Taking a Look at Sarcoidosis

If a close relative suffers from this disease, that child is more likely to develop sarcoidosis during her lifetime. There are only a few cases suffering from chronic sarcoidosis, which means that they have symptoms throughout their lifetime. In most cases, the symptoms of sarcoidosis come and go in your life. Symptoms vary depending on the place of sarcoidosis in the body. Common symptoms and signs are fever, fatigue, weight loss, night sweats, high levels of calcium in the blood, and overall morbidity.

Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease that affects multiple organs in the body, but mainly occurs in the lungs and lymph glands. In patients with sarcoidosis, abnormal masses or nodules (called granulomas) of inflamed tissue are formed in certain organs of the body. These granulomas alter the normal structure and may alter the function of the affected organs. Sarcoidosis occurs in most cases between 20 and 40 years of age, women are diagnosed more frequently than men. This disease is 10 to 17 times more common among African Americans than white people. Scandinavian, German, Irish or Puerto Rican are also prone to this disease. It is estimated that one in four people suffers from sarcoidosis in the United States

The heritability of sarcoidosis depends on race. About 20% of African Americans suffering from sarcoidosis have their families, but the same number of European Americans is about 5%. In addition, among African Americans who seem to be experiencing more serious and chronic diseases, the risk of developing this disease for brothers and sisters and parents of sarcoidosis cases is about 2.5 times greater. For individuals in Sweden, the heritability rate is 39%. In this group, if a family member suffers, the risk of one person being affected will be quadrupled.

In many people suffering from sarcoidosis, this disease occurs temporarily, and everyone disappears when they do not know that they are suffering from the disease. 20% to 30% of people have permanent lung injuries. Sarcoidosis is a chronic disease for several people. In some people, the disease may cause deterioration of the affected organ. In rare cases, sarcoidosis may be fatal. Death is usually the result of lung, heart or brain complications.