Cystic Fibrosis

Summary

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited disease of the mucus and sweat glands. It affects mostly your lungs, pancreas, liver, intestines, sinuses, and sex organs. CF causes your mucus to be thick and sticky. The mucus clogs the lungs, causing breathing problems and making it easy for bacteria to grow. This can lead to repeated lung infections and lung damage.

The symptoms and severity of CF can vary. Some people have serious problems from birth. Others have a milder version of the disease that doesn’t show up until they are teens or young adults. Sometimes you will have few symptoms, but later you may have more symptoms.

CF is diagnosed through various tests, such as gene, blood, and sweat tests. There is no cure for CF, but treatments have improved greatly in recent years. In the past, most deaths from CF were in children and teenagers. Today, with improved treatments, some people who have CF are living into their forties, fifties, or older. Treatments may include chest physical therapy, nutritional and respiratory therapies, medicines, and exercise.

NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Related Issues

• A Teacher’s Guide to Cystic Fibrosis Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
• Accommodations for College Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
• Aspergillus and Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
• COVID-19 Community Questions and Answers Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
• Cystic Fibrosis-Related Diabetes Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
• Infections and Cystic Fibrosis Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
• Marvels of Mucus and Phlegm: The Slime That Keeps You Healthy National Institutes of Health
• Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Start Here

• About Cystic Fibrosis Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
• Cystic Fibrosis American Lung Association
• What Is Cystic Fibrosis? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Living With

• Airway Clearance Techniques (ACTs) Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
• Chest Physical Therapy Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
• Consider Tube Feeding Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
• Day-to-Day Exercise and Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
• Dietary Tips for Kids With Cystic Fibrosis Nemours Foundation
• Pulmonary Rehabilitation: MedlinePlus Health Topic National Library of Medicine

Diagnosis and Tests

• Chymotrypsin in Stool National Library of Medicine
• Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Respiratory Screen: Sputum Nemours Foundation
• Cystic Fibrosis: Prenatal Screening and Diagnosis American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
• Stool Elastase National Library of Medicine
• Sweat Test for Cystic Fibrosis National Library of Medicine
• Testing for CF Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Cystic Fibrosis National Institutes of Health

Patient Handouts

• Cystic fibrosis Medical Encyclopedia
• Cystic fibrosis – nutritional considerations Medical Encyclopedia
• How to breathe when you are short of breath Medical Encyclopedia
• Neonatal cystic fibrosis screening test Medical Encyclopedia
• Postural drainage Medical Encyclopedia
• Sweat electrolytes test Medical Encyclopedia

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Cystic Fibrosis and Pregnancy March of Dimes Foundation

Find an Expert

• Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Genetics

• Cystic fibrosis: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
• Learning about Cystic Fibrosis National Human Genome Research Institute

Teenagers

• Dietary Tips for Teens with Cystic Fibrosis Nemours Foundation

Treatments and Therapies

• Drug Development Pipeline Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
• Managing Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Encyclopedia

• Fecal fat Medical Encyclopedia
• Oxygen safety Medical Encyclopedia
• Secretin stimulation test Medical Encyclopedia
• Traveling with breathing problems Medical Encyclopedia
• Trypsin and chymotrypsin in stool Medical Encyclopedia
• Trypsinogen test Medical Encyclopedia
• Using oxygen at home Medical Encyclopedia
• Using oxygen at home – what to ask your doctor Medical Encyclopedia

Journal Articles

• Cystic Fibrosis

NIH MedlinePlus Magazine

• Small Patch Can Diagnose Cystic Fibrosis Earlier