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Approximately 2,500 babies are born with CF each year in the United States. However, the basic problem is the same - an abnormality in the glands, which produce or secrete sweat and mucous. People with CF lose excessive amounts of salt when they sweat. Mucous in CF patients is very thick and accumulates in the intestines and lungs.
The result is malnutrition, poor growth, frequent respiratory infections, breathing difficulties, and eventually permanent lung damage. CF can cause various other medical problems. Some of the other tests that can assist in the diagnosis of CF are chest x-rays, lung function tests, and sputum (phlegm) cultures. CF was once always fatal in childhood.
Better treatment methods developed over the past 20 years have increased the average lifespan of CF patients to nearly 30 years.
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