Basic Knowledge About Cystic Fibrosis

It is estimated that one in every 3,200 infants in the United States alone is suffering from a genetic disorder known as cystic fibrosis. According to health experts, more than 12 million of the American population is carrying the gene that is susceptible to the disease but most of them do not manifest symptoms and full effects of the ailment. Elsewhere, this sickness has been found to be most common among Caucasians who hail from Northern Europe, where one in every 25 people is found to be carrying the cystic fibrosis gene.

As mentioned, cystic fibrosis is a pronounced genetic disorder that affects the body’s secretory glands. It is technically considered a very rare disease, but it is at the same time considered as among the most common genetic ailment that is life-threatening. The defective gene is affecting the movement of sodium in cells, especially those that are found in the pancreas and in the lungs. There is a resulting imbalance that prompts the formation of abnormally sticky and thick mucus. In turn, the mucus produced is unnecessarily affecting digestion, breathing, and several other important organ functions.

When affecting the lungs, cystic fibrosis produces mucus that clogs the breathing tubes in the organ. This clogging serves as an ideal breeding environment for bacteria, which causes serious infections. When affecting the pancreas, the condition prompts the production of sticky mucus that blocks the release of digestive enzymes. This unnecessary and unlikely occurrence leads to fatty stools, nutritional problems, and poor digestion.

The most common symptom is salty tasting skin, which is caused by release of sweat that contains excessive amount of sodium and chloride (which when combined comprises the common table salt). The sufferer also experiences frequent lung infections, mineral imbalance, fatty and greasy stool, shortness of breath, frequent occurrence of chronic cough, and poor growth in children. Male adults could also suffer from a resulting infertility.

If a patient is not subjected to proper tests, cystic fibrosis could be mistaken for any other sickness of the lungs or the digestive system. Different diagnosis procedures could be used to determine presence of the disease, including sweat testing, genetic testing, and newborn screening in infants. Treatment is readily available, but it is surely is a collective or family effort. Aside from the moral and emotional support, doctors are giving them instructions about how they could work together in helping any sufferer/patient of cystic fibrosis especially the type that affects the lungs.

By: Didier De Coster

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