Cystic fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis is a common inherited disease. It affects over 8,500 children and young adults in the UK, where five babies are born with the condition every week.

Cystic fibrosis affects the internal organs, especially the lungs and digestive system. It causes them to become clogged with thick, sticky mucus. It is caused by a faulty gene that controls the movement of salt and water in and out of cells in the body. When cystic fibrosis occurs, too much salt and not enough water pass into the cells and turn the body's secretions, which normally act as a lubricant, into a thick mucus. This mucus clogs up many of the body's tubes, ducts and passageways so they cannot work properly. In the lungs, this leads to frequent and severe infections.

The faulty gene that causes cystic fibrosis is recessive. This means that you need two faulty genes (one from each parent) to inherit the disease. Around 1 in 25 people in the UK are carriers of the cystic fibrosis gene. Carriers do not have the disease but their children may inherit it (see Causes of cystic fibrosis for more information).

Cystic fibrosis causes recurrent chest infections, poor growth and related health problems, such as diabetes and infertility.

Outlook

There is no cure for cystic fibrosis, but many treatments and therapies can make cystic fibrosis easier to live with.

It is difficult to predict life expectancy for people with cystic fibrosis as the condition affects everyone differently. According to statistics, around half of all people with cystic fibrosis can expect to live beyond the age of 38.

Glossary

Genetic disorder

A genetic disorder is a disorder caused by a fault in the genes. It is usually hereditary (runs in the family).

Carrier

A carrier is a person or animal that spreads an organism that causes disease but does not become ill themselves