Cystic Fibrosis
What is cystic fibrosis?
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited disease of your
mucus and sweat glands. It affects mostly your lungs, pancreas, liver, intestines, sinuses, and sex organs.
Normally, mucus is watery. It keeps the linings of
certain organs moist and prevents them from drying out or getting infected. But
in CF, an abnormal gene causes mucus to become thick and sticky.
The mucus builds up in your lungs and blocks the airways. This makes it easy for bacteria to grow and leads to repeated serious lung infections. Over time, these infections can cause serious damage to your lungs.
The thick, sticky mucus can also block tubes, or ducts, in your pancreas. As a result, digestive enzymes that are
produced by your pancreas cannot reach your small intestine. These enzymes help
break down the food that you eat. Without them, your intestines cannot absorb
fats and proteins fully.
As a result:
The abnormal gene also causes your sweat to become extremely salty. As a result, when you perspire, your body loses large amounts of salt. This can upset the balance of minerals in your blood. The imbalance may cause you to have a
heat emergency.
CF can also cause infertility (mostly in men).
The symptoms and severity of CF vary from person to person. Some people with CF have serious lung and digestive problems. Other people have more mild disease that doesn't show up until they are adolescents or young adults.
Respiratory failure is the most common cause of death in people with CF.
Until the 1980s, most deaths from CF occurred in children and teenagers. Today, with improved treatments, people with CF live, on average, to be more than 35 years old. Research continues to look for:
Next: What are other names for cystic fibrosis? »
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