Frequently Asked Questions
What is Cystic Fibrosis?
Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease affecting approximately 30,000 children and adults in the United States. CF causes the body to produce thick, sticky mucus, which clogs the lungs. This abnormal mucus leads to chronic lung infections and lung damage, and also interferes with digestion. The symptoms of CF are diverse, vary in severity, and are often confused with pneumonia and asthma. The sweat test diagnoses CF by measuring the amount of salt in the sweat. An abnormally high salt level indicates CF.
How often does Cystic Fibrosis occur?
Approximately 30,000 people in the United States have CF. An individual must inherit two defective CF genes –one from each parent – to be born with CF. Ten million Americans (one in 29) are symptom-less carriers of the defective CF gene. In 1955, few children with CF lived to attend elementary school. Today, the median age of survival for an individual with CF is 31 years – still however, an unacceptable fact.