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Cystic fibrosis pathogensis
Cystic fibrosis pathogensis
Cystic fibrosis pathogensis
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Like the world around us the medical field is always changing. It is always pushing forward, trying to understand mysteries of the human body that have boggled researchers for decades. What confuses scientists more, are the organisms or conditions that create these abnormalities that can send the human body into a downward spiral. Disease is something that has affected human civilization since the dawn of time. It can either be chronic or acute, but in either case it has the potential to bring havoc to the human body systems that can lead to devastating consequences. Generally there are two main types of diseases, ones caused by invading pathogens and those which are hereditary. One hereditary disease that can be particularly tragic is cystic fibrosis. Cystic fibrosis is a particularly fatal disease, it affects primarily young children and adolescents but a diagnosis later in life is not unheard of. “It is an inherited disease of the secretary glands” ("What is cystic," 2011) that can affect many of the body's organs, most characteristically the lungs. One of the reasons CF (the short form for cystic fibrosis) is so life-threatening is because of the amount of organs it can affect inside the body. It can affect organs such as the “pancreas, liver, intestines, sinuses and sex organs” ("www.medincinet.com," 1996). Mucus lines many body tissues, it naturally is a “thin and slippery” (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2010) secretion but in a client with cystic fibrosis these secretions “become thick and sticky. [Reference Figure 1.] Instead of acting as a lubricant the secretions plug up tubes, ducts and passageways especially in the pancreas” (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2010). These blockages in the pancreas mean that “digestive enzymes that your pancre... ... middle of paper ... ...annel_condition_info_details.asp?Cff.org. (2010, April 12). Retrieved from http://www.cff.org/treatments/Therapies/ channel_id=2048&relation_id=36867&disease_id=41&page_no=2 www.medincinet.com. (1996). Retrieved from http://www.medicinenet.com/cystic_fibrosis/article.htm www.medincinet.com. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.medicinenet.com/the_digestive_system/glossary.htm Schriber, A. (2009, October 14). Medlineplus. Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003853.htm Sheridan, C. (2011, 06 07). First cystic fibrosis drug advances towards approval. Retrieved from http://www.nature.com/nbt/journal/v29/n6/full/nbt0611-465.html What is cystic fibrosis. (2011, June 01). Retrieved from http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/cf/ www.medincinet.com. (1996). Retrieved from http://www.medicinenet.com/cystic_fibrosis/article.htm
Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Pathophysiology: Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease of the secretory glands that affects the respiratory and digestive system. It mainly affects the lungs, pancreas, liver, intestines, sinuses, and reproductive organs. Cystic fibrosis affects the cells that produce sweat, mucus, and digestive fluids. Mucus becomes thick and sticky, causing build-up in the lungs and blocking airways, making it easier for bacteria to develop. This prompts repeated lung infections and can cause severe lung damage after some time.
CF is a chronic condition therefore the patients are either seeking medical attention or receiving (sometime involuntarily) a great deal of medical scrutiny and intervention during their lifetime.
Being diagnosed with a chronic illness is a life-altering event. During this time, life is not only difficult for the patient, but also for their loved ones. Families must learn to cope together and to work out the best options for the patient and the rest of the family. Although it may not be fair at times, things may need to be centered on or around the patient no matter what the circumstance. (Abbott, 2003) Sacrifices may have to be made during difficult times. Many factors are involved when dealing with chronic illnesses. Coping with chronic illnesses alter many different emotions for the patients and the loved ones. Many changes occur that are very different and difficult to get used to. (Abbott, 2003) It is not easy for someone to sympathize with you when they haven’t been in the situation themselves. No matter how many books they read or people they talk to, they cannot come close to understanding.
In the Shadow of Illness, the book describes different experiences of families who have or had children with cystic fibrosis (CF). CF is an inherited disease that is passed on from the mother or father who is a carrier, but doesn’t have the condition. Doctors have figured that in this scenario, the parents are likely to have a child with CF. Individuals with CF have to take Cotazymes to help the pancreas digest food. If the person does not take these enzymes, the food goes straight through them as diarrhea. Also, the person’s lungs are affected by a thick mucus that must be removed or thinned before it clogs. Doctors recommend the patient to perform daily breathing exercises that prevent the mucus from thickening; for example, swimming
Cystic fibrosis is one of the most common lethal mutations in humans. The autosomal recessive allele is carried by 1/20 Caucasians, 1/400 couples will have children with the disease, and ¼ children will be afflicted. If untreated, 95% of affected ch ildren will die before age five (Bell, 1996).
Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a very common, potentially life threatening condition. The disease is caused by inheritance, and affects the exocrine glands of the patient. Cystic fibrosis is found primarily among Caucasians and those of European descent. Those diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis battle daily to perform simple tasks, such as breathing, as the mucus in their bodies thickens immensely. This mucus will potentially accumulate in the patient’s vital organs, such as the lungs, pancreas, and intestines. One can determine if he/she has cystic fibrosis by analyzing certain symptoms. Cystic Fibrosis can be diagnosed according to the symptoms the patient shows, and can be treated through specific types of treatments, such as gene therapy.
Cystic Fibrosis is an inherited disease characterized by the buildup of thick, sticky mucous that can cause severe damage to the body’s organs. Mucous is usually a slippery substance that lubricates and protects the linings of the airway, digestive system, reproductive system and other organs and tissue. Problems with digestion can lead to diarrhea, malnutrition, poor growth, and weight-loss. Due to the abnormally thick mucous it can can clog airways, leading to breathing problems and bacterial infections in the lungs. Bacterial infections can lead to coughing, wheezing and inflammation. Overtime these infections can lead to permanent damage in the lungs including the formation of scar tissue, known as fibrosis and cysts in the lungs (Genetics Home Reference, 2013). The symptoms and signs of this disease vary but mostly include progressive damage to the respiratory system and chronic digestive system problems. An individuals’ lungs who are infected by cystic fibrosis have bacteria from an early stage. This bacteria can spread to the small airways, leading to the formation of bacterial micro-environments known as biofilms. Biofilms are difficult for antibodies to penetrate, therefore the bacteria repeatedly damage the lung and gradually remodel the airways, resulting in difficultly to eradicate the infection (Welsh, 1995). Cystic fibrosis patients may even have their airways chronically colonized be filamentous fungi and/or yeasts. Most men with cystic fibrosis have congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens (CBAVD), a condition in which the tubes that carry sperm are blocked by mucous and do not develop properly. As well, women may experience complications in pregnancy. Either the c...
Human body is such an enigma. It is very fragile and there is not even a single person who did not fell sick in his lifetime. Some people suffer from minor flus and some have to undergo life-threatening surgeries. There are some who will have to take medicines all throughout their life and some face horrible treatments. But the most saddening thing is suffering from a disease that is so rare that only handful people know about it. It is such a bad luck that you are one in a million who is suffering from a weird disease.
U.S. National Library of Medicine, 26 Sept. 2011. Web. The Web. The Web. 19 Nov. 2013.
Finally, this disease also impacts on the development of respiratory problems, metabolic syndrome, or even cancer.
Horowitz, N. H. (1997, July 23). Roger Wolcott Sperry. Retrieved November 19, 2013, from Nobelprize.org: http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1981/sperry-article.html
Most diseases are caused by a type of genetic component. Many of the diseases that have been caused by gene mutations are undiagnosed. These remain undiagnosed because the disease is so rare that the doctor does not know how to diagnose the patient. Many sy...
...ional Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 24 Jan. 2014. Web. 24 Apr. 2014.
Samuel Hahnemann in the “Organon” in aphorism six talks about it. He tells us that to truly understand the disease and to successfully treat and cure the patient, we must look at the sickness through the eyes of an unprejudiced observer. In his belief the unprejudiced observer is someone who sees the disease only as a “state of disorder” which manifests entirely as externally visible signs and symptoms that are felt by the patient, noted by family members and observed by the physician. Nothing more. Dr. Hahnemann warns us that the disease never comes from or is cause by tissue changes inside the body and therefore we should never look for it there. The hidden morbid condition within is for a fact the result of the disease not its cause. Observe without prejudices-he says, notice the changes that occur in the patient physical and mental state and pay close attention to sign and symptoms because they are the only true representation of the
Ed. David Zieve. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 26 Feb. 2014. Web. The Web.