New to MyHealth?
Manage Your Care From Anywhere.
Access your health information from any device with MyHealth. You can message your clinic, view lab results, schedule an appointment, and pay your bill.
ALREADY HAVE AN ACCESS CODE?
DON'T HAVE AN ACCESS CODE?
NEED MORE DETAILS?
MyHealth for Mobile
Treatments for Cystic Fibrosis
Treatment for Cystic Fibrosis (CF)
Specific treatment for cystic fibrosis will be determined by your doctor based on:
- Your age, overall health, and medical history
- Extent of the disease
- Expectations for the course of the disease
- Your tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies
- Your opinion or preference
Currently, there is no cure for cystic fibrosis. A cure would call for gene therapy at an early age and this has not been developed yet, although research is being done in this direction. The gene that causes cystic fibrosis has been identified and there are hopes that this will lead to an increased understanding of the disease. Also being researched are different drug regimens to help stop cystic fibrosis. Goals of treatment are to ease severity of symptoms and slow the progress of the disease. Treatment may include:
- Management of problems that cause lung obstruction, which may involve:
- Physical therapy
- Exercise to loosen mucus, stimulate coughing, and improve overall physical condition
- Medications to reduce mucus and help breathing
- Antibiotics to treat infections
- Anti-inflammatories
- Management of digestive problems, which may involve:
- Appropriate diet
- Pancreatic enzymes to aid digestion
- Vitamin supplements
- Treatments for intestinal obstructions
Newer therapies include lung transplantation for patients with end-stage lung disease. The type of transplant done is usually a heart-lung transplant, or a double lung transplant. Not everyone is a candidate for a lung transplant. Discuss this with your doctor.