| Where? | Upper respiratory tract, composed of the nose and sinuses. |
| What? | CF symptoms including increased mucus production and frequent nasal polyps, or nose lining swelling. |
| Testing? | People with nasal polyps or recurrent sinusitis should be tested for CF. |
| Treatment? | Irrigation of the sinuses to remove mucus. Topical or oral antibiotics to fight infection. |
| Quick Fact? | Recurrent or chronic sinus infections are also common in patients with CF. CT scans of the sinuses of CF patients almost always show abnormal sinus cavities full of mucus. |
| Where? | The lower respiratory tract, composed of the lungs. |
| What? | Chest x-ray often shows hyperinflation, small collapsed portions of the lung or obvious infection. The LRT may be affected by recurrent pneumonias, bronchitis and/or wheezing. CT scans of the chest may show bronchiectasis, especially in the upper lobes of the lung. |
| Testing? | Patients with any of these symptoms should be tested for CF. |
| Treatment? | Wheezing in CF patients often fails to improve with standard asthma therapies. Lung infections are often caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. |
| Quick Fact? | The most prominent feature of lower respiratory tract disease in CF is a chronic cough. The cough of older patients may produce thick, purulent mucus. |
