Cystic Fibrosis is a rare genetic disease that causes persistent difficulty breathing, lung infections, and a buildup of mucus that may prevent organs from functioning properly (particularly in the digestive system).
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common genetic disorder among Caucasians. In Europe, the prevalence at birth is estimated at 1/3,000 and currently there are approximately 70,000 people worldwide living with CF.
Мost people with CF take medicine prescribed by their health care provider and have treatments that help break up the thick mucus in their lungs. They must do these treatments several times every day to prevent long-term damage to their lungs.
Supporting a family member or a friend with CF can take many forms, such as going with them to appointments, spending time with them while they are having treatments, or simply giving them a safe place to talk about their feelings about CF or about anything else.
However, due to the different lung infections that they can get, there’s the “six foot rule”, a guideline from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation which states that cystic fibrosis patients should be kept at least six feet (1.8 m) apart from each other, to lower the risk of cross-infection. This is because they may catch new bacteria from each other, which could lead to serious lung damage.
For further information on CF go here.