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Cystic Fibrosis Symptoms

What are the symptoms of Cystic Fibrosis?

• Thick, viscous mucus secretions in the lungs

• Repeated infections: The accumulation of sticky, thick mucus in the lungs creates a favorable environment for infectious microorganisms to inhabit and flourish.

• Stools, pale or clay colored, foul smelling, or stools that float

• Recurrent pneumonia

• Chronic cough, possibly with blood streaking

• Wheezing

• Bronchitis

• Chronic sinusitis

• Asthma

• Nasal polyps (fleshy growths inside the nose)

• Weight loss, failure to thrive in infants, abdominal swelling

• Excessive salt in sweat, dehydration

• Failure of newborn to pass stool

• Abdominal pain, flatulence

• Fatigue

• Enlarged fingertips (clubbing)

• Changes in color and amount of sputum (material coughed
  up from the lungs)

People with Cystic fibrosis lose excessive amounts of salt when they sweat. This can upset the balance of minerals in the blood, which may cause abnormal heart rhythms. Going into shock is also a risk.

Mucus in Cystic fibrosis patients is very thick and accumulates in the intestines and lungs. The result is malnutrition, poor growth, frequent respiratory infections, breathing difficulties, and eventually permanent lung damage. Lung disease is the usual cause of death in most patients.
(Loss of lung function is a major medical problem in most patients with CF. The average person with CF experiences a gradual worsening of lung function each year due to infection and inflammation. In people with CF, loss of lung function primarily is caused by blockage of air passages with infected mucus. The thick mucus plugs the air passages of the lungs and must be broken up and removed. The repeated lung infections also can cause permanent scarring of the lungs. Many adults with CF also develop symptoms of chronic sinus infections.)

Cystic fibrosis can cause various other medical problems. These symptoms may include sinusitis (inflammation of the nasal sinuses, which are cavities in the skull behind, above, and on both sides of the nose), nasal polyps (fleshy growths inside the nose), clubbing (rounding and enlargement of fingers and toes), pneumothorax (rupture of lung tissue and trapping of air between the lung and the chest wall), hemoptysis (coughing of blood), cor pulmonale (enlargement of the right side of the heart), abdominal pain and discomfort, gassiness (too much gas in the intestine), and rectal prolapse (protrusion of the rectum through the anus). Liver disease*, diabetes*, inflammation of the pancreas* and gallstones also occur in some people with Cystic fibrosis.

(*The pancreas secretes enzymes into the intestines to aid in the digestion of foods and liquids. However, patients with CF who suffer from pancreatic insufficiency do not secrete enough enzymes to derive proper nutritional benefit from their food. Also, the intestines are lined with thick, sticky mucus, that prevents any secreted enzymes from reaching the food to be digested. Due to the inability to properly digest food, a person with CF produces large, greasy stools, which are lighter in color than normal and have a very foul odor. Patients also may suffer from abdominal cramping. To treat this problem, patients are given supplemental pancreatic enzymes that help them digest their food.

The pancreas also secretes insulin to process sugars. Some people with CF develop a specific type of diabetes called Cystic Fibrosis-Related Diabetes. CF also can result in damage to the liver. In some patients with CF, the bile ducts, which transport bile from the liver to the intestines, become blocked. This condition can result in irreversible liver damage.)

 How is Cystic fibrosis diagnosed?
 Causes of cystic fibrosis

Resources  - Printable Brochures 

Cystic Fibrosis Newly Diagnosed PDF format
Cystic Fibrosis - Teachers PDF format
Cystic Fibrosis - Questions & Answers PDF format