What is cystic fibrosis?

Cystic Fibrosis - the most common hereditary disease that affects all the organs that secrete secrets (mucus). These are the bronchopulmonary system, pancreas, liver, sweat glands, salivary glands, the glands of the intestine, gonads. Due to the defect (mutation) of the gene in all organs the secrets of highly viscous, dense, and therefore their separation is difficult. Because of viscous purulent secretions often (sputum) in the lungs, fairly quickly (sometimes in the first months of life) develop inflammation - repeated bronchitis and / or pneumonia with the gradual formation of chronic bronchopulmonary process. Children have a constant irritant cough, shortness of breath. Due to lack of pancreatic enzymes patients suffered from cystic fibrosis poorly digest food, so these children, despite increased appetite, weight behind, they have abundant, thick, foul-smelling stools, stubborn, or from the cradle to the pot, it is falling out of the rectum. Because of the stagnation of bile in some children develops cirrhosis, stones can form in the gallbladder. Mothers find baby skin salty that is associated with increased loss of sodium and chloride through sweat.

There are children with a primary lesion or the lungs (pulmonary form), or gastro-intestinal tract (intestinal form), but often it is mixed (pulmonary-intestinal) form of cystic fibrosis.