Cystic Fibrosis is a hereditary disease that is passed from the parents to their children via the genes though it is not necessarily a must that the parents must be suffering from the disease for their kids to inherit it.
It is a disease that affects the breathing process in the respiratory mechanism and the breakdown and absorption of food in the digestive system of a human being (Ratjen, 2008). This occurs when the glands produce excessive mucus within the human body.
This mucus accumulates in the lungs and other passages responsible for the transport of air, thus limiting the amount of air inhaled. In some other cases, mucus may be deposited in the pancreas and this reduces the rate at which food is broken down and absorbed into the bloodstream. This mucus is generally bluish in color and very thick.
Mucus plays an important role in the human body because it covers specific body organs which are prone to infections especially when exposed. Such organs include the lungs and pancreas which are vital organs in the human body.
For instance, this mucus is found lining the nose tract which traps dust, smoke particles and the excess moisture in the air as it passes into the lungs. However, so much build-up of mucus causes Cystic fibrosis which is a life- long threatening disease to the human life.
Pancreas is responsible for the production of digestive enzymes. When this mucus accumulates more than it is useful, it blocks tubes in the pancreas which transport these enzymes down to the small intestines where digestion takes place.
As a result, food passes down undigested, a condition which leads to constipation and thus a swollen belly (Hyde and Gill, 2008). A lot of nutrients are taken out as waste and therefore the body does not benefit from the food.
Due to the reduction in the amount of food absorbed in the body, malnutrition and weight loss occurs and as a result, it becomes easy for other diseases to develop in the body of person who is undergoing through these problems.
If the parents of the affected kids were well-informed on how to provide a balanced diet for these kids, their bodies would develop immunity which would ease the effect of this disease and also get out of the danger of contracting other diseases.
Good health of the body of a person plays a major role in fighting diseases. An infant with ill-health experiences retarded growth both mentally and physically, but a healthy one develops fast and therefore no late maturity.
Cystic fibrosis also affects the reproductive system in men where this mucus clogs the sperm tubes and thus, the sperms stop flowing from the testes. This condition makes men infertile and at times, this blockage leads to death of the affected. To women, the condition alters ovulation cycles mostly the alteration of the ovulation cycle is very common to the underweight women. This condition results to infertility of the woman.
Cystic fibrosis has in the past claimed many lives mainly in the poor families who lack money to pay for its treatment. It is a disease that goes on getting complex as the infant ages and therefore, there is a need for early treatment.
Pregnant women should seek an assistance in maternity during labor. After birth, the weight of the child should be checked among other things where in case any abnormality is found, tests should be made and the necessary treatment done (Verkerk, Jeukens, Kok and Nollet, 2009).
If the treatment is delayed, lung and intestinal infections result where surgery and at other times organ transplant is the only way to save the victim. Before a person is claimed to be suffering from this disease, symptoms must be looked at after which tests and diagnosis are done. In the past, cystic fibrosis was not clearly understood and therefore, even the treatment was a challenge.
With the current advancement in knowledge and technology in the previous years, it has been known that although cystic fibrosis has no cure, it can be managed. To manage this disease, people are encouraged to ensure that they take a good nutrition daily and be physically active.
Physical exercises are encouraged as they improve the energy formation and muscle buildup. Exercises such as walking, running and swimming make a person to cough and therefore, for the case of a cystic fibrosis’ victims, he/she will cough and thus remove sputum from the gastric tract making it easy to breathe.
Doing such exercises enables all the body organs remain functional thereby reducing the rate at which these organs decline on their function and therefore, an individual who is suffering from cystic fibrosis has higher chances to live a more healthy and longer life. If such methods of fighting this disease were known earlier, many lives that were lost would probably have been saved.
As a way to help the affected people, there is a need to offer education to the public about cystic fibrosis. It is clear to many people that most diseases are transmitted from one individual to another through different ways, one of which is through contact.
People may fear interacting with such victims but there is a need to understand that cystic fibrosis is a hereditary disease. It can only be passed through genes from the parent to the child and for this to happen both parents must contribute a gene that is faulty.
Through such education, the cystic fibrosis’ victims will benefit through appreciation and acceptance in their families and the society at large. In this way, children will get an equal opportunity to learn as the others and to those who survive to adulthood; they will achieve their goals and will live a stress-free life.
