Every year on April 13th, World Sarcoidosis Awareness Day draws attention an inflammatory disease and encourages those who have this condition to support one another and educate others about living with sarcoidosis.
Sarcoidosis is a condition that causes our immune system to overreact and make lumps or nodules called granulomas. Depending on location and size, granulomas can cause mild to severe symptoms or no symptoms at all. In some cases, they can turn into fibrosis, causing permanent lung scarring.
General symptoms of sarcoidosis
- Fever.
- Fatigue.
- Joint pain.
- Muscle aches or weakness.
- Night sweats.
- Swollen lymph nodes.
- Unexplained weight loss.
- Kidney stones.
Sarcoidosis is usually diagnosed with a combination of a physical exam, imaging (such as a chest X-ray) and biopsy of suspected granulomas. Because sarcoidosis can look like other conditions, your healthcare provider may perform additional tests to rule out other illnesses.
Treatment for sarcoidosis is usually to manage symptoms and prevent organ damage. Since granulomas are areas of inflammation caused by immune cells, sarcoidosis is usually treated with medications that modify or suppress your immune system. Treatment depends on where granulomas are in your body.