What Do You Know About Cystic Fibrosis?
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited, often fatal disease of the body's mucus glands. It affects about 30,000 children and young adults in the United States, most of them descendants of people from northern Europe. Find out more about CF by taking this quiz, based on information from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Currently, no effective treatment is available to correct the cause of CF. Doctors can, however, slow the progression of the disease. Which of these types of medication can do this?
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Bronchodilators widen the bronchial passages in the lungs. Antibiotics kill the bacteria that cause lung infections. Decongestants reduce the swelling of bronchial membranes. Mucolytics thin the mucus in the lungs. Physical therapy and exercise also can help manage CF. Chest therapy helps the mucus drain from the lungs by clapping the chest and back to dislodge the mucus from the airways. A small, hand-held device called a flutter also loosens the mucus. When a patient exhales through the flutter, a valve causes rapid air pressure fluctuations in the patient's airways, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The fluctuations cause vibrations, which loosen the mucus. Exercise also helps loosen the mucus. For patients with advanced CF, a lung transplant may be an option, the NHLBI says. To help ease digestive problems in people with CF, doctors prescribe a well-balanced, high-calorie diet that is high in protein but low in fat. Vitamin supplements and enzymes are also often given.
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