How possible is it that a cure will be found?

It is certainly possible that a cure will be found soon. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is working as diligently as possible to find a cure. With all the technology and drugs these days a cure has to be found soon.

What are some organizations for Cystic Fibrosis?

• Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
• Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
• Cystic Fibrosis Research, Inc. (CFRI)
• Karen's Climb Foundation
• Pennsylvania Cystic Fibrosis, Inc.
• Reaching Out Foundation
• St. Louis Second Wind Transplant Association

What limitations does the person have?

It has been said that kids with CF tend to live a fuller life. They can go to school and play sports. Some go through college and start a family. There aren't really any limitations to CF patients.

What is everyday life like? What is the quality of life?

If you have CF you must do numerous things to make sure you remain as healthy as possible.

• Eating healthy
• Avoiding tabacco smoke
• Washing hands often
• Exercising often
• Drinking plenty of fluids
• Performing physical therapy for chest daily
• Getting annual vaccinations
• Taking prescribed medicine

How can Cystic Fibrosis be treated?

CF treatment is given to patients in order to:

• Control lung infections
• Get rid of the thick mucus
• Get rid of intestine blockages
• Give good nutrition

Some antibiotics may be given to the patient to keep airways clear and to help with other lung problems caused by CF.

What is the life expectancy of someone with Cystic Fibrosis?

In the 1980s the life expectancy was 14 years.
In the 1990s the life expectancy was 18 years.
And now the life expectancy is 35 years.

What are the physical symptoms of Cystic Fibrosis?

The most common symptoms of CF are the following:

• Consistent coughing that brings up phlegm
• Consistent bronchitis and pneumonia which leads to permenant lung damage
• Skin has salty taste
• Dehydration
• Infertility (mainly in men)
• Constent diarrhea
• Large appetite and little weight gain
• Stomach pain caused by intestinal gas

How is Cystic Fibrosis diagnosed?

The doctor will study your family's medical history and they will also do a series of physical exams. They will preform sweat tests, blood tests, chest and sinus X-rays, and lung function tests.

• Sweat test(s) measures the amount of salt in your blood
• Blood test(s) search for symptoms that indicate CF
• Chest X-Ray(s) are used to look for any inflammation in the lungs
• Lung function test(s) measure the amount of air you lungs can take in, how quickly you breathe, and how well your lungs add oxygen and remove carbon dioxide from your lungs

What are the chances of a person with Cystic Fibrosis passing it to their offspring?

• If the parents both have CF then all the children they have will have CF.
• If one parent is a carrier and the other parent is normal, according to the punnett square, 50% of their childeren will be normal and the other 50% will be carriers.
• If both parents are carriers then 50% of their kids will be carriers, 25% will be normal, and 25% will have CF.

How prevalent is Cystic Fibrosis in the population?

1 in every 3300 Caucasians have CF
1 in every 8000-9000 Hispanics have CF
1 in every 15,300 African-Americans have CF
1 in every 32,100 Asians have CF

1 in every 29 Caucasians have mutations
1 in every 46 Hispanics have mutations
1 in every 65 African-Americans have mutations
1 in every 90 Asians have mutations

The difference between having CF and having mutations is this: a mutation is symptoms or a carrier of CF and having CF is having all or most symptoms and the actual disease.

What are the possible genotypes of the parents for Cystic Fibrosis?

The parents of a child with CF must both have CF or one has it one doesn't or both be carriers or one has it and the other is a carrier. (See example of genotypes below)
The genotypes would be the following:
C=CF
c=normal
--- =mating with
CC --- CC
CC --- Cc
Cc --- Cc
Cc --- cc

How does a person inherit Cystic Fibrosis? Is it dominant or recessive? Is it genetic or chromosomal?

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive disesase. If you have CF then both of your alleles are affected. If you are a carrier then you only have one affected allele. In order to acquire this diesease both parents must be carriers, one parent must have CF the other a carrier, or both parents have CF.

Works Cited

Adams, Amy. "What is a Genetic Counslor?." Genetic Health. 4 Dec. 2003. 18 Feb. 2009 http://www.genetichealth.com/Resources_What_Is_Genetic_Counseling.shtml.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/images/edexcel_science_28.gif

Bennett, Chris, and Daniel Peckham. The Genetics of Cystic Fibrosis. 1 Aug. 2002. 19 Feb. 2009 http://www.cysticfibrosismedicine.com/htmldocs/CFText/genetics.htm.

"Cystic Fibrosis." University of Virginia Health System. 24 Jan. 2008. 22 Feb. 2009 http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/uvahealth/peds_respire/cystihub.cfm.

"How Is Cystic Fibrosis Diagnosed?." National Heart Lung and Blood Institute Diseases and Conditions Index. 28 Feb. 2009 http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/cf/cf_diagnosis.html.

"What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Cystic Fibrosis?." National Heart Lung and Blood Institute Diseases and Conditions Index. 28 Feb. 2009 http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/cf/cf_signs.html.

Pinkerton, Kent. "Cystic Fibrosis Life Expectancy." Ezine Articles. 28 Feb. 2009 http://ezinearticles.com/?Cystic-Fibrosis-Life-Expectancy&id=353570.

"How Is Cystic Fibrosis Treated?." National Heart Lung and Blood Institute Diseases and Conditions Index. 28 Feb. 2009 http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/cf/cf_treatments.html.

"Living With Cystic Fibrosis." National Heart Lung and Blood Institute Diseases and Conditions Index. 28 Feb. 2009 http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/cf/cf_diagnosis.html.

"Cystic Fibrosis." Medical Look. 28 Feb. 2009 http://www.medical-look.com/Lung_diseases/Cystic_fibrosis.html.

"Resorce Dictionary." HealingWell.com. 29 Feb. 2008. 28 Feb. 2009 http://www.healingwell.com/pages/Cystic_Fibrosis/Organizations/.

"Frequently Asked Questions." Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. 15 May 2007. 28 Feb. 2009 http://www.cff.org/aboutcf/faqs/#When_will_there_be_a_cure?.

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/images/cf_graphic_1.gif

http://www.cystic-l.org/assets/images/CFS-CureCysticFibrosisMagnet.jpg

What is a Genetic Counselor?

A genetic counselor is someone who studies genetic diseases. They have a masters degree in genetic counseling. They counsel people on their family history of the disease and the chances of passing it to their children. They often counsel families to find out who has a chance of acquiring or that already has the genetic disease(s).