Serious Symptoms Of Cystic Fibrosis

Severe Constipation

Some individuals who have cystic fibrosis may present with severe constipation as a manifestation of their disease. This symptom occurs most commonly in cystic fibrosis patients in their late childhood or early adulthood. The thick sticky mucus produced in these individuals can clog up the ducts that deliver digestive enzymes to the small intestine. Without these digestive enzymes, the affected individual experiences malabsorption of proteins, fats, and sometimes, carbohydrates. When these components stay in the digested food as it moves through the intestines, it often gets stuck and moves too slowly. This malfunction results in the large intestine absorbing too much fluid out of the digested food, causing the patient's stools to become abnormally hard and difficult to pass from the body. Individuals affected by this symptom may strain to the point of rectal prolapse or a painful condition where part of the rectum protrudes out of the anus. Another presentation of severe constipation is through the complication of distal intestinal obstruction or a partial or complete blockage in the area where the small intestine meets the large intestine.

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