Stem cells and their benefits have been investigated in relation to spine surgery in the recent years. There is hope that someday, stem cells will help in a new therapy for spinal cord injury patients.
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Brigham and Women's Hospital answeredSee All 4 AnswersGenes are the basic units of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) that provide instructions to our body. Our genes are housed on chromosomes (structures in our cells that contain our genetic information). Although the same set of genes is contained in most of the cells of our body, a particular gene may only play a role in a certain part of the body (for example, the heart). Genes are a series of letters (A, C, G, and T) and are involved in the production of proteins. Proteins perform a variety of functions in our body. If there is a change in the letter sequence of a gene (called a mutation), the protein may not be made or may not work properly.
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Jumo Health answeredExercise is important for people with cystic fibrosis (CF). Medicine can help, but keeping active and doing regular exercise is important too. Physical activity helps to keep bones and muscles strong, and also helps to clear the lungs of mucus.
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See All 3 AnswersTreatment of cystic fibrosis in children is much like treatment for adults with the condition, but possibly with additional concerns regarding poor growth and development due to malnutrition. If a child with cystic fibrosis is having difficulty gaining weight, or is found to have vitamin deficiencies, this can be treated with nutritional support.
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Jumo Health answered
Cystic fibrosis (CF) cannot be cured, but there are many treatments that can make living with it easier. These treatments start as soon as the CF diagnosis has been made.
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Jumo Health answered
Babies are tested for cystic fibrosis (CF) by looking for a cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene mutation in a blood sample. However, there are over 2000 different mutations. Doctors can’t check for the mutations, which is why some people don’t find out that they have CF until they’re older. Babies might also get a sweat test, where a patch is placed on the skin that measures the salt in their sweat. High salt levels are a sign of CF.
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Jumo Health answered
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is not contagious. People are either born with CF or they’re not. People can’t catch it or pass it on to anyone else.
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RealAge answeredSee All 2 Answers
Cystic fibrosisis a metabolic disorder that’s passed on from parent to child. It’s seen mostly in Caucasians of Central and Northern European descent, but affects every race. Being a carrier of the gene that can cause CF does not mean that it will occur.
From Good Kids, Bad Habits: The RealAge Guide to Raising Healthy Children by Jennifer Trachtenberg.
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Jumo Health answered
With cystic fibrosis (CF), the pancreas is unable to perform its usual role in helping food digestion.
The pancreas is an organ that sits just underneath the stomach on the left hand side of the abdomen. The pancreas makes enzymes that help break down food, which releases energy for the body to use. The pancreas also makes mucus, a watery substance that helps enzymes flow out of the pancreas and into the small intestine, where they aid digestion. The pancreas also makes insulin, a hormone that regulates the amount of glucose, a sugar that is a source of energy, in the blood.
With CF, the mucus that the pancreas makes is thick and sticky, so enzymes get stuck and cannot reach the intestine. This means food can’t be digested properly, so the body doesn’t get the energy and nutrients it needs. Also, as food is not properly digested, some people with CF have diarrhea. Sometimes, too, the pancreas is unable to make insulin. This is called CF-related diabetes, which means the body has trouble turning glucose into energy.
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With cystic fibrosis (CF), thick and sticky mucus in the lungs means that they are unable to work like they normally do.
When people breathe in, air is sucked into their mouth or nose, through their airways and down into their lungs. Oxygen is passed from the lungs into the blood, where it travels around the body to all the different cells.
Oxygen isn’t the only thing we breathe in. We also breathe in dirt and germs, which can damage the lungs and cause infections. Normally, the lungs protect themselves by producing mucus that traps the dirt and germs, and the cilia (tiny hairs on the lining of the lungs) sweep the mucus-covered dirt and germs out of the lungs. With cystic fibrosis (CF), however, things are different. In CF, the cilia can’t push germs and dirt out of the lungs because the mucus is too thick and sticky. Also, the thick mucus is harder to cough up. This means that the germs are trapped in the lungs, which is why those with CF are more likely to get infections. All of this can damage the lungs, making it harder to breathe.