Pulmonology focuses on diagnosing and treating lung and airway conditions such as asthma, COPD, and pneumonia, as well as overall respiratory health.
Send us all your questions or requests, and our expert team will assist you.
The most noticeable and serious symptoms of cystic fibrosis are related to breathing. These problems usually start early in life, but the timing can differ. The main symptom is a constant, productive cough. Unlike a dry cough, this one is deep and rattling, as the body tries to move the thick mucus blocking the airways. Over time, the cough becomes a daily, ongoing problem.
Ongoing infection and inflammation in the lungs cause bronchiectasis, where the airways become permanently damaged, wider, and thicker. This makes it even harder to clear mucus, and bacteria can grow in these areas. People may have wheezing and shortness of breath, first during activity and later even at rest. Air can get trapped in the lungs, which over time can cause the chest to become barrel-shaped.
People with cystic fibrosis often have flare-ups called pulmonary exacerbations, where symptoms suddenly get worse and need medical treatment. Signs include more frequent coughing, more mucus, a change in mucus color (darker green or brown), fever, loss of appetite, and lower lung function (FEV1). These episodes are important because they can cause lasting drops in lung function, which may not fully recover afterward.
The gastrointestinal tract is deeply affected, often from birth.
The upper airways are a continuous part of the respiratory system and are universally involved.
As people with cystic fibrosis live longer, metabolic problems have become more common and important to manage.
Problems with the reproductive system can cause a lot of emotional stress for people with cystic fibrosis.
Liver disease in cystic fibrosis often has no symptoms at first but can become serious over time.
Genetics cause cystic fibrosis, but environmental factors can make the disease better or worse.
Send us all your questions or requests, and our expert team will assist you.
The defective chloride channel in the sweat glands prevents salt from being reabsorbed back into the body as sweat travels to the skin surface, leaving a high salt concentration on the skin.
It is a period of worsening symptoms, more coughing, more mucus, fever, and weight loss that requires medical intervention, usually with antibiotics, to prevent permanent lung damage.
The thick mucus scars the pancreas over time, destroying the cells that make insulin; this leads to a unique type of diabetes that requires insulin for management.
They are not cancerous or life-threatening, but they block the nasal passages, making breathing difficult, reducing the sense of smell, and contributing to sinus infections.
In advanced lung disease, the low oxygen levels can cause the arteries in the lungs to constrict, putting strain on the right side of the heart, a condition called cor pulmonale.
Leave your phone number and our medical team will call you back to discuss your healthcare needs and answer all your questions.
Your Comparison List (you must select at least 2 packages)
