Cystic Fibrosis

Keywords

Cystic fibrosis, genetics, disease, alveoli, bronchials, mucus, cilia, airways, organs.

Introduction

Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disease that affects multiple organs. It mainly affects your lungs, and limits your ability to breathe the longer you have it. If you take a look at the lungs, there are two pathways called bronchus, and they branch out into bronchioles. These are smaller airway 'tubes' that allow you to breath. These tubes are covered with a thin layer of mucus. This mucus performs a cleaning exercise to help clean your airways as you breathe in and out. The hairlike cilia move the mucus away from the lung area.

What Does This Have to do with Cystic Fibrosis?

Okay, so that explains what the lungs do, and you should already know that as well. Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disease that doesn't allow the mucus to move away by the cilia. Over time, this thick mucus can eventually block your airways, and create a mucus plug at the end of the bronchioles.

Interesting fact: people with Cystic Fibrosis are encouraged to stay six feet apart from another person with the same condition. This is due to certain types of bacteria that can be passed between them, as they are the only ones that carry these bacteria.

Symptoms Surrounding Cystic Fibrosis

There are symptoms that you can get if you have Cystic Fibrosis, and they include:

Obviously, over time, your respiratory system will become more and more susceptible to infection, and more and more bacteria and germs will infect them. Having said that, there are treatments you can take to help prevent further infections and to control any lung damage you may have.