Cystic fibrosis affects over 30,000 children and adults in the United States. Many people are carriers and may not know it. The disease affects the mucus producing glands of the body. Cystic fibrosis also affects the respiratory, digestive, and reproductive organs as well as the sweat glands in the body. The normal, thin, liquid lining the passageways to the digestive and respiratory areas of the body becomes blocked when that normal lining turns thick and begins to block the passageways to these parts of the body.
Cystic fibrosis is the most common hereditary disease in Caucasians in the United States. Nearly ten million Caucasians in America are carriers of the mutant gene that causes the disease and are unaware of that fact. Caucasians have a higher risk of getting cystic fibrosis although the disease has been detected in all ethnic groups. Breaking the statistics down so we can understand them is this; one in 31 Americans are carriers of the disease and have no symptoms to identify them as carrying the defective gene.
It is devastating to a parent when their child is diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. They may feel guilt because this disease is an inherited medical condition. A parent may not know they are a CF gene carrier. If both parents are carriers there is a 25 percent chance one of their children will be born with cystic fibrosis. There is a 50 percent chance one or more of their children will be carriers, and a 25 percent chance the child will not be diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.
Note: People should consult a doctor before taking any medical advice.
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