Imagine drowning, lungs filling with water that swallows the air and suffocates those caught in it. Now, imagine drowning in a hospital bed surrounded by doctors and family members who can only stand by and watch the inevitable. This is the fate of a person with Cystic Fibrosis. Cystic Fibrosis is a disease that forces a person to drown in mucus that fills their lungs while it wreaks havoc on the body. This chronic disease causes devastating health problems, has no cure, and forces patients to endure painful temporary treatments. Taking daily medications, maintaining a social life, and staying moderately healthy are a constant struggle for people with Cystic Fibrosis. Unlike many of the diseases that plague people today Cystic Fibrosis is given to each patient by their parents. Cystic Fibrosis is ailment present at birth and given to patients by a defect in their parents genes (Lewis 1). A patient must gain a copy of the Cystic Fibrosis gene from each parent to be born with Cystic Fibrosis ("Cystic," umm.edu 1). In the United States Cystic Fibrosis is the most fatal and most common inherited disease among Caucasian Americans with millions of Americans unaware they even carry the defective gene ("Cystic," umm.edu 1; "Cystic,” Hereditary 45). Cystic Fibrosis affects one in twenty-nine Americans with over thirty-thousand known carriers among children and adults ("Cystic," umm.edu 1;"About" 1). Even though Cystic Fibrosis is very common many are not aware they are carriers, this can be easily remedied with one simple medical examination. Diagnosing Cystic Fibrosis is extremely simple and easy. A simple test is important since so many are diagnosed, "About [one-thousand] new cases of Cystic Fibrosis are diagnosed each year" ("About... ... middle of paper ... ...ous medications. Cystic Fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that while easy to diagnose comes with many terrible symptoms and social problems that make a life with Cystic Fibrosis a constant struggle. And even though every breath is painful, people with Cystic Fibrosis still fight for every breath they take. Works Cited “About Cystic Fibrosis” Cff.org. Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, n.d. 1-2. Web. 12 December 2013. “Cystic Fibrosis.” Hereditary Diseases. Fern Brown. New York: Franklin Watts, 1987. 44-50. Print. “Cystic Fibrosis.” umm.edu. University of Maryland Medical Center. n.p., 31 May 2013. 1-6. Web. 12 December 2013. Lewis, Rick. “Cystic Fibrosis.” FDA Consumer 27.5 (1993): 22. Academic Search Premier. Web. 18 November 2013. Silverstein, Alvin, Virginia Silverstein, and Robert Silverstein. Cystic Fibrosis. New York: Franklin Watts, 1994. Print.
In spite of the fact that there is no cure for cystic fibrosis, treatment can ease symptoms and decrease complications. Other forms of treatment include, chest physical therapy (CPT) used to loosen mucus up to four times each day. Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is another treatment physician’s recommend. PR is utilized to enhance lung capacity and general prosperity.
Visse, M, Abma, T, Oever, HVD, Prins, Y, Gulmans, Y. 2013. Perceptions of hospital admission in patients with cystic fibrosis. Journal of Hospital Administration 2(3), pp. 54-65.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD is a group of progressive lung diseases that block airflow and make it hard to breathe. Emphysema and chronic bronchitis are the most common types of COPD (Ignatavicius & Workman, 2016, p 557). Primary symptoms include coughing, mucus, chest pain, shortness of breath, and wheezing (Ignatavicius & Workman, 2016, p.557). COPD develops slowly and worsens over time if not treated during early stages. The disease has no cure, but medication and disease management can slow its progress and make one feel better (NIH, 2013)
Along with the problems of chronic illnesses themselves, many other problems may come. Treatments and medications are just the beginning of things when it comes to problems with illnesses. With cystic fibrosis, you start out with a high number of medications and treatments to begin with. The older you get and the worse your condition gets, the more you take. (“Psychological impact,” n.d.) Many struggles come along with taking these medications and treatments. When children are first diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, they are typically very young. From the beginning, there are many medications and treatments that needed to be taken and done. Sometimes, trying to get children to take medications and treatments is like pulling teeth. The medications for cystic fibrosis are extremely important. If cystic fibrosis patients miss medica...
· genetics: occasionally the disease has a tendency to run in certain families (inherited or genetic predisposition), but this is not common.
In the Shadow of Illness, the book describes different experiences of families who have or had children with cystic fibrosis (CF). CF is an inherited disease that is passed on from the mother or father who is a carrier, but doesn’t have the condition. Doctors have figured that in this scenario, the parents are likely to have a child with CF. Individuals with CF have to take Cotazymes to help the pancreas digest food. If the person does not take these enzymes, the food goes straight through them as diarrhea. Also, the person’s lungs are affected by a thick mucus that must be removed or thinned before it clogs. Doctors recommend the patient to perform daily breathing exercises that prevent the mucus from thickening; for example, swimming
Cystic fibrosis is one of the most common lethal mutations in humans. The autosomal recessive allele is carried by 1/20 Caucasians, 1/400 couples will have children with the disease, and ¼ children will be afflicted. If untreated, 95% of affected ch ildren will die before age five (Bell, 1996).
Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a very common, potentially life threatening condition. The disease is caused by inheritance, and affects the exocrine glands of the patient. Cystic fibrosis is found primarily among Caucasians and those of European descent. Those diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis battle daily to perform simple tasks, such as breathing, as the mucus in their bodies thickens immensely. This mucus will potentially accumulate in the patient’s vital organs, such as the lungs, pancreas, and intestines. One can determine if he/she has cystic fibrosis by analyzing certain symptoms. Cystic Fibrosis can be diagnosed according to the symptoms the patient shows, and can be treated through specific types of treatments, such as gene therapy.
