What Is Cystic Fibrosis?

Most people do not know cystic fibrosis is sometimes called “sixty-five roses.” The nickname came from a young boy who heard his mom talking about the condition on the phone. Each time she said cystic fibrosis he thought she was talking about sixty-five roses. In reality, cystic fibrosis is a devastating disease caused by a hereditary disorder which affects the exocrine glands. Around one in twenty three people in the United States carry at least one defective gene causing it to be the most common genetic defect of its severity. It causes the production of extremely thick mucus, leading to the blockage of the pancreatic ducts, intestines, and bronchi, often resulting in respiratory infection. There are approximately one thousand newly diagnosed …show more content…
The same person may have symptoms that worsen or improve as time passes, and some people may not experience symptoms until adolescence or adulthood. There are many symptoms to cystic fibrosis, some of which can be seen soon after birth. Patients with cystic fibrosis have a higher level of salt inside their sweat, so parents can often taste the salt when they kiss their children. Most other symptoms affect the respiratory system or digestive system, but all U.S. states screen newborns; therefore, if a child has cystic fibrosis, the parent will most likely find out right away. Some of the symptoms that can be experienced later in the process of cystic fibrosis include: coughing up thick mucus, getting sinus infections, bronchitis, or pneumonia often, growths (called polyps) in the nose, bulky, oily, or foul-smelling stool, shortness of breath, too much gas, constipation, or stomach pain, weight loss, or failure to gain weight, low bone density, wide, rounded fingertips and toes “What is Cystic Fibrosis?”. Some symptoms of cystic fibrosis don’t appear until the teen or adult years of life and late diagnosis of cystic fibrosis may mean a more mild case with less symptoms. Most people who are diagnosed with cystic fibrosis are faced with symptoms which become worse over time. It can also be the cause of pancreatitis, liver disease, gallstones, or cystic fibrosis related diabetes as the …show more content…
Chest physical therapy (CPT) is also known as chest clapping or percussion. The patient may sit or lie on his/her stomach while this is taking place. It involves the repetition of pounding on the chest and back with the hands so that it will loosen the mucus located in the lungs and allow the patient to cough it up. Some people do find that CPT is difficult or uncomfortable so many devices have been developed to help lessen the impact it might have, such as; an inflatable therapy vest which uses high-frequency airwaves to force mucus deep in the lungs upward, an electric chest clapper (also known as a mechanical percussor), a small, handheld device that causes vibrations which dislodge the mucus, and a mask that also causes vibrations which help break the mucus loose from the airway walls. Aerobic exercise causes deep breathing, which can also help loosen the mucus in a patient's lungs. It also helps improve a cystic fibrosis patient’s overall physical condition. However, cystic fibrosis also causes sweat to become very salty and as a result the body loses large amounts of salt when a patient sweats. Therefore the doctor may recommend a high salt diet to maintain the balance of minerals in the blood. In a patient with cystic fibrosis, a doctor may prescribe antibiotics, anti-inflammatory medicines, bronchodilators, or other