Cystic Fibrosis
Considering the amount of genetic information that is passed from parent to child during conception and the ensuing pregnancy, it is no wonder that certain diseases that a parent may have will pass to their offspring. The genetic factor plays an important role not only in what your children will look like but what their health condition will be based on due to the genetic link between parent and child. Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disease that is passed from parent to child. It affects the human secretory glands. These glands are used to function when it comes to sweating and creating mucous. The genetic factor in this disease causes children to develop Cystic Fibrosis. Both parents of a child with cystic fibrosis will pass a dysfunctional CF gene which will cause the disease to develop. The glands will overly produce sweat and cause a mucus build up in the lungs and even in some of the other organs of the body. There are two ways to test to see if your child has developed this genetic disease. In addition your own genetic information can be analyzed in a test to see if you carry a faulty CF gene, before you decide to have children. Here are the two tests that can be taken to determine whether or not you have this genetic disease:
1.) Sweat test. This test is conducted because when someone has Cystic Fibrosis the overactive secretory glands will produce a larger and saltier amount of sweat. The test is designed to stimulate the glands in order to measure sweat and its salt content. If the salt content is high enough and the amount is high as well, you may have Cystic fibrosis. This is a simple test that will provide almost immediate results, so it is used more often when it comes to helping doctors diagnose this genetic disease.
2) Genetic Test. The genetic test is conducted by collecting a tissue or blood sample. This sample is then sent to a lab for testing to find out if the faulty Cystic Fibrosis gene can be detected from the genetic material in the sample.
There is no cure for cystic fibrosis but there are ways to manage this disease. First, those with this disease can maintain a healthy diet of foods that will help them with their needs. Those who have CF need to develop a diet of foods that will be able to help them manage their overall health while fighting this disease. There are also several different drugs offered to help deal with Cystic Fibrosis, in addition to various therapies that have been developed to help CF patients cope and live a more healthy and pain free lifestyle. The best way to deal with Cystic Fibrosis once you have been diagnosed is to follow the care and advice that your physician provides you with. There are also a number of facilities that are designed to help those with Cystic Fibrosis monitor and improve their symptoms in order to function better and improve overall health.