Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Medical Problems That Arise From Having Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a common hereditary disease (genetic based disease) that affects the mucus producing tissues of the body. Many systems of the body rely on fully functioning mucus glands and when they do not work well, many medical complications can arise.

Cystic fibrosis symptoms are caused by heavy, thick, mucus. They include frequent coughing that brings up thick discolored mucus and frequent bouts of chest congestion that often leads to pneumonia. The skin may taste salty and sufferers are easily dehydrated.

The stools of a CF patient are thick, greasy, and smell foul. The patient may be eating well and have a good appetite, but fails to gain weight and thrive. Stomach pain, bloating and excessive gas is caused by too much gas in the intestines and is painful.

There are other medical problems caused by cystic fibrosis. Infertility in men is often caused by this disease. Sinusitis is caused when the space behind the eyes, nose, and forehead are being blocked by thick mucus. Nasal tissues under these condition become infected and cause sinusitis when the lining of the sinuses becomes blocked. This is very common in patients with CF. Nasal polyps may also develop in the sinuses and require surgery to remove.

Cystic fibrosis affects the lungs and bronchial tubes. The bronchial tubes are the large airways in your lungs. Bronchiectasis is a lung disease that causes these airways to become stretched and flabby. They produce pockets where mucus collects. These pockets are a breeding ground for bacteria and infection causes more damage to the bronchial tubes. This can lead to further bronchial infections and serious illness including respiratory failure.

If your lungs are not moving enough oxygen through the body, "clubbing" can be a result. Clubbing is the widening and thickening of the toes and fingers. Clubbing is a definitive sign of CF, if the condition has not already been diagnosed.

Other serious illnesses and complications include liver disease, diabetes, gallstones, collapsed lungs, and rectal prolapse. Extensive coughing and the body having problems passing stools cause rectal prolapse. This pushes the rectal tissue outside of the body.

Another serious illness that may occur because of this genetic disease is low bone density. The body does not get enough Vitamin D and this can cause rickets. Your doctor may recommend Vitamin D supplements to prevent low bone density.

Since there is currently no cure for cystic fibrosis, medical treatment is focused on treating the various symptoms and medical problems that spring up from having CF.

Scott Harker is the publisher of several health related websites... To find out more about Cystic Fibrosis, please visit Cystic Fibrosis Articles For reviews of some of the best books about cystic fibrosis, please visit Cystic Fibrosis Books

Cystic Fibrosis Vest

Cystic fibrosis vest is a device used in the physical therapy treatment of cystic fibrosis. Cystic fibrosis causes mucus secretions that are very thick. The secretions in the lungs may lead to chronic pulmonary complications such as mucus plugging, persistent infection and tissue damage. Cystic fibrosis patients require daily airway clearance therapy to reduce these complications. Cystic fibrosis vest is an airway clearance system used to reduce pulmonary complications. Physicians prescribe 10-40 minutes for vest therapy per day.

The system includes an air pulse generator, a vest, connecting tubes, power cord and a remote control. The vest is inflatable and is connected by two tubes to a small air pulse generator. The air pulse generator inflates and deflates the vest. It gently compresses and releases the chest wall up to 20 times per second. This process is called high frequency chest wall oscillation. The frequency creates airflow within the lungs. This process loosens the mucus and the thin mucus moves toward the larger airways. It can be cleared by coughing or suctioning.

The cystic fibrosis vest system can be easily used by children and adults. It does not require positioning or breathing techniques. The vest system has an adjustable frequency setting from 5 to 20Hz. The pressure used in the vest is adjustable. The pressure is moderately stable according to frequencies but sometimes varies depending on the vest size. The usage meter in the vest system records the length of each treatment. A typical treatment using the vest system takes 15 to 20 minutes.

Vest therapy is the basic element of standard cystic fibrosis treatment program at major health centers. The vest system is appropriate for patients with excessive mucus production and difficulty in clearing secretions. It provides a consistent and high quality airway clearance. The vest system does not require positioning or postural drainage. It is not technique dependent and most users can manage the vest system without any help.

