Cystic Fibrosis: What It Does and How It Is Treated

What it is

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited disease of the mucus and sweat glands. It mostly affects the:

• lungs
• pancreas
• liver
• intestines
• sinuses
• sex organs

What goes wrong

CF makes mucus thick and sticky. It clogs the lungs, causing breathing problems and letting bacteria grow easily — which leads to repeated lung infections and lung damage.

Symptoms

They vary in kind and severity:

• some people have serious problems from birth;
• others have a milder form that doesn't show up until their teens or young adulthood;
• symptoms can be few at first and increase later.

Diagnosis

Tests include gene, blood and sweat tests.

Treatment

There's no cure, but treatment has improved greatly. In the past, most people with CF died as children or teenagers; today some live into their forties, fifties or older. Treatments may include:

• chest physical therapy
• nutritional and respiratory therapies
• medicines
• exercise

Sources

Based on the MedlinePlus health topic "Cystic Fibrosis," National Library of Medicine, with content from the NIH's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; a work of the United States government in the public domain.