Why cystic fibrosis salty skin

High levels of salt in the sweat of patients with cystic fibrosis suggested an abnormality in electrolyte transport from the sweat gland. Quinton postulated that sweat ducts in these patients were impermeable to chloride. Further studies led to the hypothesis that the faulty chloride channel must be situated in the apical membranes of the lung surface or glandular epithelium to explain the respiratory and systemic organ failure associated with cystic fibrosis.

This can lead to serious infections. In the digestive system, the enzymes that break down food are blocked. Without them, the intestines can't fully absorb fats and proteins. This condition can lead to vitamin deficiency and malnutrition. In later stages, your child may develop other chronic health conditions such as:.

Cystic fibrosis affects many systems and can cause a lot of symptoms. Your child may have these symptoms:. A blood test to screen for CF is given to all babies in the first 2 weeks of life. This is often called the newborn screen. If this test is positive, a sweat chloride test is then done to confirm the diagnosis.

People with CF have high levels of salt in their sweat. People with CF also can have high levels of chloride, which is found in salt, in their sweat.

Your child may have other tests to evaluate his or her condition, such as:. Blood tests. These are done to measure vitamin and mineral levels or to check liver function. There is no cure for cystic fibrosis. To manage CF, your child will likely need:. Many people with cystic fibrosis can now expect to live into their 30s and 40s, and beyond. Improvements in treatment may help people live even longer. Your child will need regular medical care for life. As the water evaporates, heat is carried away, and the body cools.

In people who have cystic fibrosis, the salt travels to the skin's surface with the water and is not reabsorbed. Because of this, the skin of a child who has cystic fibrosis is abnormally salty. Parents may notice salty-tasting skin when they kiss the child.

People who have cystic fibrosis can become quickly depleted of salts, especially when the weather is hot, when they exercise strenuously, or when they have a fever. Low salt levels in the body lead to fatigue, weakness, fever, muscle cramps, stomach pain, vomiting, dehydration, and heatstroke. Find out how cystic fibrosis CF affects the movement of salt and water in and out of cells, and how this can lead to salty sweat and skin for people with the condition.

As CF is caused by a faulty gene that controls the movement of chloride and water into and out of cells, people with CF often sweat more than people without the condition, and this sweat contains high levels of chloride, which can crystallise into salt visibly on the skin. In people with CF there is a problem in the transport of chloride across cell membranes. This causes thicker, stickier mucus in the lungs and digestive system, but also results in higher levels of chloride as salt in sweat compared with those who do not have cystic fibrosis.

Some parents who have newborn babies with CF have reported noticing that their skin tastes salty when they kiss them. Find out more about the science behind what causes cystic fibrosis.