History of Cystic Fibrosis

In this blog post, I am going to discuss the history behind CF.  As you all know from your history and science classes, medicine used to be a lacking field in the early 20th century.  Many people did not understand certain diseases and sicknesses, with cystic fibrosis included in this as well. 

Reports of the symptoms of CF go back to 1857, with the first documentation of a sickness that would soon be called cystic fibrosis.  In this documentation, it described that "children with salty brows would soon die." The people of this time period knew that this sickness was deadly, but they had no idea what it was or how to treat it.

In 1938, Dr. Dorothy Anderson finally gave a clear understanding of what CF was and the symptoms that came with CF.  She made this revelation while performing autopsies on babies in a New York hospital. In 1953, Paul Agnese built on this understanding and documented the increased salt concentration in the bodies of CF patients.

In 1964, a research foundation was set up for Cystic Fibrosis.  This was done in hopes to help figure out what caused this disease.  In 1985, this event happened. The chromosome that causes CF was identified. 

However, there has not been much more learned about CF since that discovery. Today's technology helps babies and adults live with CF, but the research is ongoing to possibly find a cure. 

Dr. Dorothy Anderson

Resources:
http://cysticfibrosis.org.uk/about-cf/what-is-cystic-fibrosis/history-of-cf
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/changingthefaceofmedicine/physicians/biography_8.html

Living with CF

Living with cystic fibrosis may seem like a very difficult task, but many learn how to manage this disease in order to live fulfilling lives.  It is important that people who have CF know how to manage this disease, since it does affect various body systems. 


People who suffer from CF must intake a very high nutrient diet. This diet should include high protein, high calorie, and high fat. These diets are recommended to ensure that the body is receiving more than enough nutrients, since some of those nutrients will not be received due to mucus buildup. 
These extra calories also help provide energy for task of breathing, which can be quite difficult for those who have CF.  Vitamins and supplements are also included in these diets for additional nutrients that may not be received in the food, such as pancreatic enzyme supplements.


CF patients are also told that they should not smoke and not be exposed to those who do smoke.  Smoking (first hand or second hand) has the potential to damage their airways even more, making breathing even more difficult.  CF patients are also encouraged to exercise.  Doctors who treat CF provide exercise alternatives to help their patients remain safe but also help them build up their lungs. 


Resources:
http://www.cff.org/LivingWithCF/StayingHealthy/

http://store.ourhealthcoop.com/Pancreatic-Enzymes-p/pev.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoking_ban