Gastroenterology
Main Line Health gastroenterology works to resolve digestive issues and GI conditions. Find the right solution for your digestive conditions at one of our Philadelphia locations.
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease that causes a buildup of mucus in the body. The gene affected by CF controls your body’s production of mucus, digestive fluids and sweat. The CF mutation makes all of these body fluids much thicker than usual, which disrupts a lot of normal bodily processes.
In the lungs, the thickened mucus can trap germs, leading to frequent infections. In the pancreas, mucus blocks digestive enzymes from being released, which keeps the body from absorbing nutrients from food. Not being able to absorb nutrients can lead to vitamin deficiencies and other health problems. This thick mucus can also slow down the digestive system, causing constipation and intestinal blockage.
Cystic fibrosis is usually diagnosed in children, even in infants, but it can sometimes go undetected until the teenage years or even adulthood. Often, the first sign of cystic fibrosis is that babies or young children who have healthy appetites are still small and underweight for their age.
Common symptoms of cystic fibrosis include:
As people with cystic fibrosis get older, the disease can also cause problems with fertility.
If you think your child might have cystic fibrosis, a few tests can help you know for sure. These include:
The severity of cystic fibrosis can vary from person to person, so treatment is tailored to control each person’s unique symptoms. Common treatments include:
People with CF will need to follow up with their doctors regularly to get their lungs checked and to check for vitamin deficiencies or other health problems. Over time, some people with cystic fibrosis may need a lung transplant. Researchers are working on new ways to treat and cure cystic fibrosis.
Main Line Health gastroenterology works to resolve digestive issues and GI conditions. Find the right solution for your digestive conditions at one of our Philadelphia locations.
Main Line Health’s lung health experts and pulmonology specialists treat a wide range of conditions that affect the lungs and respiratory tract.
Main Line Health experts use the latest technology to diagnose and treat all types of conditions affecting the chest, lungs and esophagus.
Genetic evaluation is becoming an important part of personalized care, as many health conditions have a genetic basis and genetic test results can help to guide medical decisions. Our genetic counselors provide consultations related to cancer genetics, cardiovascular genetics and prenatal genetics.