Hey, My name is Ivy Clements and today I will be informing you all about Cystic Fibrosis. How many of you know what Cystic Fibrosis is? Well today I am going to inform you on what Cystic Fibrosis actually is. I am going to start off this speech by telling you about Cystic Fibrosis, then I am going to tell you some of the signs and symptoms, and I am going to end with telling you a few facts and figures about this disease. Cystic Fibrosis is one of the most common chronic lung diseases in children and young adults.
This disease which is a life threatening disorder is passed down through families and causes thick, sticky mucus build up in the lungs, digestive tract, and other areas of the body. The collection of all this sticky mucus results in life-threatening infections and serious digestion problems. It can also affect the sweat glands and a man’s reproductive system, which means, makes the male sterile and unable to have kids. According to PubMed Health, millions of Americans carry the defective CF gene, but do not have any symptoms. That’s because a person with CF must inherit two defective CF genes- one from each parent.
Now that you know a little about CF, I am going to tell you a few signs and symptoms. According to an article by Penny March and Tanja Schub, some of the signs and symptoms of CF include meconium ileus in new borns which is a bowel obstruction that occurs when the meconium in your child’s intestine is even thicker and stickier than normal meconium, creating a blockage in your ileum. Signs and symptoms also include increased anterior/posterior chest diameter, digital clubbing, dry or productive cough, wheezing, constipation, abdominal distention, decreased weight gain/growth, recurrent pneumonia and bronchitis, and blood stained sputum.
Next, im going to tell you some facts. Also from the same article by March and Schub, I have pulled some facts and figures about CF. CF is the most common lethal genetic disease in whites in the U. S. , affecting 1 in 3,200- 3,500 Whites, 1 in 15,000 – 17,000 Blacks, 1 in 9,200- 9,500 Hispanics, and 1 in 31,000 Asian Americans. About 30,000 individuals in the U. S. are living with CF and 1000 new diagnosis are made each year. The median survival is 37 years of age. Again, Cystic Fibrosis is a very serious and life threatening disease and can be harmful to you if not treated with the right treatments.