Sarcoidosis is a disease in which abnormal accumulations of inflammatory cells called granulomas form. It can affect many organs, but it affects the lungs and lymph nodes most of all.
Those affected by sarcoidosis usually cough and have difficulty breathing. However, symptoms can vary, depending on which organs are affected.
Sarcoidosis can be the result of an infection. However, it can also appear due to an abnormal immune system response. This disease usually appears in people between 20 and 40 years of age. In addition, it almost always happens during winter or early spring.
Symptoms
The symptoms of sarcoidosis vary depending on the affected area and the extent of the disease. They also depend on the age and sex of the affected person.
Some of the general symptoms are fever, tiredness, malaise, undefined chest pain, loss of appetite, and joint pain. However, depending on the location there are specific symptoms, which we’ll explain below.
Lungs – A chest x-ray will show enlarged lymph nodes in the lung area near the heart. If the condition is severe, the lung ends up overloading the right side of the heart and causing right heart failure.
Sarcoidosis on the skin – When sarcoidosis affects the skin, a red rash appears on the shins. Fever and joint pain normally accompany this symptom.
Liver and spleen – A high percentage of people with sarcoidosis have granulomas in the liver. However, people with this condition usually don’t experience any symptoms. For this reason, the liver appears to function normally, but blood tests will provide data on the degree to which the liver is affected.
Eyes – If sarcoidosis affects the eyes, it causes redness and pain. In addition, prolonged inflammation ends up obstructing the drainage of the eye’s internal fluid, causing glaucoma.
Heart – Granulomas that form on the heart can lead to heart palpitations, dizziness, or heart failure.
Joints and muscles with sarcoidosis – Inflammation from sarcoidosis causes widespread joint pain. Generally, the wrists, elbows, knees, and ankles are the most affected joints.
Nervous system – In some cases, this condition affects the cranial nerves. When this happens, you might experience symptoms such as double vision, hearing loss, and partial facial paralysis.
Sarcoidosis treatment
Most people with this condition don’t need treatment. However, if needed, doctors can administer nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve pain and fever.
Corticosteroid drugs
Doctors use corticosteroids to treat cases of sarcoidosis that cause choking, joint or chest pain, and fever. In addition, they use them when you have high levels of calcium and deforming skin lesions. Likewise, doctors often use them if you have impaired liver, cardiac, and nervous system function.
Corticosteroids control symptoms and tissue damage caused by sarcoidosis well. However, they can’t prevent pulmonary fibrosis.
Immunosuppressants
About 10% of people affected by sarcoidosis don’t respond to treatment with only corticosteroids. In these cases, doctors use methotrexate. In some cases, if corticosteroids are ineffective or cause unpleasant side effects, doctors administer immunosuppressant drugs.
Some of these drugs are azathioprine, chloroquine, or hydroxychloroquine, and infliximab. Hydroxychloroquine is useful for treating deforming skin lesions. It’s also useful when you have high levels of calcium in the blood.
In addition, it can also be effective when you have painful inflammation of the lymph nodes. On the other hand, if sarcoidosis affects your heart, you may need a pacemaker.
Via: MedicineNet | WebMD
