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= __Crystic Fibrosis__ =

Cystic fibrosis happens most often in white people of northern European ancestry, occurring in about 1 out of 3,000 live births Crystic fibrosis is an autosomal disorder that causes your mucus to be thick and sticky intead of slippery and watery. This causes it to build up inside of your lungs and airways. This buildup makes it easier for bacteria to grow. As a result, your lungs get seriously infected. The mucus also blocks tubes in your pancreas. This stops the digestive enzmes from the pancreas from reaching the small intestine. This causes vitamin deficiency and malnutrition. This disorder is caused by a mutation on chromosome 7. This gene makes protiens which control salt and water moving in and out of your body's cells. You can only develop crystic fibrosis if you have two defective genes. This means that both of the parents must have at least one defective chromosome 7. People affected by this disorder still have 46 chromosomes. 1 out of 3000 white people with northern European ancestry have this disorder.

__Symptoms of Crystic Fibrosis__

 * Coughing that brings up thick spit or mucus that's sometimes bloody
 * Infections by unusual germs, like pseudomonas
 * Sinusitis (infection in sinuses)
 * Bronchitis [[image:http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/images/cysticfibrosis01.jpg width="521" height="327" align="right"]]
 * Pneumonia
 * Pneumothorax (collapsed lung)
 * Bronchiectasis (destroys and widens airways)
 * Growths in nose called nasal polyps
 * Diarrhea
 * Intestinal Blockages
 * Pancreatitis (pancreas become inflamed)
 * Liver diseases
 * Diabetes
 * Gallstones

__Life Expectancy__
People with crystic fibrosis usually live up to their mid to late 30's, some treatments allowing them to live into their 40's and higher.

__Other Names__

 * Cystic fibrosis of the pancreas
 * Fibrocystic disease of the pancreas
 * Mucoviscidosis (MU-ko-vis-ih-DO-sis)
 * Mucoviscidosis of the pancreas
 * Pancreas fibrocystic disease
 * Pancreatic cystic fibrosis

__Chest Physical Therapy__
This can be called CPT or chest clapping. You pound your chest and back to loosen the mucus so you can cough it up. This can be done with your hands or a electric chest clapper. It can also be done with an inflatable therapy vest, a mask, or a handheld device. They create vibrations that dislodge the mucus. You can also exercise to loosen the mucus.

__References__
[] [] [] [] Welsh MJ. Cystic fibrosis. In: Goldman L