Cystic Fibrosis and Diarrhea - What You Need to Know

Cystic Fibrosis is an illness or disease that primarily affects some of the major internal organs like the liver, pancreas, lungs, intestines, genitals, and the sinuses. It could be hereditary so there is a big possibility that you will also get the disease if your family has a history of this sickness. Cystic fibrosis causes the mucus glands in the body to secrete sticky and thick mucus. This is where the problem will start. It could block the airways and could prevent the other organs to function well resulting to different kinds of diseases and disorders.

One of the most common diseases caused by cystic fibrosis is diarrhea. It is characterized by very soft or watery stool, unfinished bowel movement, urge to move the bowels after eating, and stool incontinence. This is one of the most uncomfortable disorders that a person could have because there is always the need to go to the toilet to evacuate. Once the thick and sticky mucus is produced and got in the pancreas, it will block the canal where the enzymes and the insulin will pass in order to get to the digestive area. These are essential to maintain proper digestion and without these, the system will have difficulty and will result to digestive problems just like diarrhea.

You might also notice that your stool appears greasy or slimy. This is because of the abnormally thick and sticky mucus produced by the glands due to cystic fibrosis. If not treated immediately and appropriately, this could lead to a more serious condition. Diarrhea is a dangerous disorder and it could be fatal especially among children and babies because it could lead to dehydration which could also lead to death. There are also some cases of diarrhea where the patients suffer from mild to severe abdominal cramps or pains.

If you or someone you know is suffering from diarrhea due to cystic fibrosis, it would be better if you could get him to drink water or oral rehydration solutions that are specifically developed to replace all the lost electrolytes in the body. This is to prevent dehydration and to restore the body's lost energy and minerals such as sodium, carbohydrates, and potassium. If you noticed more symptoms have developed like high fever, frequent vomiting, or presence of blood in the stool, you should seek medical help immediately by calling your doctor or rushing the patient to the nearest hospital or medical institution.

The doctor or medical provider could prescribe a drug that can help stop or reduce diarrhea. There are some drugs that can absorb the water in the stool and could help the rectal muscles relax to reduce the urge to evacuate. For more complicated cases, antibiotics or other stronger types of drugs could be used. Your doctor will be able to determine the best type of medication for you just make sure that you will inform him about your current medical condition like your allergies, diseases, and other things that he should know about. You have to remember that even though diarrhea is considered to just one of the symptoms or a disorder associated with another disease like cystic fibrosis, it should not be ignored because doing so could cause more serious health problems.