Body

Cystic Fibrosis

Today, I wanted to explore more about a congenital, contagious and crude disease — Cystic Fibrosis; popularly known as CF.

(This is what Five Feet Apart is based on)

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
Dive in.
Cystic Fibrosis is an inherited life-threatening disorder that damages the lungs and digestive system. It affects the cells that produce mucus, sweat and digestive juices. CF is caused by mutations of the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) gene. This defective gene is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait. 
It causes these fluids to become much more thick and stickier than normal. Which then plug up tubes, ducts and passageways.

DETECTION:
Cystic Fibrosis is often apparent shortly after birth, but before newborn screening, when symptoms were not severe, CF may not have been detected until years later and, in rare cases, even as late as during adulthood. Most cases diagnosed in adulthood have no associated symptoms (asymptomatic) or only very mild symptoms. 

PROBLEMS FACED:
Affected individuals develop a variety of breathing (or respiratory) complications due to the production of thick, sticky mucus that clogs various air passages in the body. Associated symptoms include a persistent cough that often produces mucus or phlegm (productive cough), wheezing (high-pitched whistling sound made while breathing) and shortness of breath because the clammy mucus clogs the airways and the bacteria are trapped which accumulate within the lungs and air passages making individuals particularly prone to developing repeated (chronic) respiratory infections that lead to inflammation of the main air passages of the lungs (bronchitis), inflammation of the sinuses (sinusitis) and inflammation of the lungs. Clogging of the airways with mucus may also make it difficult to breath. In many cases, CF causes pancreatic inefficiency and impaired glandular secretion.