symptoms, including sinus infections, poor growth, diarrhea, and potential infertility (mostly in males) result from the effects of cystic fibrosis on other parts of the body. Patients with Cystic Fibrosis also sweat profusely and their perspirations also contains an unusually high percentage of salt.

Cystic fibrosis is the most common life-limiting recessive disease among people of European heritage. Two copies of the recessive mutated gene, one from each parent is needed by the human body to develop Cystic Fibrosis.

Because cystic fibrosis testing is expensive, testing is often performed on just one parent initially. If that parent is found to be a carrier of a CFTR gene mutation, the other parent is then tested to calculate the risk that their children will have cystic fibrosis. Cystic fibrosis can result from more than a thousand different mutations and, as of 2006, it is not possible to test for each one. Most commercially available tests look for 32 or fewer different mutations.

Couples who are at high risk for having a child with cystic fibrosis; i.e. cystic fibrosis has developed in family members, will often opt to perform further testing before or during pregnancy. After birth cystic fibrosis may be diagnosed in newborn with sweat testing, or genetic testing.

Most states and countries do not screen for cystic fibrosis routinely at birth. Children with cystic fibrosis typically do not gain weight or height at the same rate as their peers and occasionally are not diagnosed until investigation is initiated for poor growth. Males tend to have a longer life expectancy than females but the reason is unknown.

Use a mask nebulizer and other inhalations treatments are the most common forms of treatments for cystic fibrosis. The goal is the treating and limiting the amount of lung damage caused by thick mucus and infection. Albuterol and ipratropium bromide are inhaled to increase the size of the small airways by relaxing the surrounding muscles. As lung disease worsens, breathing support from machines may become necessary.

Most individuals with cystic fibrosis take additional amounts of vitamins A, D, E, and K and eat high calorie meals.

Common Vitamins and over the counter products can help with treating Cystic Fibrosis such as Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Lactase Enzyme, Papaya, Protein Tablets, Vitamin B, Amino Acid and L-Carnitine.

Dr. Harry Schwachman reported “most patients with cystic fibrosis have low levels of vitamin E”. Vitamin E protects lung tissue form inhaled pollutants and aids the functioning of the immune system.

Vitamin K helps the blood to clot after and injury.

A number of studies have suggested that taking antioxidants such a Vitamin A reduces the risk of bronchoconstriction. Vitamin A is stored in the liver and fat cells of the human body and can reach toxic levels. DO NOT take more than the recommended dosage of Vitamin A.

Lactase Enzyme makes milk products more readily digestible.

Papaya contains lipase, which assists in Fat and Cellulose digestion.

Protein tablets increase protein intake.

All of the different Vitamin Bs taken together as B-Complex work together as a team to perform vital biological processes, such as energy production and efficient metabolic function. Vitamin B boost energy levels and help fight fatigue.

Amino Acid help regulate growth, digestion and maintaining the body’s immune system.

L-Carnitine is essential for the body’s ability to turn food into energy. L-Carnation increases energy at the cell level by increased fat burning, increases the body’s ability to remove toxic disease-causing compounds and helps cells live longer.

Always consult your doctor before using this information.

This Article is nutritional in nature and not to be construed as medical advice.

By: David Cowley

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We raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to help Violet and everyone else find a cure for this disease. please donate safely and securely online at: www.cff.org/great_strides/rebeccadixon5175 www.cff.org www.myspace.com/ultraviolet_rockforcf

I know that Cystic Fibrosis is a chronic disease of the lungs and digestive system that causes the body to produce mucus. . . But, can cystic fibrosis damage the brain during embryotic development? I thought it could because the mucus build-up could block oxygen from reaching the brain, causing damage and poor development. . .
Please include a source. . .

The primary aim of medical and scientific research on cystic fibrosis is to understand, treat and cure cystic fibrosis. The research also focuses on serious symptoms and complications of the disease.

Cystic fibrosis research on gene therapy and protein therapy has made new developments. Gene therapy using liposomes is the technique of adding a healthy copy of the gene. Protein therapy is used to repair the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein. Drugs for replacing the function of CFTR protein have been developed. Research groups are engaged in developing new drugs to move this protein to the membrane.

Cystic fibrosis research has spread to the area of improving symptom control which includes controlling lung infections, reducing inflammation and improving nutrition.

Another fertile area of interest is regarding the cause of cystic fibrosis. The research on genetic disorders explains the factors that regulate channel activity and their effect on the plasma membrane. This research proves that the inherited disorders of cystic fibrosis include chronic pulmonary disease and hypertension. Research done on the regulation of gene expression identifies the factors that control gene expression. The study is conducted on the effect of alterations in these factors. Researchers have developed optical imaging aids for cystic fibrosis study. Optical sensing tools are used to investigate adenosine triposphate release and its role in cystic fibrosis.

