What is cystic fibrosis?
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease that causes a buildup of mucus in the body. The gene affected by CF controls your body’s production of mucus, digestive fluids and sweat. The CF mutation makes all of these body fluids much thicker than usual, which disrupts a lot of normal bodily processes.
In the lungs, the thickened mucus can trap germs, leading to frequent infections. In the pancreas, mucus blocks digestive enzymes from being released, which keeps the body from absorbing nutrients from food. Not being able to absorb nutrients can lead to vitamin deficiencies and other health problems. This thick mucus can also slow down the digestive system, causing constipation and intestinal blockage.
Symptoms of cystic fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis is usually diagnosed in children, even in infants, but it can sometimes go undetected until the teenage years or even adulthood. Often, the first sign of cystic fibrosis is that babies or young children who have healthy appetites are still small and underweight for their age.
Common symptoms of cystic fibrosis include:
- Frequent lung infections, which can include bronchitis and pneumonia
- Persistent coughing, which may or may not include phlegm
- Nasal congestion and sinus problems
- Problems with bowel movements
- Greasy or oily-looking bowel movements
- Being underweight or having stunted growth, even with a good appetite
- Salty-tasting skin
As people with cystic fibrosis get older, the disease can also cause problems with fertility.