Printer FriendlyHow does CF affect me?
How does it affect my lungs?
Normal mucous is thin and slippery; it plays an important role in expelling germs, dust and other debris from the lungs and breathing passages. In CF, the mucous is very thick and glue-like, causing obstruction of the breathing passages and interfering with the normal functioning of the lungs. This blockage leads to infection that damages the bronchial walls and lung tissue. The respiratory problems, that result from this process, account for the chronic cough that most CF patients experience. Mucous obstruction and the resulting lung damage is the most serious complication of CF.
How does it affect my digestion?
As in the lungs, mucous plugs the ducts of the pancreas, an organ lying just below the stomach. The pancreas supplies the small intestine with enzymes to aid in the digestion of food. When the openings from the pancreas are blocked by mucous, the enzymes cannot reach the small intestine. Consequently, food passes through the bowels only partially digested, and nutrition value is lost. The poor nutrition caused by this digestive problem can make it difficult for individuals with CF to maintain normal physical development. Many persons with CF are smaller and thinner than their friends.
The sweat of an individual with CF has a salt content which is two to five times the normal amount. It is this high salt content that provides the most reliable diagnostic test for the presence of CF. In no other condition which resembles CF do you see such a high salt content. Activities which cause sweating, in combination with an inadequate salt intake, lead to salt depletion, causing exhaustion and dehydration.
How does it affect my sweat glands?
The sweat of an individual with CF has a salt content which is two to five times the normal amount. It is this high salt content that provides the most reliable diagnostic test for the presence of CF. In no other condition which resembles CF do you see such a high salt content. Activities which cause sweating, in combination with an inadequate salt intake, lead to salt depletion, causing exhaustion and dehydration.
