Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disease that affects many people in the United States. This disease is an incurable hereditary disease that affects the body in many ways, most noticeably the breathing of a patient. There are an estimated ten million Americans that are carriers of Cystic Fibrosis that show no symptoms of the disease whatsoever. This disease occurs in about 1 in every 3,900 births in American children. It is caused by a defect in a gene on chromosome seven. This gene is normally used to produce a protein that allows the correct amount of salt and water to combine with the mucus. Since this gene has mutated, the salt and water does not combine with the mucus and therefore it becomes very sticky and thick. This disease is hard on patients and causes them difficulties throughout there lives. Hopefully, research will soon make it possible to be cured.

Cystic Fibrosis most prominently affects the endocrine system and the respiratory system. The mucus produced by the body is very sticky and thick and this makes it hard to breathe and the mucus can often clog airways. Cystic Fibrosis also causes the sweat that the body secretes as well as the urine to be abnormally salty. The pancreas is also affected by this disease. It does not produce the enzymes that it normally does and therefore the body cannot digest all the food properly. This causes a certain degree of malnourishment, even though many individuals with the disease have very ravenous appetites. This can be overcome by taking enzyme pills which replace the enzymes that the pancreas does not produce. The stool of the affected individuals may be very thick and have a pale or gray color to them. This is caused by the lack of enzymes produced by the pancreas. These body systems are greatly affected by this disease, yet some treatments can help with them.

Cystic Fibrosis has only one cause: genetics. It is caused by a defect in a gene that tells the body to produce a protein that regulates the production of the mucus. When this protein is not produced, the body produces excess mucus which is very thick and is not able to be broken down by the body. There are also many symptoms of this disease. The most common symptom in individuals with Cystic Fibrosis is chronic coughing and lung infections. There are other symptoms, which include frequent nasal congestion, abnormal or large stools, and very salty sweat. Individuals with Cystic Fibrosis are malnourished and therefore they may be behind in growth compared to other children their age. The disease is very tough on the gastrointestinal tract because it must have extra enzymes in order to break down the food properly. Individuals with Cystic Fibrosis are also very susceptible to pneumonia.

Babies are usually diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis soon after they are born. There are many symptoms which point out to doctors the presence of the disease. There are tests that are used on the babies to check for the presence of the disease also. These include the sweat test, which checks the salt content of the individual, a genetic analysis to check for the gene defect, and a nasal potential difference test. Babies are often screened shortly after birth to test for the presence of Cystic Fibrosis. This screening checks for the presence of a high level of a certain enzyme in the blood stream that is present in Cystic Fibrosis. Adults may have many tests run to check for the presence of suspected Cystic Fibrosis also. Doctors may x-ray the lungs to check for mucus blockages, check the salt content of the sweat and blood, and they may also run pulmonary function tests to see how well the lungs are working.

Cystic Fibrosis has no known cure at this time. However, there are many treatments that an individual can use to help and fight against this disease. The focus of the treatment of the disease is to help clear the mucus from the airways and to improve nutrition. This can be done through a variety of ways. The most common method of controlling the mucus is the respiratory therapy method where cupped hands are used to beat on the back and chest to loosen the mucus from the airways. There are other methods of clearing this mucus, which include antibiotics, bronchodilators, and mucolytics. Another technique for clearing the lungs of mucus and maintaining healthy lungs is aerobic exercise every day. This helps keep the lungs functioning well and helps rid them of mucus. Another problem with Cystic Fibrosis is digestion. There are many techniques for helping with digestion. The most widely used is the taking of enzyme pills to speed up digestion and help the body get all the nutrients out of the food it is taking in. Other treatments may include supplements of nutrients the body needs intravenously and also the use of stool softeners to help with intestinal blockages.

Cystic Fibrosis is very hard on the patients that have it. They have to go through constant treatment every day just to be able to breathe normally and function in their daily routines. They have difficulty breathing at many times because of the mucus blockage. They may not be able to participate in sports because of the lung blockage either. This disease also causes them to dehydrate easily also. The salt content is very high, therefore the body sweats a lot to try and rid itself of the salt. This sometimes results in dehydration. Thankfully, there are treatments that can be done to help with some of these side effects of Cystic Fibrosis.

Cystic Fibrosis is such a severe disease that prognosis is often not very good. The prognosis is usually determined by how much the lungs are affected by the disease. If they are in good shape during the teenage years, then the body has a much better chance of longer survival. However, deterioration of the lungs is eventually inevitable, leading to death in the end. Yet, the prognosis has improved much over the last thirty years, and people are now able to lead much happier, longer, healthier lives. This is good because they can go through life and live like a normal person and you may not ever know they have the disease. The average prognosis for an American male diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis is the age of 32. In females, the prognosis is less, and their life span may be much shorter because their bodies are, in general, weaker than that of a male. Hopefully, in the near future, the treatments for Cystic Fibrosis will increase and the people will be able to lead much happier, healthier lives.

The reason that I chose this disease to do my report on is because one of my best friends, Patrick Perry, has Cystic Fibrosis. I wanted to learn more about this disease and to let this research open my eyes to the complications and difficulties he endures in everyday life. He must go through a lot during the times I do not see him, yet when he is around any of his friends he never lets on that he even has it. This is such a great encouragement to me, that he can have a disease and be so strong-willed as to not let his friends know of the pain he must endure every day. This helps me make it through my life each and every day because I realize that if he can be healthy and live such a wonderful, intelligent, peaceful life, then I can too.

In conclusion, I have learned that Cystic Fibrosis is a devastating and very tough disease for individuals to cope with. However, the treatments continue to improve and the hope for these individuals to lead stronger, healthier lives grows with each day. Hopefully, by the time that I reach a ripe old age and pass away, I can be a part of the process to help these individuals with their disease and maybe someday find a cure. Surely, in the near future, there will be something found to improve the prognosis and lives of Cystic Fibrosis patients.