Living with Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic Fibrosis is an incurable inherited disorder, that causes increasingly severe respiratory problems and often many experience difficulty in digesting their food. In most cases those who are carriers of this gene are not even aware of the fact that they have it. But if someone in your family is diagnosed with this horrible disease, how can you cope with it. This article offers a few ideas and suggestions. Although this illness does place limits on doing certain things, the sufferer must remember to try and stay as active as possible. Usually your doctor will provide you with some sort of daily treatment to help combat any infections. Depending on the type of treatment that your doctor prescribes it may or may not consume most of your day.

What usually happens to people who have cystic fibrosis as a result of treatment is that their body can become malnourished, the stools can become bulky, you may not get enough vitamins A, D, E and K, and you may have intestinal gas, a swollen belly and pain or discomfort. Your doctor will probably advise you as to what activities would be best for you. It can also cause infertility, mostly in men. Of course as with any disease the symptoms do vary from person to person, and it may take several years before you are diagnosed. The most important thing that you can do to cope with this illness is to follow your doctors orders exactly. Whatever they tell you is for your benefit.

Unfortunately since most people find out about this disease when they are still very young they find it hard to limit themselves and often become very frustrated that they can not do the same activities as there peers. It is not unusual for families to experience fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of the illness, fear of the treatment, fear of pain, and fear of death. Children in particular may have many unspoken fears,especially if they are not given logical explanations for what is happening. So if this is something that your child has been diagnosed with, you should make sure you take the time to explain it to them properly.

If you do not like or agree with your doctors opinion than you should seek the advice of another doctor. There is nothing wrong with getting a second opinion, especially when it comes to your health or your child’s health. It will be very difficult at first be just remember that time and a lot of patience is needed.