Cystic Fibrosis provides detailed information on Cystic Fibrosis, Cystic Fibrosis Symptoms, Causes Of Cystic Fibrosis, Cystic Fibrosis Treatments and more. Cystic Fibrosis is affiliated with Living With COPD.

The Hidden Truth on Cystic Fibrosis Exposed

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is caused by a genetic defect and is an inherited disease. The disease causes an interference with the body's function of carrying both salt and water to and from the body's cells. This problem will cause a buildup of very thick mucus that leads to clogging up the lungs and the digestive organs. Many people consider cystic fibrosis to be a lung disease but are they are actually unaware that the buildup of mucus can and will affect other organs as well. Cystic Fibrosis can affect: the lungs, the Pancreas, the Liver, the Intestines, the Sinuses and the Reproductive organs.

Cystic fibrosis, unfortunately, happens to be one of the most common inherited genetic disorders and about 1 in every 2500 newborns in the United States is affected. It happens to be most common in both Caucasians and Hispanics, and seldom occurs in those people of either African or Asian descent.

The symptoms of CF will vary depending on the stage of the illness and which organs have been affected.

The earliest symptoms can be: an Increased appetite, Poor growth pattern, very foul-smelling bowel movements that appear to be both very oily and bulky, Salty tasting skin, Frequent coughing attacks, Frequent respiratory infections and Difficulty breathing. As the disease progresses, more advanced symptoms or complications can develop including: an Unexplained weight loss, Diabetes, Pancreatitis, Liver disease and Infertility.

The diagnosis of Cystic fibrosis is accomplished by testing for the presence of those substances or genes found in the blood and from sweat or fetal cells.

During pregnancy, if a couple has reason to believe they might carry the CF gene, the doctor can perform either an amniocentesis or a biopsy of the chorion frondosum at 10-12 weeks of gestation to obtain fetal cells for prenatal diagnosis of chromosomal abnormalities.

In 40 of the 50 states, there are newborn screening tests for Cystic Fibrosis. The test involves taking a blood sample from the heel of the baby's foot before he or she leaves from the hospital. The sample of blood is then sent to be analyzed at a state laboratory and if the results indicate the defective gene, then the infant's physician and the necessary local health agencies will be made aware.

If CF is not detected at birth, it is often diagnosed during the first year or two of the child's life when some of the typical warning signs begin to appear. The traditional test used for determining the presence of cystic fibrosis is the sweat test. In CF, the body is unable to utilize all the salt taken in and the CF patient will usually be excreting larger than the normal amounts of salt in their sweat.

When a sweat test is conducted, small electrodes are placed on skin of the patient so the sweat glands are stimulated. The sweat produced is then collected and sent to a laboratory where they measure the salt content. The sweat test is in no way a painful test and it has been used to help diagnose cystic fibrosis for many years.

At the present time, there is no actual cure for cystic fibrosis. The treatment involves using combination of medications, special diet, exercise and other types of therapy that are designed to control the symptoms and prevent complications from developing.

Specific medications are used to: Prevent and control respiratory infections, Keep the airway open to help with breathing, Loosen and help remove the sticky mucous and Help the body to absorb nutrients from food.

The diet and nutrition plans are prescribed to: Replace essential vitamins that cannot be stored by the patient, Ensure that the calorie intake will meet the high energy demands, Ensure there is adequate nutrient intake for proper growth and development and Replace the salt that is lost through sweat.

An Exercise and therapy program to: Help Strengthen the heart and lungs, Help to Loosen and clear mucus from the lungs, Improve the patient's endurance and overall physical condition and Increase the amount of oxygen that needs to be delivered to tissues.

Cystic Fibrosis cannot be prevented because it is an inherited disease, but the disease can be detected through a simple blood test for the presence of the defective gene. Before a couple plans for a child, if either parent knows or suspect that either one or both might be carriers of the CF defective gene, they should seek out appropriate genetic counseling and determine if they have a risk of passing on CF disease.

