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Are you wondering about Cystic Fibrosis? Cystic Fibrosis is a terminal illness that is with you from birth, and leads to the deterioration of the body over time.
The best thing to do if you or someone you love is suffering from Cystic Fibrosis is to become well educated about the effects of the illness and what treatments, including medications and dietary changes can help improve quality of life. So why do people get Cystic Fibrosis, and how can you live with it?
Since it's an illness people are born with, there's no way of preventing Cystic Fibrosis. The condition generally runs in families, and there is no cure. What happens when you have this illness is that there is a mutation of a gene which is responsible for creating and regulating sweat, mucus and digestive juices. The mutation causes breathing and respiratory problems, lung infections, stunted growth, diarrhoea and infertility. The lifespan of people with this illness tends to be around 40 years. Lung failure is the most common cause of death.
Most treatments for the illness centre around managing the symptoms. Chronic lung infections, for example, are treated with antibiotics. Sufferers can choose to take their antibiotics orally, intravenously or through the use of inhalers. Medical teams provide the manual removal of mucus build up, and for some sufferers, aerobic exercise, and dietary changes help a lot. One of the side effects of the illness is that it becomes hard for the body to absorb and process nutrients. This means it's a good idea to increase nutrient and calorie intake. In the most dangerous and extreme cases, sufferers may be recommended to get a lung transplant. If you are a sufferer, ask your doctor about treatments and dietary plans that will help the illness.
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