Males with cystic fibrosis are usually unable to father children. Cystic fibrosis does not affect intelligence. Children with cystic fibrosis take medicines to loosen the thick secretions in their lungs. They often take antibiotics. Parents clap their chest several times a day to loosen these secretions and help them to drain out.
Most patients develop increasing problems as they get older.
Patients with cystic fibrosis dying today average 31 years of age, but patients with cystic fibrosis born today can expect to live longer as treatment improves. Ask your doctor to perform the cystic fibrosis carrier test on your blood. If you are having other blood tests, the blood for cystic fibrosis carrier testing can be drawn at the same time. If not, blood can be drawn especially for the cystic fibrosis carrier test. It's your choice.