Living With Cystic Fibrosis

If you have cystic fibrosis (CF), you should learn as much as you can about the disease and work closely with your doctors to learn how to manage it.

Ongoing medical care is important. You should seek treatment from a team of doctors, nurses, and respiratory therapists who specialize in CF. These specialists are often located at CF Foundation Centers in major medical centers.

Good self-care includes:

• Eating a healthy diet
• Avoiding tobacco smoke
• Washing your hands often to reduce your chances of infection
• Exercising frequently
• Drinking lots of fluids
• Doing chest physical therapy every day
• Having annual flu and other appropriate vaccinations
• Taking your medicines as prescribed

You can expect to have a normal sex life.

• Most men with CF are infertile, but they may be helped with modern reproductive techniques.
• Although most women with CF may be less fertile than women who don’t have CF, they usually can have children. Talk to your doctor before becoming pregnant.

Having a positive attitude is also helpful.

If you are a parent of someone with CF, do not feel guilty about passing it on to your child. And do not be overprotective; encourage your child to be active and self-reliant.