Cystic fibrosis is a hereditary disorder, caused by an abnormal gene.

Cystic fibrosis affects the cells that line organs throughout the body. Organs that are affected include:

• Skin
• Pancreas
• Intestine
• Lungs
• Liver

Some of the effects of cystic fibrosis include:

• The lungs are unable to produce enough mucus to lubricate the air passageways:
• This causes the mucus to become thick, increasing the risk for pneumonia.
• Overtime, repeated lung infections can damage and scar the lungs.
• The intestines are unable to produce enough mucus to lubricate the bowels.
• This can lead to chronic digestive problems and diabetes.
• The liver and pancreas are unable to secrete digestive enzymes into the intestine.
• This can lead to malabsorption syndrome and unintentional weight loss.