A diagnosis of cystic fibrosis is made if the sweat is saltier than normal. During a sputum test, the doctor takes a sample of mucus. The sample can confirm the presence of a lung infection. It can also show the types of germs that are present and determine which antibiotics work best to treat them.
A chest X-ray is useful in revealing swelling in the lungs due to blockages in the respiratory passageways. A CT scan creates detailed images of the body by using a combination of X-rays taken from many different directions. These images allows your doctor to view internal structures, such as the liver and pancreas, making it easier to assess the extent of organ damage caused by cystic fibrosis.
Pulmonary function tests PFTs determine whether your lungs are working properly. The tests can help measure how much air can be inhaled or exhaled and how well the lungs transport oxygen to the rest of the body. Any abnormalities in these functions may indicate cystic fibrosis. Most transplant recipients report improved strength and energy, and freedom from symptoms such as coughing and shortness of breath. Chest therapy helps loosen the thick mucus in the lungs, making it easier to cough it up.
A common technique involves placing the head over the edge of a bed and clapping with cupped hands along the sides of the chest. Cystic fibrosis can prevent the intestines from absorbing necessary nutrients from food. You may also need to take pancreatic enzyme capsules with every meal. Your doctor may also recommend antacids , multivitamins , and a diet high in fiber and salt. The outlook for people with cystic fibrosis has improved dramatically in recent years, largely due to advances in treatment.
Today, many people with the disease live into their 40s and 50s, and even longer in some cases. The resulting damage to the lungs can cause severe breathing problems and other complications.
However, genetic testing should be performed for couples who have cystic fibrosis or who have relatives with the disease. When you have cystic fibrosis, you can get pregnant and carry a baby to term. Read on to learn how the condition can affect your pregnancy, testing….
College is a major transition. Having a chronic condition like cystic fibrosis can make college a little more complicated, but certainly not…. If you are a carrier for cystic fibrosis, that means you could pass on the gene to your children.
Learn more about being a carrier. Abnormal Uterine Bleeding. High Blood Pressure. Table of Contents. What is cystic fibrosis? Symptoms of cystic fibrosis. Recurring sinus infections. Persistent coughing with or without phlegm.
Frequent wheezing or shortness of breath. Frequent lung infections pneumonia or bronchitis. Abdominal pain and gassiness. Persistent diarrhea or constipation.
Bulky, foul-smelling greasy stools poop. Poor growth in children even though appetite is good. Infertility in woman because of thick mucus covering the cervix. Infertility in men because they are born without a vas deferens the tube that delivers sperm from the testes to the penis.
What causes cystic fibrosis? How is cystic fibrosis diagnosed? Other tests Once you have been diagnosed with CF, there are other tests your doctor may order.
Other tests include: Chest X-ray. A chest X-ray will show if you have scarring in your lungs or inflammation swelling. Swelling is a common sign of blockages that can be caused by thick mucus.
CT scan. A CT scan is primarily used to determine what kind of organ damage CF may have caused. Genetic tests. Sputum test. During this test, your doctor will take a sample of your sputum mucus that you cough up. This sample can determine whether you have a lung infection. It also will reveal what types of bacteria are causing the infection.
This helps your doctor choose an effective antibiotic. Can cystic fibrosis be prevented or avoided? Cystic fibrosis treatment. Lung treatments There are many ways to treat CF because it varies in severity and symptoms. These include: Antibiotics. Doctors prescribe antibiotics to treat lung infections. Antibiotics can wipe out an active infection and also prevent future infections. Mucus thinners. Doctors prescribe mucus thinners to make it easier for you to cough up mucus and get it out of your lungs.
Doctors prescribe bronchodilators to help open up your airways. These medicines are inhaled to relax the muscles around your airways. They make it easier to breathe by increasing airflow. Doctors prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce inflammation swelling in your airways. This swelling is often caused by ongoing infections. These may be oral medicines in the form of a pill or inhalables. Digestive treatments CF can cause many digestive problems. This typically will include: High-calorie diet that is low-fat and high-protein.
High-calorie shakes that offer extra nutrients. But someone with a mild form may not be diagnosed until they are a teen. Kids with CF will have it all their lives. Doctors use different medicines depending on a child's needs. But all people with CF need to:. Cystic fibrosis is caused by a change mutation in the gene that makes cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator CFTR protein.
To have CF, a baby must get two copies of the CF gene, one from each parent. Without normal CFTR protein, the cells lining the pathways tubes inside some organs make thick, sticky mucus rather than the normal thin, watery kind. Thick mucus can trap bacteria in the lungs, leading to infection, inflammation , and breathing problems. Mucus also can block the path where digestive enzymes flow between the pancreas and the intestines.
This makes it hard for a child to digest food and get the vitamins and nutrients they need from it. Reviewed by: Larissa Hirsch, MD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. What Is Cystic Fibrosis? Symptoms of cystic fibrosis include: lung infections or pneumonia wheezing coughing with thick mucus bulky, greasy bowel movements constipation or diarrhea trouble gaining weight or poor height growth very salty sweat Some kids also might have nasal polyps small growths of tissue inside the nose , frequent sinus infections , and tiredness.
How Is Cystic Fibrosis Diagnosed? How Is Cystic Fibrosis Treated? But all people with CF need to: Loosen and clear mucus. There are different ways to do this. The doctor might recommend a child: get regular exercise use an inhaler or nebulizer do breathing exercises and cough on purpose wear a therapy vest that shakes the chest have chest physical therapy when a parent or trained person bangs gently on the chest or back Prevent or fight lung infections.
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