Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder, which means you get it from your parents at birth. It affects your lungs, pancreas, and other organs. CF changes the way chloride (salt) moves through the cells of your body. This causes the mucus (which should be thin and slippery) in various organs to become thick and sticky. Over time, this thick mucus builds up inside your airways, making it hard to breathe. The mucus traps germs and leads to infections and inflammation. It can also cause severe, long-term damage to the lungs and lead to respiratory failure (inability to breathe normally) and death. In the pancreas, the thick mucus caused by CF prevents the release of digestive enzymes when you eat. This leads to malnutrition and poor growth. CF can also cause liver disease, reproductive problems, and cystic fibrosis-related diabetes (CFRD). More than 40,000 people in the U.S. live with CF. Doctors diagnose about 1,000 new cases each year. Today, more than half of the CF population is aged 18 or older, and new treatments have expanded the life expectancy by decades.

Learn more from pulmonologist Sarah Chalmers, M.D. Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a condition passed down in families that causes damage to the lungs, digestive system and other organs in the body. CF affects the cells that make mucus, sweat and digestive juices. These fluids, also called secretions, are usually thin and slippery to protect the body's internal tubes and ducts and make them smooth pathways. But in people with CF, a changed gene causes the secretions to become sticky and thick. The secretions plug up pathways, especially in the lungs and pancreas. CF gets worse over time and needs daily care, but people with CF usually can attend school and work. They often have a better quality of life than people with CF had in past decades. Better screening and treatments mean that people with CF now may live into their mid- to late 50s or longer, and some are being diagnosed later in life.

After getting detailed information about the symptoms and your family's medical history, your healthcare professional may order tests to help with diagnosis and plan treatment. Your healthcare professional also may ask questions, such as: What symptoms are you or your child having? When did the symptoms start? Does anything make the symptoms better or worse? Has anyone in your family ever had cystic fibrosis? Has growth been average and weight been stable? Cystic fibrosis. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/cystic-fibrosis. Accessed Aug. 8, 2024. Bronchiectasis. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/bronchiectasis. Accessed Aug. 8, 2024. FAQs: Cystic fibrosis: Prenatal screening and diagnosis. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/cystic-fibrosis-prenatal-screening-and-diagnosis. Accessed Aug. 8, 2024. Ferri FF. Cystic fibrosis. In: Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2025. Elsevier; 2025. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Aug. 8, 2024. Kliegman RM, et al., eds. Cystic fibrosis. In: Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 22nd ed. Elsevier; 2025. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Aug. 8, 2024. Kellerman RD, et al. Cystic fibrosis. In: Conn's Current Therapy 2024. Elsevier; 2024. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Aug. 8, 2024. Lockwood CJ, et al., eds. Respiratory diseases in pregnancy. In: Creasy and Resnik's Maternal-Fetal Medicine: Principles and Practice. 9th ed. Elsevier; 2023. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Aug. 8, 2024. Ong T, et al. Cystic fibrosis: A review. JAMA. 2023; doi:10.1001/jama.2023.8120. Rubin R. Tackling the misconception that cystic fibrosis is a "white people's disease." JAMA. 2021; doi:10.1001/jama.2021.5086. Care centers. Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. https://www.cff.org/managing-cf/care-centers. Accessed Aug. 8, 2024. Trikafta (prescribing information). Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc.; 2023. https://www.trikafta.com/. Accessed Aug. 8, 2024. Symdeko (prescribing information). Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc.; 2023. https://www.symdeko.com/. Accessed Aug. 8, 2024. Orkambi (prescribing information). Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc.; 2023. https://www.orkambi.com/. Accessed Aug. 8, 2024. Kalydeco (prescribing information). Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc.; 2023. https://www.kalydeco.com/. Accessed Aug. 8, 2024. Pilewski JM. Update on lung transplantation for cystic fibrosis. Clinics in Chest Medicine. 2022; doi:10.1016/j.ccm.2022.07.002. Fridell JA, et al. Pancreas transplantation for cystic fibrosis: A frequently missed opportunity. Clinical Transplantation. 2021; doi:10.1111/ctr.14371. Wadsworth LE, et al. Non-invasive ventilation is associated with long-term improvements in lung function and gas exchange in cystic fibrosis adults with hypercapnic respiratory failure. Journal of Cystic Fibrosis. 2021; doi:10.1016/j.jcf.2021.05.011. Allscripts EPSi. Mayo Clinic. Medical review (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic. Oct. 18, 2024.

A sweat test measures the amount of chloride in your sweat . Chloride is a type of electrolyte . Electrolytes are electrically charged minerals  that help control the amount of fluids and the balance of acids and bases (pH balance) in your body. Chloride and sodium form the salt found in your sweat.

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