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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffCystic fibrosis signs and symptoms vary, depending on the severity of the disease. Even in the same person, symptoms may worsen or improve as time passes. In some children, symptoms begin during infancy. Other people may not experience symptoms until adolescence or adulthood.
Screening of newborns for cystic fibrosis is now performed in all 50 states. As a result, the condition is diagnosed within the first month of life, before symptoms develop. For people born before newborn screening was performed, it's important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of cystic fibrosis.
People with cystic fibrosis tend to have a higher than normal level of salt in their sweat. Parents often can taste the salt when they kiss their children. Most of the other signs and symptoms of cystic fibrosis affect the respiratory system or the digestive system.
Respiratory signs and symptoms
The thick and sticky mucus associated with cystic fibrosis clogs the tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs. This can cause:
- A persistent cough that produces thick spit (sputum) and mucus
- Wheezing
- Breathlessness
- A decreased ability to exercise
- Repeated lung infections
- Inflamed nasal passages or a stuffy nose
Digestive signs and symptoms
The thick mucus can also block tubes that carry digestive enzymes from your pancreas to your small intestine. Without these digestive enzymes, your intestines can't fully absorb the nutrients in the food you eat. The result is often:
- Foul-smelling, greasy stools
- Poor weight gain and growth
- Intestinal blockage, particularly in newborns (meconium ileus)
- Severe constipation
Frequent straining while passing stool can cause part of the rectum — the end of the large intestine — to protrude outside the anus (rectal prolapse). When this occurs in children, it may be a sign of cystic fibrosis. Parents should consult a physician knowledgeable about cystic fibrosis. Rectal prolapse in children may require surgery.
When to see a doctor
Talk to your doctor if your child:
- Isn't growing properly
- Has a persistent cough that produces mucus
- Has repeated lung or sinus infections
- Has frequent fatty, bad-smelling stools
- Has rectal prolapse
Seek immediate medical care if your child has difficulty breathing.
- What is cystic fibrosis? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/cf/. Accessed March 26, 2012.
- Goldman L, et al. Cecil Medicine. 24th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2012. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?about=true&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4377-1604-7..C2009-0-42832-0--TOP&isbn=978-1-4377-1604-7&uniqId=327451096-2. Accessed March 26, 2012.
- Kliegman RM, et al. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 19th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2011. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?about=true&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4377-0755-7..C2009-0-60010-6--TOP&isbn=978-1-4377-0755-7&uniqId=327451096-2. Accessed March 27, 2012.
- Cystic fibrosis. National Library of Medicine. http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/cystic-fibrosis. Accessed April 2, 2012.
- What is bronchiectasis? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/brn/brn_whatis.html. Accessed March 27, 2012.
- Cohen-Cymberknoh M, et al. Managing cystic fibrosis: strategies that increase life expectancy and improve quality of life. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. 2011;183:1463.
- Rogan MP, et al. Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator intracellular processing, trafficking, and opportunities for mutation-specific treatment. Chest. 2011;139:1480.
- Mogayzel PJ, et al. Update in cystic fibrosis 2010. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. 2011;183:1620.
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