The movie “Five Feet Apart”, in theaters today, features two teenagers with cystic fibrosis who spend much of their time living in a hospital and fall in love. A nurse orders them to stay six feet apart, the distance a germ can travel through the air. This is typical for people with cystic fibrosis who have to stay a minimum of six feet apart from one another to keep away from sharing potentially life-threatening infections. Though touching is off limits, the protagonists decide to break the six feet rule and push their boundaries a little to get closer to one another by one foot, hence the title “Five Feet Apart”. The movie is essentially a romance, but also deals with issues of how patients and families deal with a serious illness such as cystic fibrosis and how it affects people in different ways.
In light of this movie “Five Feet Apart” that raises awareness of cystic fibrosis and the challenges of this condition, we thought it is a good time to talk about cystic fibrosis and pulmonary fibrosis. Although both cystic fibrosis and pulmonary fibrosis impact normal breathing and require supplemental oxygen for management, we would like to highlight some differences between the two conditions:
| CYSTIC FIBROSIS | PULMONARY FIBROSIS | |
|---|---|---|
| CAUSES | Genetic Mutation | Environmental causes, Infections, Inflammation, certain Medications, Acid Reflux Disease |
| PRESENTATION | Airways filled with sticky mucous that makes it hard to breathe and traps infection-causing bacteria |
Abnormal thickening due to scarring/fibrosis of airways that makes it hard to breathe |
| TYPICAL AGE | Present from birth | 50 – 70 years but can occur at a younger age |
| HOW DIAGNOSED | Genetic Tests that look for the Cystic Fibrosis mutation, Sweat Test | Lung Function Tests, High Resolution CT scans (HRCT) |
| MAIN SYMPTOMS/ COMPLICATIONS | Troubled Breathing, increased risk of Respiratory Infections, Digestive problems resulting in stunted growth |
Shortness of Breath, Chronic Dry Cough, Clubbing of fingers, right Heart Failure in the later stages |
| ORGANS AFFECTED | Many organ systems including Respiratory, Digestive, Urinary and Reproductive Systems |
Respiratory System |
| TREATMENTS | Antibiotics to prevent and treat infections, Bronchodilators to help open airways and Supportive treatment to move mucus and clear airways |
Drugs that slow progression, Steroids, Anti-oxidants, Pulmonary Rehabilitation |
| ETHNIC DISTRIBUTION | Most common among Caucasians, rare among other ethnic groups | Can affect all ethnic groups |
| ALTERNATIVE THERAPY | Nutritional supplements, Herbs, Homeopathy, Acupuncture, Massage, Yoga, Breathing Exercises, Systemic Enzymes |
Please visit our website pulmonaryfibrosisnow.org for more information and join/like our Facebook page to help us in our efforts to use research, interactive learning and self-monitoring to increase awareness and educate the public about all treatments including natural, supplemental and alternative therapies to treat respiratory diseases.
Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of any information received from us.
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