Ambulance 912HAP 9252
Back to all symptoms and conditions
General health information

Cystic fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis is an inherited condition in which mucus becomes too thick in organs including the lungs and pancreas. Early specialist treatment, daily airway care, good nutrition and targeted medicines limit damage, but suddenly worsening breathlessness or coughing up blood needs prompt assessment.

In this article
Choose which sections to read

Cystic fibrosis is an inherited condition in which mucus becomes too thick in organs including the lungs and pancreas. Early specialist treatment, daily airway care, good nutrition and targeted medicines limit damage, but suddenly worsening breathlessness or coughing up blood needs prompt assessment.

  • Persistent cough, lots of mucus, wheezing, breathlessness or recurrent respiratory infections.
  • Poor growth, insufficient weight gain or large, greasy, strong-smelling stools due to poor digestion.
  • Carry out airway techniques, inhaled treatments and exercise as agreed with the specialist team.
  • Take enzymes and vitamins around meals exactly as prescribed and do not change the dose yourself.
  • Call the same day for increased coughing, changed or blood-stained mucus, fever, chest pain, eating less or a clear decline in fitness.
  • For urgent GP care outside normal opening hours, call HAP 9252. Call Ambulance 912 only for an immediately life-threatening situation.

Your response

Two anonymous questions

Did you find what you were looking for?

Do you now have a clearer idea of your next step?

Share article

Email

Do you need a healthcare provider after reading?

Search by type of care, organisation, name or district.

Further reading

Browse A–Z
C
Coughing up bloodBlood in coughed-up mucus needs assessment. A few small streaks or spots need urgent medical advice; more blood, or blood with chest pain or breathlessness, is an emergency.
H
Herpes eye infectionHerpes viruses can inflame the cornea and other parts of the eye. A red painful eye, light sensitivity or blurred vision needs prompt assessment by an ophthalmologist. Early antiviral treatment helps limit damage; ordinary antibiotics do not work against herpes viruses.
L
Lung cancerLung cancer starts in the lungs or airways. Symptoms may remain vague for a long time, but a persistent cough, coughing up blood, breathlessness, hoarseness, chest pain and unintentional weight loss are important signs. Not everyone with lung cancer smokes, and nobody deserves stigma or blame. Suspected cancer is usually investigated with scans, tissue testing and staging to establish how far the disease has spread. Treatment may include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy or palliative care.