CF is caused by a defective gene that is responsible for making a protein that controls the movement of salt and water in and out of all the cells within our bodies.

Each person has two copies of this gene that we received from each of our parents. In some cases, the gene that we receive from our parents is abnormal, but that does not always mean we will develop Cystic Fibrosis. If a person happens to inherit: 2 normal genes, He or she will not develop CF and will not be a carrier. If a person happens to inherit: 1 normal gene and 1 abnormal gene, the He or she will not develop CF but they will carry the defective gene and possibly pass it on to his or her children. If a person happens to inherit: 2 abnormal genes, then He or she will develop the disease.

Not to long any child born with cystic fibrosis, rarely lived beyond their adolescence years. With the advances in medicine, there is more known about the disease now, that was unknown in the past. The new knowledge and advancements has led to improved treatment regimens that now help people with cystic fibrosis to live more active and normal productive lives well into the adult years. People that live with cystic fibrosis have to take extra precautions against any type of infection. They may also need to take digestive system enzymes and certain types of inhaled medications for the rest of their lives.

If your child is diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis, What can you do?

Your pediatrician will be the best person to provide the care along with the help of specialists, if needed. The doctor will possibly refer you to a local cystic fibrosis center. If there is no local center, you should ask for a referral to a Cystic fibrosis center as these are operated by both physicians and health care professionals, specializing in the disease. The centers are the best equipped to both monitor your child and prescribe treatment based on the most current research. At the center, your child can be seen by a team of specialists that might include both a pulmonologist (lung specialist) and nutritionist.

As a former Respiratory Therapist, I was involved with the treatment of many infants and young children with Cystic Fibrosis. It was very easy to get to know the kids and become attached to them every time they were admitted to the hospital. They always seemed to be eager to see us when we would enter their hospital room, simply because they knew we were there to help them and be their friend. It was almost like being a big brother, little brother or big brother, little sister with one big exception. There was no fighting or arguing, but just a sense of wanting to help them as per the doctor's orders and be their friend as they battled a horrible disease. In some cases, when one of these special kids passed away from the disease, we would go to the funeral, because they had become like a family member.

Mickey Lieberman uses his diverse medical background and experience to research helpful health information on numerous diseases and illnesses and provides useful resources for over 100 different medical conditions. For further information, Go to

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Cystic Fibrosis Symptoms

Cystic fibrosis is a very serious disorder that is fatal if not treated properly. A defective gene causes thin body secretions, such as lung mucus, digestive juices, sweat and reproductive secretions, to become thick and sticky. Serious and life-threatening problems may arise due to this thickening. There is no permanent cure for cystic fibrosis yet, but symptomatic treatment is given.

When the lungs and airways are choked, the cystic fibrosis patient coughs and produces very thick sputum. He is short of breath and develops wheezing. Polyps may grow in the nasal passages. The frequency of sinus, chest infections, pneumonia and bronchitis increase.

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. The stool is bulky, greasy and foul smelling. The cystic fibrosis patient may have excessive appetite but is undernourished and underweight, as the food is not digested properly for absorption. A trypsin test may indicate whether sufficient enzymes from the pancreas are available for digestion.

The sweat may taste salty. When we kiss a child with cystic fibrosis we can taste this excessive salt taste. To diagnose cystic fibrosis positively we measure this saltiness in sweat. Technicians coat an odorless chemical on a small area of the skin in the arm, and stimulate that area with electric current to produce copious sweat. This sweat should contain about 40 m mol/l in a normal person. Above 60 m mol/l of salt in a sweat test will confirm the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis. With cystic fibrosis patients the duct that connects the testes and vas deferens may get blocked. Most cystic fibrosis patients are sterile.

Treatment is mainly to ease the symptoms and lead a normal life in spite of the malady. Bronchodilators and mechanical vibrators keep the lungs and airways clear. Enzyme and vitamin supplements keep the digestive system near normal. With correct lifestyle management Americans are living to their 30s and 40s with cystic fibrosis.