Cystic Fibrosis Testing

There always seems to be something in the news about all these different diseases that you may or may not have unless it is confirmed with either an invasive procedure or an expensive trip down the claustrophobic tube of an MRI machine.

This is not the case with cystic fibrosis testing. Well, it is and it isn’t. There is testing that does incorporate all of the medical marvels that have been developed over the past fifty years. However, the simplest test of cystic fibrosis testing starts with a lick and you can begin cystic fibrosis testing at home.

Yep, a lick. Cystic fibrosis testing can actually be started off by tasting the skin of the person you are concerned for or of yourself. Cystic fibrosis makes your skin taste salty. Now, if you sweat a lot, you will taste salty so do it a number of times. If it tastes abnormally salty, it may be time to visit a doctor’s office.

In the doctors office there will be more cystic fibrosis testing. The doctor will also do a clinical version of the lick test. This version of cystic fibrosis testing incorporates induction of sweating, collect it, and measuring the electrolyte levels. The main electrolyte examined in cystic fibrosis testing is chlorine. This is because the genetic source of cystic fibrosis affects chlorine levels throughout the body. Other tests include chest x-rays, neonatal screening, and CT scans, each looking for specific signs of cystic fibrosis.

So, if genetics are involved there are other options for cystic fibrosis testing. In this case, it will be genetic testing for a mutation in the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane-conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. Scientists know where this gene is and on it know where to look for the mutation. Unfortunately if the mutation is present, this patient will contract cystic fibrosis.
In terms of cystic fibrosis testing, the lick test has been around for years. Other tests have been developed but the main starting point always comes back to determining what the sweat is made of and what it tastes like.

Cystic Fibrosis Testing