Transcript Cystic Fibrosis - 10Science2-2010

Cystic Fibrosis
Bronte Short
What Cause Cystic Fibrosis?
Cystic fibrosis, is an autosomal recessive hereditary
disease that mostly affects the lungs, pancreas, liver,
intestines, sinuses, and sex organs.
A defect in the CFTR (Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane
Regulator) gene causes cystic fibrosis.
Scientific Name.
Is it infectious?
Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is also known as
mucoviscidosis.
Cystic Fibrosis is not infectious it can only be passed
genetically. Every person inherits two CFTR genes,
one from each parent. Children who inherit a faulty
CFTR gene from each parent will have Cystic
Fibrosis.
Symptoms
The symptoms of Cystic Fibrosis vary from person to
person and over time. Sometimes people will have few
symptoms. Other times, symptoms may become more
severe.
CF symptoms include:
• Persistent cough, particularly with physical effort
• Some difficulty in breathing or wheezing with physical
effort
• Tiredness, lethargy or an impaired exercise ability.
• Frequent visits to the toilet.
• Salt loss in hot weather which may produce weakness.
• Poor appetite
One of the first signs of cystic fibrosis that parents may
notice is that their baby's skin tastes salty when kissed
or the baby doesn't pass stool when first born. Most of
the other signs and symptoms of CF develop later.
They are related to how CF affects the respiratory,
digestive, or reproductive systems of the body.
People who have Cystic Fibrosis have thick, sticky
mucus that builds up in their airways. This buildup of
mucus makes it easier for bacteria to grow and cause
infections. Infections can block the airways and cause
frequent coughing that brings up thick spit or mucus
that's sometimes bloody.
Treatment for cystic Fibrosis.
Cystic fibrosis has no cure. But treatments have greatly
improved in recent years. The goals of Cystic Fibrosis
treatment are to:
• Prevent and control lung infections
• Loosen and remove thick, sticky mucus from the lungs
• Prevent or treat blockages in the intestines
• Provide enough nutrition
• Prevent dehydration
Depending on how severe the disease is, patients may
be treated in a hospital.
As treatments for CF continue to improve, so does life
expectancy for those who have the disease. Today,
some people who have CF are living into their forties,
fifties, or older.
Early treatment for CF can improve both your quality of
life and lifespan. Such early treatment includes
nutritional and respiratory therapies, medicines,
exercise, and other treatments.
Immunisation.
Is It Life Threatening?
There is no immunisation to prevent cystic Fibrosis. It is a
genetic disease.
You cannot recover from Cystic Fibrosis, there is no cure.
CF is life threatening, the average age for people to live to
is 35 though some people do live till their 40’s and 50’s
or older.
The faulty gene has been identified and doctors and
scientists are working to find ways of repairing or
replacing it.
With today’s improved treatment most people with CF are
able to lead reasonably normal and productive lives. A
great amount of time is being directed towards finding
new and improved ways of treating CF and finally finding
a cure.
Is CF a common disease?
CF is the most common life threatening, recessive genetic
disease affecting Australian children and young adults
today.
There are approximately 3,000 people living with CF in
Australia.
There are a million genetic carriers of CF in Australia.
About 30,000 people in the United States have CF. It is one
of the most common inherited diseases among
Caucasians.
About 1,000 new cases of CF are diagnosed each year.
Extra Facts
• 80% of patients are diagnosed by the age of three.
• Over 90% of the affected infants now survive beyond
one year.
• People with CF may need to have up to 2 hours
intensive chest physiotherapy (to help break up the
mucus in their lungs) and up to 40 enzyme tablets (to
help their digestion) every day just to survive.
• In Australia all babies are screened for CF
Bibliography
• www.nhlbi.hin.gov
• www.cysticfibrosis.org.au
• www.healthinsite.gov.au