What problems does the excess mucus of cystic fibrosis cause?

What problems does the excess mucus of cystic fibrosis cause?

In people with cystic fibrosis, the body produces mucus that is abnormally thick and sticky. This abnormal mucus can clog the airways , leading to severe problems with breathing and bacterial infections in the lungs. These infections cause chronic coughing, wheezing, and inflammation.

What happens when your body produces too much mucus?

Mucus – which is made of glycoproteins and water – traps pollution and foreign particles before they can do harm to the lungs. However, with diseases like cystic fibrosis and asthma, too much mucus that is too thick is produced, which makes breathing difficult and raises risk of infection.

What is the most common complication of cystic fibrosis?

The most common complication is chronic respiratory infection. Other complications include: Bowel problems, such as gallstones, intestinal blockage, and rectal prolapse.

What happens to the mucus glands in a person with CF?

In CF, the body makes abnormal CFTR protein or none at all. Without normal CFTR protein, the cells lining the pathways (tubes) inside some organs make thick, sticky mucus rather than the normal thin, watery kind. Thick mucus can trap bacteria in the lungs, leading to infection, inflammation, and breathing problems.

Where does mucus build up in cystic fibrosis?

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic (inherited) disease that causes sticky, thick mucus to build up in organs, including the lungs and the pancreas. In a healthy person, mucus that lines organs and body cavities, such as the lungs and the nose, is slippery and watery.

What is the mutation that causes cystic fibrosis?

Cystic fibrosis is caused by mutations, or errors, in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene, which result in either no CFTR protein being made or a malformed CFTR protein that can’t perform its key function in the cell.

What disease causes excess mucus?

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic (inherited) disease that causes sticky, thick mucus to build up in organs, including the lungs and the pancreas. In people who have CF, thick mucus clogs the airways and makes it difficult to breathe.

What disease causes mucus?

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited life-threatening disease that affects many organs. It causes changes in the electrolyte transport system. This causes cells to absorb too much sodium and water. People with CF have problems in the glands that produce sweat and mucus.

Why is mucus thick in cystic fibrosis?

In people with CF, mucus becomes thick and sticky because of problems with the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein.

How does cystic fibrosis affect the respiratory system?

The abnormal electrolyte transport system in CF causes the cells in the respiratory system, especially the lungs, to absorb too much sodium and water. This causes the normal thin secretions in the lungs to become very thick and hard to move. These thick secretions increase the risk for frequent respiratory infections.

Why is mucus dehydrated in cystic fibrosis?

Studies in the rare genetic disease CF identified airway surface dehydration due to cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene dysfunction as an important disease mechanism that may explain mucus stasis and plugging in a spectrum of muco-obstructive lung diseases, including COPD.

What does the mucus look like in cystic fibrosis?

A thin, slippery fluid made by mucus membranes and glands. In CF, mucus is often thick and sticky.