A widely accepted Caucasian disease has since changed; as cases of its existence are appearing in the South Asian Population (Orenstein, Rosenstein and Stern, 2000). First discovered in 1989, Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a genetically predetermined condition, its presences is lifelong and highly complex, which is why many CF sufferers and families develop various mechanisms in order to adapt to the condition (Tippingemail, Scholes, Cox, 2010). Cystic Fibrosis causes the body to develop thick, sticky mucus which clogs the lungs and affects other organs in the body, mainly the pancreas. The layer of mucus if untreated develops in to a chronic infection which can be detrimental. The pancreas of a CF patient is most vulnerable, once the mucus has reached this organ, it halts digestive enzymes from reaching the intestines which aid in absorbing food, therefore affecting nearby organs (Davies, Alton, and Bush, 2007). Currently there are 9,000 people diagnosed with CF in England (CF Trust, 2011). It has been estimated that there is 1 in 10,000 South Asian sufferers in the UK alone (Kabra, Kabra, Lodha, Ghosh, Kapil et al, 2003; McCormick, Green, Mehta, 2002). Prior research-based literature that focuses on people with CF and their families covers some of the experience of living with the disease but displays some major gaps; none has specifically targeted South Asian individuals. Cross culturally this is also the case; the limited availability of CF research has influenced scientists to devote more attention in this area. For instance, information in regards to CF in Egypt is very limited; firstly CF has been believed to occur infrequently as there has not been a sufficient amount of known CF cases. Naguib, Schrijver, Gardner, Pique, Doss, Ze...
Cystic Fibrosis is an inherited disease characterized by the buildup of thick, sticky mucous that can cause severe damage to the body’s organs. Mucous is usually a slippery substance that lubricates and protects the linings of the airway, digestive system, reproductive system and other organs and tissue. Problems with digestion can lead to diarrhea, malnutrition, poor growth, and weight-loss. Due to the abnormally thick mucous it can can clog airways, leading to breathing problems and bacterial infections in the lungs. Bacterial infections can lead to coughing, wheezing and inflammation. Overtime these infections can lead to permanent damage in the lungs including the formation of scar tissue, known as fibrosis and cysts in the lungs (Genetics Home Reference, 2013). The symptoms and signs of this disease vary but mostly include progressive damage to the respiratory system and chronic digestive system problems. An individuals’ lungs who are infected by cystic fibrosis have bacteria from an early stage. This bacteria can spread to the small airways, leading to the formation of bacterial micro-environments known as biofilms. Biofilms are difficult for antibodies to penetrate, therefore the bacteria repeatedly damage the lung and gradually remodel the airways, resulting in difficultly to eradicate the infection (Welsh, 1995). Cystic fibrosis patients may even have their airways chronically colonized be filamentous fungi and/or yeasts. Most men with cystic fibrosis have congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens (CBAVD), a condition in which the tubes that carry sperm are blocked by mucous and do not develop properly. As well, women may experience complications in pregnancy. Either the c...
Cystic Fibrosis is an autosomal recessive disease created by mutations in both copies of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene or the CFTR gene. This means a person must inherit the recessive gene from both parents to have cystic fibrosis. The CFTR gene codes for an ion channel protein that conducts chloride ions across the epithelial cell membranes of the passageways of the respiratory, digestive, and reproductive systems. Mutations of the transmembrane conductance regulator gene causes malfunctions of these chloride ion channels resulting in a decrease in fluid transport of affected organs leading to cystic fibrosis. These CFTR gene malfunctions are due to a lack of production, failure to reach its site of action due
Asthma is chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways characterized by recurring episodes of wheeling and breathlessness. It often exists with allergies and can be worsened through exposure to allergens. In fact, asthma is complicated syndromes that have neither single definition nor complete explanation to the point. In light of its treatment, it is worthwhile to notice that asthma cannot be cured, instead can be only managed by avoiding exposure to allergens and/or by using medications regularly.
Cystic Fibrosis is one of the most common genetically inherited diseases affecting white men and women. Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disorder where abnormal amounts of mucus build up in many of the body’s organs especially the lungs and the pancreas. This build up of mucus in the lungs can lead to many persistent infections that can lead to damage and scarring over time. In addition, when this mucus collects in the gastrointestinal tract and around the pancreas it prevents digestive juices from aiding in the digestion process. In addition, this mucus buildup also prevents the production of insulin, a crucial hormone that is made in the pancreas and is necessary to control blood sugar levels (Cystic).
Chronic illness or chronic condition is a long lasting or persistent disease or condition in a person’s health. A chronic illness can affect anyone’s life at any time. A person’s life can be affected greatly in many ways by a chronic illness. A person may be affected physically, their independence may be taken away, they may feel tired and/or in pain due to a chronic illness they may be suffering from. Financial problems may occur due to the high medical costs treating the chronic illness, someone could lose their, job, their appearance may be affected, and a person may experience confusion. If a chronic illness unexpectedly approaches someone’s life, a person may feel overwhelmingly confused. This confusion may come, because they don’t understand why they now have this illness. This confusion is primarily seen in children. Since chronic illness affects lives so greatly, a person may start to feel anger, stress, or anxiety because of the interruption of the chronic illness in a person’s life.
Parker, Steve. "Chronic Pulmonary Diseases." The Human Body Book. New ed. New York: DK Pub., 2007.