These people with cystic fibrosis can cope up with the situation by talking openly to their loved ones and parents about how they feel and especially for the case of teenagers. In this way, victims will feel relieved and enjoy socializing with others.
Further, the parents of such children with the disorder need to take them to others with the same disorder to meet and talk since this will ease the feeling of emptiness and loneliness. For a child to develop effectively both physically and mentally regardless of his/her deformity, he/she requires understanding and assistance. Traditionally, children were treated harshly and at times were given duties that were hard for them to tackle (Richard, 2008).
This kind of life stresses a kid and alters his/her development. If ways of supporting these victims were known during the past years and put into practice, they would have an easy time and probably live a longer life, despite their condition. This is a clear indication that possessing of prior knowledge about the disease can help to improve the ability of the patient to cope (Hyde, Stephen, Gill and Deborah, 2008).
Symptoms of cystic fibrosis differ from one kid to another and also depend on the state of the disease; some may be clearly evident while others may be not. For instance, so much salty sweat may be an indication of this disease.
This salty sweat makes the kid lose a lot of water and this causes mineral imbalances in the body and may lead to health problems such as dehydration among others. Other signs of cystic fibrosis include wheezing and persistent coughs.
This shows that the gastric tract is blocked by mucus. Advanced researches on the possible cure for the disease have come up with such medications as antibiotics and steroids which help to loosen mucus produced (Bourdelais, Abraham and Baden, 2009). This helps reduce the effect of sticky mucus mostly in the lungs which causes breathing difficulties.
There is a great importance for the mothers and fathers to look back on their relatives to see whether there were some people who suffered from cystic fibrosis because they may be carrying these faulty genes. If both the wife and the husband have relatives who once suffered from this disease, there are high chances that they will bring up an infant with cystic fibrosis and therefore, they should take their kids for a medical checkup at an early age to avoid complications later on (Huang, Gottschalk, Pian and Dillon, 2007).
This will play a major part in reducing the number of infants who are aging into young adults with the disease having not been identified.
There is an extensive need to provide more education regarding cystic fibrosis to the public. Health extension officers have the duty to offer this education and matters regarding nutrition. Turning on to the parents, they should ensure that they seek for medical care in times of labor and also make sure that their infants are given all the vaccines in order to fight diseases.
Doctors should undertake all tests possible that would help to tell a kid suffering from cystic fibrosis in order to start proper medication to the kid to ensure proper growth. Co-curricular activities need to be emphasized in all institutions. The heart and lungs, which are the most organs subjected to the infection, are exercised and research has found that these exercises improve and prolong the working efficiency and lifetime of the organs.
In conclusion, it is worth noting that a possession of knowledge about the disease is of great relevance to the patient. Such patients can have better abilities in order to ensure that all precautionary measures are taken. Patients with adequate knowledge about their condition can use it in case of a crisis such that the effects of the disease are mitigated.
It is worth noting that understanding of this disease by the patients also helps them have better cognitive predisposition of their ability to cope. Knowledge leads to less resentments and any other form of misinformation that may characterize the behavior of the patients. Thus, a person with the required knowledge on the disease and its effects may manage it more effectively than a person who lacks the knowledge of the disease and its effects.
References
Bourdelais, A. J., Abraham, W. M., and Baden, D. G. (2009). Polyether Brevetoxin Derivatives as a Treatment for Cystic Fibrosis, Mucociliary Dysfunction, and Pulmonary Diseases. Freepatentsonline. Retrieved from www.freepatentsonline.com
Huang, S. J., Gottschalk M., Pian M., and Dillon, L. (2007). Transition to Adult Care: Systematic Assessment of Adolescents with Chronic Illnesses and their Medical Teams. Journal of Pediatrics 151 (1), 994-998.
Hyde, C. S., and Gill, R. D. (2008). Ignoring the nonsense: a phase II trial in cystic fibrosis. The Lancet 372(9640), 691-692.
Ratjen, F. (2008). Paediatric Respiratory Reviews. Human Gene Therapy 9 (2), 144- 148.
Richard, K. J. (2008). Crisis intervention strategies. Belmont, CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole.
Verkerk, G., Jeukens, M., Kok, J., and Nollet., F. (2009). Infant Behavioral Assessment and Intervention Program in Very Low Birth Weight Infants Improves Independency in Mobility at Preschool Age. Journal of Pediatrics 154(1), 933- 938.