Cystic Fibrosis and Asthma

There is an estimated 30,000 people in the United States that have Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and about 25 million who have asthma. CF is often confused with asthma because of their symptom similarities. CF, despite what people may think is far more severe than asthma. Most people think that CF would be easier to treat and cure because there are fewer people with it. Unfortunately, at this point there is no cure for CF. Cystic Fibrosis is far more severe than asthma because it is terminal, the treatment is vigorous, and it can cause many other life threatening issues. Cystic Fibrosis is more severe than asthma because it is a terminal disease. The average life expectancy of someone with Cystic Fibrosis is currently 37 years old. Despite the everyday efforts to create new medicines and therapies, there are no cures at this time. The medicines that people with CF take help to prolong their lives and help them live better, but it will only help for so long before the body cannot take anymore. People with asthma have a normal life expectancy of eighty. Some people may argue that there is also no cure for asthma however, there are better, more successful treatments. There is no way for people to avoid getting Cystic Fibrosis because it is genetic. There are genetic tests that can be done before someone is born to determine if they have CF but then it is up to the parents to decide if they want to take care of the child with CF. Although there is also no sure way to prevent asthma, there are things that can be done to minimize the chance of getting it. People with asthma don’t always have to live their entire life with it because it is often outgrown. Cystic Fibrosis is a terminal disease, while asthma does not have to be. The treatment regimen that people have to follow for Cystic Fibrosis is quite vigorous. Many of the medicines taken for CF can affect how a person lives their life. Many of the medicines can affect a person with CF concerning the taste of their food,