Lifestyle Choices

This information is provided for your consideration; remember to always consult with your healthcare team.

Adolescence is rich with significant lifestyle changes as you begin the long transition between childhood and adulthood. You will surely be faced by many new situations in which you will make decisions that could affect your health. Some of your peers may start engaging in habits that are particularly unhealthy for CF patients. Clearly, a habit such as smoking could have severe health consequences for someone with cystic fibrosis, increasing the possibility of lung damage and permanently affecting respiratory function. Such negative effects can also result from second hand smoke and simply being around people who are smoking. Alcohol is another issue, since some of the medications you take may have dangerous interactions with its consumption.

In addition to maintaining a healthy, balanced diet, it is also important for people with cystic fibrosis to get plenty of exercise. Among other things, regular exercise can help improve respiratory function. You should consult with your cystic fibrosis care team to help decide what type of exercise might be best for you, depending on the severity of your respiratory symptoms. Generally running, swimming and cycling are some common forms of aerobic activity. This, of course, means that possible participation in physical education and extracurricular sports are possible activities for someone with cystic fibrosis. After speaking with a physician, you can determine which physical activities are best for you.

Consider exploring the following websites for more information:

• Cystic Fibrosis Foundation — Risks of Smoking for People with CF
• PubMed article — Association of poor clinical status and heavy exposure to tobacco smoke in patients with cystic fibrosis