What is Cystic Fibrosis: symptoms, causes, Diagnosis, and how to treat - Definition and Overview: Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic condition that affects many people of all ages across the world and up to 30,000 people in the United States, not including about one thousand new cases are discovered every year. This is a public health issue that bothers even on children.
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| What is Cystic Fibrosis |
This condition affects the glands which produce sweat and mucus, causing mucus produced becomes more viscous and sticky than usual. This causes a negative effect on the body, especially the lungs and pancreas. Overproduction of sweat causes more salt out of the body, causing an imbalance of minerals. And when mucus builds up, it can clog the airway and make people susceptible to bacterial infections in the lungs. It is also blocking the movement of the digestive enzymes to intestines, making food is digested, especially fat and carbohydrates, it becomes hard to do. This can lead to problems in the absorption of nutrients.
In the past, cystic fibrosis can significantly shorten one's lifespan, but at the moment, these diseases can be treated, with most patients live for nearly 40 years.
The cause of the
Cystic fibrosis is a hereditary disease caused by a mutation or change genes. Therefore, it is usually diagnosed when the patient is young; in fact, in some babies, this causes a blockage of the small intestine, making them unable to pull out their first bowel movements these are early warning signs that your baby may have cystic fibrosis. Because the signs that appear at the beginning of life, testing for this disease is included in the tests conducted checks on the baby right after birth. If the symptoms do not appear after birth, they may develop from time to time.
However, a person will only get the disease if both parents are carriers of the gene that causes it. Currently, up to 10 million people in the United States is a carrier, although most do not realize it.
The Main Symptoms Of
Cystic fibrosis symptoms tend to vary from one patient to the next. Despite some early signs may appear during infancy, there are cases where the disease does not become evident until the child is fully grown. Early signs that affect children, however, may include:
- The small bowel is clogged (could be determined after birth, especially if the baby can't be his first bowel movements)
- Salty sweat
- Low energy levels
- Do not eat well
- Weight loss decreases or the inability to achieve a normal weight
- Intestinal problems, such as diarrhea prolonged (chronic), oily stools, fecal odor, or recurrent constipation
- Respiratory problems
- Easily tired
- Chronic cough
- Wheezing (breath reads)
Subsequent symptoms include:
- Cough phlegm
- Bloody mucus
- Rectal prolapse (the descent of the sewer to the anus)
Symptoms that may occur in adulthood, among others:
- Infertility (Infertility)
- Warts or polyps in the nasal
- Sinus Problems
- Finger tabu (malformed fingers so the spherical-shaped)
Who should be found and a range of Therapies available
If cystic fibrosis is suspected, it is important to consult with your primary care physician immediately. There are many tests used to determine whether a person has cystic fibrosis or if he is a carrier of a gene that has already undergone a change. If there is a suspicion of the disease, it is important to be tested before or during pregnancy.
Primary care physician you will use a medical history and the results of a physical examination to determine Your vulnerability to disease. This will be followed by an examination of laboratory and diagnostic tests, including:
- Genetic tests - A person with cystic fibrosis has inherited one or two of the CFTR gene (Cystic Fibrosis transmembrane regulator).
- Sweat test - Someone must have two positive sweat test conducted on different dates. On the second time, the level of salt in the sweat will be measured. The amount of salt that is higher than normal is enough to ensure the diagnosis.
- Test nasal potential difference - This test shows how well the salt in the body flows into and out of cells found in the electrode on the lining of the nose.
If it is ascertained that a person has cystic fibrosis, another test needs to be done to find out the extent of the disease and to recognize possible problems caused by the condition. Some examples are:
- Pulmonary function tests - Lung health check
- Sputum culture - check the types of bacteria that may be present in a person's body
- CT scan - check the health of the lungs, pancreas, and other parts of the body
- Chest x-rays - check out the heart and lungs
- A blood test - checking blood sugar levels and checks whether the liver is functioning properly
- Stool analysis - check if the patient Digest nutrients properly
- Arterial blood gas analysis - Comparing the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide to determine the health of the lungs.
Because of different symptoms in each patient, then treatment for cystic fibrosis also adjusted, depending on the patient's age, health, and symptoms. Most treatments will focus on eliminating certain health problems caused by this disease. Follow the treatment plan and cooperate with the doctor will help patients live long and healthy in spite of this condition. This means you must make regular visits to the doctor for a Checkup and monitoring.
Treatment options available are included in most treatment plans including:
- Respiratory Therapy - The goal is to improve respiratory and pulmonary damage slows down by preventing the infection. This involves getting rid of the mucus accumulated in the lungs on a regular basis, either with drugs or airway cleansing techniques. Oxygen therapy is sometimes necessary in severe cases.
- Gastrointestinal Therapy - This involves the digestive enzyme replacement therapy; its main purpose is to help the body to absorb all the nutrients from the food. This can be followed by nutritional therapy, which ensures the body gets all the nutrients it needs. In severe cases, the nutrients through the veins are required.
- Antibiotic drugs - While this can be done through medication to drink normally, but some cases require an infusion tube placement is periodically given antibiotics to patients.
- Postural drainage (posture to remove the mucus from the body)
All treatment plans include home care plan. Care at home is quite important and can have a huge impact on a patient's lifetime. The main objective of home care is to prevent infection; Thus, involves the care of a healthy diet and a balanced diet, combined with regular exercise.