Cystic Fibrosis: A Life-Threatening Disorder that Causes Severe Lung Damage and Nutritional Deficiencies

Cystic Fibrosis is a life-threatening disorder that causes severe lung damage and nutritional deficiencies. Cystic Fibrosis is an inherited disease, which essentially means that it is passed from parents to offspring. It is unique, in the fact that it affects the biological cells that produce mucus, sweat, saliva, and digestive fluids. Cystic Fibrosis is potentially life-threatening, because it effectively blocks up the passageways to both the pancreas and the lungs, hindering their ability to function. The most common result of progressive Cystic Fibrosis is complete respiratory failure, caused by the passageway blockage and fluid build-up. Unfortunately, as of today, there is not a known cure for the disease, though research is currently being conducted to attempt to find one.

In Cystic Fibrosis, an abnormal gene alters a protein that regulates the movement of salt in and out of cells. This results in a thick, sticky mucus in the respiratory and digestive passageways, as well as in the reproductive system which causes them to clog. Another aspect of the disease, is that it also causes an increased concentration of salt content in sweat on the skin.

The biggest risk factor for Cystic Fibrosis is a family history of the disease. If both parents come from families with Cystic Fibrosis, then each of their children has a one in four chance of having Cystic Fibrosis. Thus, one can see why it is difficult to cure and important to identify it early on.

Some symptoms of Cystic Fibrosis in newborns are delayed growth and persistent respiratory infections. Symptoms for young children and adults include salty sweat, because people with Cystic Fibrosis tend to have higher concentrations of salt in their sweat, blockage of the bowels, delayed growth, coughing and wheezing constantly, in addition to frequent chest and sinus infections.

There are a variety of ways of diagnosing Cystic Fibrosis. One such method, is just conducting a simple blood test to see if a person carries the Cystic Fibrosis gene. The standard test for the diagnosis of Cystic Fibrosis is known as the "sweat test." The sweat test is designed to measure the amount of salt in the sweat because, as indicated before, people with Cystic Fibrosis tend to have higher concentrations of salt in their sweat.

Cystic Fibrosis primarily affects the respiratory system, which causes it to be a tremendous threat to the human immune system. As a cure is not known of as of yet, it is important to diagnose Cystic Fibrosis early on, so that a variety of treatment options can be explored. As scientific knowledge progresses, so in turn should the knowledge of Cystic Fibrosis.