Sarcoidosis - Can Lead To More Serious Illnesses
Sarcoidosis is a kind of inflammatory disease that begins in the lungs but can eventually affect the other organs such as the skin, liver, eyes, heart and the nervous system. Anyone could get sarcoidosis but this disease usually affects adults who are between 20 to 40 years old. Rarely does it affect children but adults who are above 50 years old could still be affected with this disease. The people who are more prone to this disease are African Americans and those who are of Scandinavian, Irish or German descent.
It is possible for sarcoidosis to develop gradually and the symptoms that it may produce might last for years. It could also suddenly appear and disappear just as easily. The signs and symptoms of sarcoidosis vary with each individual, depending on the history of your disease and which organs are affected. The symptoms usually include fever, weight loss, watery eyes, small red bumps on the face, discomfort, fatigue and arthritis in the elbows, wrists, hands and ankles.
There is no exact known cause of sarcoidosis but doctors believe it might occur when the immune system happens to overreact to an unknown drug, toxin or pathogen, which could enter your body through its airways. Until now, the causes of this disease are still being studied.
The early stage of sarcoidosis may produce just a few signs and symptoms that may even resemble that of other illnesses, which would make it even difficult for the doctor to diagnose such disease. Diagnosis by elimination may be necessary in this case and even so, the doctors can still miss sarcoidosis. Undiagnosed sarcoidosis, in the majority of cases, could spontaneously disappear. But a few people may go on to develop much more severe symptoms for many years. To diagnose this disease, the doctor will initially order a chest x-ray. The results of the x-ray would determine whether the patient would need tests like blood test, lung function test, bronchoscopy, tissue sample, mediastinoscopy and slit-lamp examination. Treatment may not be necessary if the sarcoidosis is only affecting the lungs and its nearby lymph nodes. But even so, the doctor will closely monitor the patient if the disease will disappear on its own. But if the disease has reached the eyes, heart or central nervous system, and there is elevated blood-calcium level, then the doctor will prescribe treatment with medications. Generally, doctors use the corticosteroid drug prednisone in treating sarcoidosis. This is a powerful drug that could mimic the effects of hormones, which are produced by the adrenal glands. The duration of drug treatment may vary among patients, some may even have to take it for several years. This drug also has serious side effects when it is taken on a long-term basis. These include high blood pressure, osteoporosis, diabetes, cataracts, weight gain and increased risk of infection. But if sarcoidosis is left untreated, it may lead to complications such as lung scarring, eye and skin disease, fertility problems, nervous system problems and heart and liver problems.
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