Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited disease of the mucus and sweat glands. It affects mostly your lungs, pancreas, liver, intestines, sinuses, and sex organs. CF causes your mucus to be thick and sticky. The mucus clogs the lungs, causing breathing problems and making it easy for bacteria to grow. This can lead to repeated lung infections and lung damage.
The symptoms and severity of CF can vary. Some people have serious problems from birth. Others have a milder version of the disease that doesn't show up until they are teens or young adults. Sometimes you will have few symptoms, but later you may have more symptoms.
CF is diagnosed through various tests, such as gene, blood, and sweat tests. There is no cure for CF, but treatments have improved greatly in recent years. In the past, most deaths from CF were in children and teenagers. Today, with improved treatments, some people who have CF are living into their forties, fifties, or older. Treatments may include chest physical therapy, nutritional and respiratory therapies, medicines, and exercise.
NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Cystic fibrosis (CF) ni ugonjwa wa urithi wa tezi za mucus na jasho. Hasa huathiri mapafu yako, kongosho, ini, matumbo, sinusi, na viungo vya ngono. CF hufanya mucus yako kuwa nzito na yenye kunata. Mkojo huo huficha mapafu, na kusababisha matatizo ya kupumua na kufanya iwe rahisi kwa bakteria kukua. Hilo laweza kusababisha maambukizo ya mapafu mara kwa mara na uharibifu wa mapafu. Dalili na uzito wa ugonjwa wa CF waweza kutofautiana. Watu fulani wana matatizo makubwa tangu kuzaliwa. Wengine wana ugonjwa wa hali ya chini ambao hauonekani hadi wanapokuwa matineja au vijana. Wakati mwingine utakuwa na dalili chache, lakini baadaye unaweza kuwa na dalili zaidi. Ugonjwa wa CF huchunguzwa kwa kutumia vipimo mbalimbali, kama vile vipimo vya chembe za urithi, damu, na jasho. Hakuna tiba ya ugonjwa huo, lakini matibabu yameboresha sana katika miaka ya hivi karibuni. Zamani, vifo vingi vilitokana na ugonjwa huo vilitokea kwa watoto na matineja. Leo, kwa sababu ya matibabu yaliyoboreshwa, baadhi ya watu walio na ugonjwa wa CF wanaishi hadi umri wa miaka arobaini, hamsini, au zaidi. Matibabu yaweza kutia ndani tiba ya mwili ya kifua, tiba za lishe na za kupumua, dawa, na mazoezi. NIH: Taasisi ya Kitaifa ya Moyo, Mapafu, na Damu