Serious Symptoms Of Cystic Fibrosis

Wheezing

A cystic fibrosis patient will experience frequent episodes of wheezing as a symptom manifestation of their disease. Wheezing is best described as a high-pitched, potentially rough sounding, whistling noise that occurs when breathing. Wheezing occurs when the inhaled air moves through narrowed or partially obstructed airways, similar to the way a flute or whistle produces their sound. Cystic fibrosis is a progressive disease where a gene mutation impairs the healthy production of a protein responsible for the regulation of salt movement into and out of cells. This process removes the moisture from the mucus produced in the respiratory, digestive, and reproductive systems. The mucus in someone who has cystic fibrosis is often referred to as sticky and thick, as it has a greater viscosity than normal mucus and is difficult to clear from the lungs and digestive tract. This thick mucus builds up in the airways that branch from the trachea, all the way into each lung to the alveoli or small air sacs that function to facilitate gas exchange. The mucus in these airways decreases the amount of space that air has to pass through, producing a wheezing sound. Wheezing occurs most often in infants under a year old who have cystic fibrosis when the abnormal mucus initially begins to accumulate.

Continue reading for more details on how to spot cystic fibrosis now.