Living with a chronic disease is not easy, and cystic fibrosis is not any different. The patients of cystic fibrosis have to face medical, financial, and social challenges, but they find the balance between their disease and their life ultimately. Previously, not many people with cystic fibrosis reached adulthood. However, with betterment in treatment options and care of healthcare experts like Pulmonologist in Lahore many children with cystic fibrosis are exceeding their life expectancy. In fact, adults with cystic fibrosis now outnumber the pediatric population. But what exactly is cystic fibrosis and how do patients manage this chronic illness? Read on to find out:
What is cystic fibrosis?
This chronic disorder of the lungs and the GI tract is due to a missing protein in the genes which results in the production of a stickier and thicker mucus. Consequently, it is harder for the body to expel this mucus and the body becomes prone to entrapping bacteria and getting infections. While the thickened mucus affects multiple organs in the body, it is the GI tract and the lungs that are most affected. The thickened mucus makes digestion difficult and breathing difficult. There is a higher propensity for bacterial infestation as well in the two organs.
Presently, there is no cure for this life-threatening disease.
Life at school with cystic fibrosis
In most cases, the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis is made while a child is still in school. At an early age, there is failure to thrive, slow growth, and inability to gain weight, along with gastric symptoms like diarrhea or severe constipation, stomach ache, bloating foul-smelling stool, and loss of appetite. The secretions of patients with cystic fibrosis, including sweat, are salty.
While the children with cystic fibrosis face challenges while attending school, there is no reason they cannot attend one. They may face difficulties relating to feeding, and treatments but there is no reason for them to keep away from school. In case of aggravation of the disease, they may need hospitalization and thus skip school. When there is so much skipping of school, parents tend to prefer to home-school their child.
Such children also have limitations on activities of daily living because of their health. For instance, they may have drops in their energy levels, which may frustrate them as they are unable to perform the same way as their peers. In fact, there is evidence that children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis tend to demonstrate an increased likelihood of depression and other psychiatric symptoms. During this time, the support of family, and friends is crucial, along with help from mental healthcare professionals.
Myths of living with cystic fibrosis
According to the patients of cystic fibrosis, life with this illness is not all bad, in spite of the hospitalizations and medication. There is the option of eating all the high-calorie food without worrying about weight gain. Moreover, during hospitalizations and in between treatments, they have plenty of time to multitask and read books, and play games which an otherwise busy schedule wouldn’t allow. They can also get to be creative during their stay in the hospital. Healthcare providers like Pulmonologist in Karachi encourage their patients to not let CF stop them from living their life to the fullest.
How important is the role of a pulmonologist?
Breathing is a great gift from God. Breathing happens automatically but you don’t realize how horrible it will be after it suddenly stops. This is a very important function that the body performs. When you have problems with your breathing, it can be a cause for concern. Respiratory failure or respiratory infections are one of the leading causes of death in many countries. It can be responsible for many factors such as genetics, contaminating inflammation, and infectious diseases. For these reasons, it can affect the health of your lungs and your entire respiratory system.
You can consult a pulmonologist when you are suffering from respiratory problems or respiratory infections. A pulmonologist. Otherwise known or called Pulmonary Disease Specialist, is a medical specialist who acquires accurate knowledge and skills in diagnosing and treating lung conditions and diseases. Pulmonology is considered a subspecialty of internal medicine. Surgeons need to have knowledge of internal medicine as well as other medical skills in order to be certified.
How important is the role of a pulmonologist?
Your pulmonologist will be part of a pulmonary care team. A pulmonary care team consists of respiratory therapists, nurse practitioners, respiratory care nurses, and pulmonary function technicians. Each of them has an important role to play in ensuring that the treatment you receive will benefit you and ultimately heal you. The importance of having a whole team is to create a treatment plan that can go through the patient. They will enlighten you on respiratory diagnostic tests and treatment options.
They will carefully explain the whole treatment to the patient as well as the patient’s family so that you are psychologically, physically, emotionally, and financially prepared. Continuing treatment is never as easy as it used to be. It must be written in the clear language of what the patient needs to do so that the questions that may create stress in him can be answered and he can finally know what to expect.
The best care for the treatment of pulmonology
Considering the current level of pollution in the country, chest medicine has become a growing field for the treatment of infectious diseases. The Department of Pulmonology is primarily concerned with the treatment of chest diseases. It provides prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment, and management of pulmonary disease in both pediatric populations and adults. Physicians and all staff employed by this department train individual with several years of experience under their belt.
Here are some of them:
Bronchial asthma: The patient’s airways become swollen, narrow, and swollen and produce mucus.
SDP: Sickness while sleeping is a common term for breathing difficulties that occur during sleep.
Lung cancer
Tuberculosis
These diseases are, above all, very uncomfortable and deadly, or even fatal. It is important that the hospital is equipped to serve both outpatients and patients.
Emergency services need to be provided by the department. Residential treatments are available around the hospital to care for emergency patients. The state-of-the-art respiratory ICU (Intensive Care Unit) is a part of a multispeciality hospital. Fully equipped to provide services for emergency or critically ill patients.
Lung and respiratory care specialists specialize in diagnosing and treating respiratory diseases and lung conditions. Applying new technologies and techniques to help you breathe easier.
Pulmonary medicine is a specialized field of internal medicine that focuses on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of conditions that affect the lungs and respiratory tract. There are several common conditions here for our pulmonologists to diagnose and treat.
The Department of Pulmonology also focuses on disease-based research programs. Including a focus on translating the latest research results to offer effective care and treatment. Making this department one of the best for conducting medical care.
The latest discoveries in the world of pulmonary medicine are used to treat the disease and to make the world a better place. The various services provided by this department include Snoring and Sleep Disorder Center. Bronchial Asthma Clinic, Allergy Clinic, and Allergen Testing, Pulmonary Function Lab and DLCO Lab, Flexible and Inflexible Bronchoscopy, Medical and Surgical Pharyngoscope. Medical and Surgical Pharynx Tuberculosis Clinic, ILD Clinic, and City Thorax.
