Maybe CF

Question

My son of 3 might have CF. Is being tired a sign of CF?

Answer

Dear parent,

Very diverse symptoms can be the first sign that a child suffers from CF. The disease CF manifests itself by symptoms in one of 4 organ systems: the airways (f.e. chronic cough and frequent infections of the airways), the gut (f.e. digestive problems, eating much and gaining little weight, abdominal pain, fatty stools, problems secondary to loss of fat soluble vitamins), the sweat gland (f.e. dehydration due to salt loss) and the reproductive system (male infertility ). Often many symptoms are present simultaneously. Obviously when you are ill this will have an effect on your total body and therefore you can have chronic tiredness. Chronic tiredness is of course a non specific complaint and does not particularly point towards cystic fibrosis. Tiredness can be part of the complaints with very many diseases. Tiredness can also occur after a severe illness during the recovery phase.
K. De Boeck

17.03.2009