Let's Talk About Mucus

Boogers. Snot. Phlegm. Mucus. Spit.
Whatever you want to call it, someone with CF has a lot of it. Without getting too sciencey, salt doesn't stay in our bodies like a "normal" person (that's why our skin is super salty, but more on that another time), which causes our mucus to be thicker and stickier.

This thick, sticky mucus is harder to clear out of the lungs and is a great place for bacteria to grow, causing infections, that leads to scar tissue. All of this causes our lung function to decrease and it gets harder and harder to breathe as time goes on.

Mucus is found in many places in the body; pancreas, sinuses, cervix, etc. Anywhere that it's found, it will be worse in someone with CF. That's why many of us have to take supplemental enzymes when we eat. Our pancreas doesn't work properly due to the increased mucus and doesn't digest our food. Woe to us when we forget to, or just don't, take them when we eat something (again, that's a whole story for another time, yay, a poop post to look forward to!). Women with CF tend to have a harder time getting pregnant due to mucus plugs in their cervix, and most men with CF are infertile.
Chronic sinus infections (sinusitis) are also a common occurrence with CF.

Growing up, I didn't have any lung issues at all, but have definitely had my share of sinus issues. I had surgery in 2009 to open up my sinuses and get out all of the gunk that was jammed in them, they were totally blocked. They've stayed pretty clear since, other than major inflammation, but it's not uncommon for a CFer to have a sinus scraping surgery on a regular basis. And I've heard that sometimes the sinus cavities are 'obliterated' to close them off to future infection. I actually didn't even develop the one above my right eye, so lucky me, my sinus headaches are concentrated on my left side for the most part.

With CF, you learn to not be too squeamish about what comes out of your nose or mouth, as a single cough or sneeze can get you a sleeveful of goo. You also learn to inspect it for color as that is an indicator of an infection (yellow = bad, green = good). I can get up close and personal with mine til the cows come home, but if I even see someone else spit a glob out from a distance my gag reflex goes crazy.