Many researches are conducted to improve the treatment of cystic fibrosis. New medicines have been invented to remove the secretions in the lungs. The removal of secretions can be measured by inhaling a small amount of radioactive gas. New methods are developed to assess the deposition and clearance of the radioactive gas. Cystic fibrosis research has proved that the effect of physiotherapy is not uniform in all patients. Physiotherapy made a positive effect in majority of patients. But some patients experience deterioration in ventilation. Researchers on this disease investigate the disordered breathing and the effect of exercise on the patients. Arm exercises result in overexpansion of lungs and this may cause breathlessness in severe cystic fibrosis patients.

By: Kent Pinkerton

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Scientists have suggested an imbalance of omega 3 fatty acids may cause the lung inflammation experienced by cystic fibrosis patients.

Cystic fibrosis is a recessive disease and affects the lungs.

The primary aim of medical and scientific research on cystic fibrosis is to understand, treat and cure cystic fibrosis. An inherited disease, cystic fibrosis is thought to affect about 30,000 Americans and is the most common, life-shortening genetic disease known. Cystic fibrosis is a life-threatening disease caused by a defective gene and affecting about 30,000 children in America.

Researchers from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre, the University of Massachusetts and Massachusetts General Hospital took tissue samples from 38 patients with cystic fibrosis.

It was found they had extremely high levels of arachidonic acid (AA) and abnormally low levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

People who did not have CF did not have the fatty acids imbalance.

Researchers believe that many of the symptoms of cystic fibrosis follow the same pattern: mutated gene produces a mutated glycoconjugate resulting in a defective cellular component. There are approximately ten million symptomless carriers of the defective cystic fibrosis gene in America.

They say too much of one acid and too little of another means patients’ bodies are more prone to inflammation.

In the New England Journal of Medicine, they suggest Omega-3 oils, found in fish, could help correct the imbalance.

Each week three young people in the UK die from the disease, which is caused by the faulty CFTR gene.

CF causes an abnormally thick, sticky mucus to be produced in the body, causing chronic inflammation of the lungs leading to life-threatening infections.

The average life expectancy for a person with CF is around 31.

To diagnose cystic fibrosis, the laboratory carries out a sweat test. When the lungs and airways are choked, the cystic fibrosis patient coughs and produces very thick sputum. The authors concluded that forced ionisation of the indoor air represents a natural and efficient treatment for respiratory diseases in patients with cystic fibrosis.

When the cystic fibrosisTR is not normal, the regulation of salt through the membranes becomes defective. In the respiratory system the thin mucus lining becomes thick and sticky. As the digestive juices do not reach the intestine, due to blocked ducts from the pancreas and liver, the fats and protein are not digested.

Dr Steven Freedman of the gastroenterology division at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, who led the research, said: “Since 1989, we have known that the defective CFTR gene is responsible for CF.

“But we didn’t understand how this defective gene leads to the symptoms of the disease.

“This new study sheds light on what may be happening and provides a link between CFTR function and fatty acid metabolism.”

He added: “It is known that high amounts of AA and low amounts of DHA would predispose to inflammation.

“This discovery may help explain why there is an excessive inflammatory response among CF patients.

“This is the basis for why Omega-3 fish oils, found in cold-water fish as well as supplements, reduce inflammation since they increase levels of DHA and suppress AA.”

‘No diet change’

Dr Adam Jaffe, head of the CF Research Group at London’s Institute of Child Health, told BBC News Online the research was interesting but not conclusive.

“Patients shouldn’t change their diet based on spurious associations between fatty acids and inflammation.

“But I would not be against them adding supplements to their diets.”

Tom O’Connor, an expert on Omega-3, shares a wealth of information on his website http://www.1st-Omega-3.Com

By: Tom O`Connor

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I am a 26 year old male who has been diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis (pulmonary disease) at infancy and have recently learned about Kefir and was wondering if anyone has any information about the relationship between the two? Thank You, also if anyone has any questions about CF please feel free to ask!

If a person who carries cystic fibrosis has a child with someone who has it,
What are the chances that their children will have it?

My 14 year old daughter has Cystic Fibrosis and there has been 2 confirmed cases in the elementry school. My daughter is in High School in the same town. What would be recommended if a case hits her school. I Don’t want to seem to overreact, but until the vaccine is available, should I home school her?

Educational video we had to make for Chemistry.

I watched a video in science about two little girls with Cystic Fibrosis. The video was made in 1996, and the girls, Lizzie and Ali, should now be 15 if still alive. I am very interested and want to know if they are still alive and I really just want to find out. It is killing me. I googled it and everything, please help me. I just want to know because the video made me really feel bad for the family. Thanks for the help.