Essay About Proper Digestion Of Foodstuffs And Pancreatic Enzymes

Cystic Fibrosis
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Cystic Fibrosis is one of the most common life-
threatening autosomal-recessive disorders plaguing the
world today. This paper discusses many aspects of cystic
fibrosis, from the clinical manifestations and specific
complications of the disease to the daily lifestyles of CF
patients. This paper will also cover the demographics of
patients suffering from CF; including age, race, and
gender. Information regarding treatment options and
preventative screening available for the disease will
follow.
Cystic Fibrosis is a tragic disease that affects the
respiratory, digestive, and reproductive systems. Thick,
sticky mucus is formed that inhabits the lungs,
intestines, and reproductive linings and allows an ideal
breading ground for bacteria. This over-production of mucus
causes frequent infections, breathing difficulties,
malnutrition, poor growth, and lung disease. Many CF
patients are characterized as “talking through their nose”
or having a persistent cough with no results. The
accumulated mucus is so thick that simple coughing does not
dislodge it. Daily respiratory treatments, exercise, chest
physical therapy, and vigorous percussion are some of the
therapies that help to decrease and shift mucus secretions.
My aunt, Linda Hegberg, suffered from cystic fibrosis and
my mother used to jump and pound on her back to help
dislodge the mucus. This form of vigorous percussion helped
maintain what health Linda had left in her lungs. (K.
Workman, personal interview, June 9, 2005).
CF also causes respiratory problems such as atelactesis
(collapsed lung), pneumothorax, hemoptysis (coughing up blood),
sinusitis, and nasal polyps.
In the intestinal tract, mucus can also build up and
prevent proper digestion of foodstuffs. With inadequate
digestion and limited pancreatic enzymes, the patient
suffers from malnutrition and frequent obstructions. The
pancreatic channels that normally carry important
enzymes to digest food are blocked, resulting in a limited
ability to absorb necessary nutrients and fats. The
patient cannot gain weight regardless of a hearty appetite.
When they are able to form and pass stool, it is pale to
clay-colored with an extremely foul smell. (Cystic Fibrosis,
n.d.)
A patient suffering from cystic fibrosis may also
experience abdominal pain and discomfort, gassiness, cor
pulmonale (enlargement of the right side of the heart),
rectal prolapse, gallstones, liver disease, and clubbing of
the fingers and toes. Depending on the severity of each
patients disease, they may suffer from one or all of these
symptoms. (Cystic Fibrosis, n.d.).
A CF patient leads a life much unlike that of a normal,
healthy person. The disease carries not only physical changes,
but social and psychological. Each day brings fear, worry,
resentment, and depression; all of which adversely affect the
patient. Each day is a challenge, but the hardest to overcome
is finding the good through all the bad. For example, my aunt
Linda was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when she was five years
old. She had to sleep in an “oxygen tent” at night, took
numerous medications daily, was sick all the time, and had to be
beaten on the back to loosen up the mucus in her lungs. She led
a confined life; she had a hard time partaking in sports and
activities because she couldnt breathe well. With every
negative aspect staring her in the face, she still remained a
happy little girl. She had a smile that could melt your heart,
a personality that intrigued, and an outlook that beat all the
odds. It was difficult, but she realized that she should spend
the time she had being happy and enjoying life. She got married
and had a beautiful son, Gregory. She passed away in March 1983
at the age of 28.
Cystic Fibrosis