Treatment
HOW IS CYSTIC FIBROSIS TREATED?
Management and treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF) is lifelong and ongoing.
A person with CF may consume up to 60 capsules daily to help digest food and may need to do up to four hours of airway clearance physiotherapy each day.
It is important for people with CF to visit a CF Treatment Centre several times each year so their progress can be monitored.
Treatment generally involves:
- Intensive daily physiotherapy to clear the lungs
- Enzyme replacement capsules with food to aid digestion
- Antibiotic therapy to treat lung infections
- Aerosol mist inhalations via a nebuliser to help open the airways
- Salt and vitamin supplements
- A nutritious diet that’s also high calorie, high salt and high fat
- Exercise – important to help clear the airways and build core strength.
Bear in mind they must do all this in and around their normal daily activities like going to school or work.
People with CF are not encouraged to socialise with each other. The risk of cross-infection and exacerbation of lung conditions is too great. That means CF can be a lonely existence in the respect that people with CF cannot personally interact to share experiences and offer support.
In recent years, a new type of medication, known as CFTR modulators, has become available in Australia for people with CF. They are not a cure, and not all people with CF can access them, but they do help the body’s cells to function more normally.
To learn more about CFTR modulators, as well as treatments and therapies, please click the button below.