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Sarcoidosis causes and its symptoms

Last updated on : 16 Nov, 2021

Read time : 6 min

What is Sarcoidosis?

Sarcoidosis is a condition caused by a particular type of inflammation in the body’s tissues. Sarcoidosis symptoms can affect practically any organ in the body, but it usually begins in the lungs or lymph nodes. Inflammation causes lumps or abnormal nodules (granulomas) to form in one or more body organs.

Sarcoidosis granulomas may alter the normal structure and function of the organs. It has the potential to harm the eyes, skin, heart, and other organs. The immune system of your body may react to external things such as viruses, bacteria, or chemicals, causing sarcoidosis.
Sarcoidosis’s causes are unknown, although specialists believe it is caused by the body’s immune system reacting to an unknown chemical.

Sarcoidosis skin affects 20 to 35 per cent of all sarcoidosis cases. Sarcoidosis symptoms might appear and disappear at any time. It can also develop gradually and generate symptoms that come and go, sometimes for the rest of one’s life.

Sarcoidosis symptoms in different body parts:

  1. Lungs- More than 90% of people with sarcoidosis causes have problems with their lungs. Even if sarcoidosis granuloma is primarily affecting other organs, the lungs are frequently affected. The most frequent sarcoidosis symptoms in the lungs are shortness of breath, cough, and chest discomfort.
  2. Skin- About a quarter of sarcoidosis skin patients experience at least one cutaneous symptom. Erythema nodosum (tender, painful, reddish bumps or patches on the skin) – frequently on the shins – is common, as are swollen and painful joints.
  3. Eyes- Sarcoidosis symptoms seen in the eyes affect about a quarter of patients with sarcoidosis. Inflammation can affect practically any aspect of the eye, including the eyelid membranes, cornea, outer layer of the eyeball (sclera), iris, retina, and lens.
  4. Nervous system- Neurologic illness affects 5% to 10% of people, typically without causing sarcoidosis symptoms in other organs. Headaches, meningitis, seizures, and nerve tissue degeneration or inflammation are all signs of neurologic involvement.
  5. Heart– Sarcoidosis granuloma development can harm any portion of the heart’s anatomy. Chest pain, cor pulmonale, cardiomyopathy (heart muscle illness), and irregularities in the heart’s electrical system, which can cause heart block, dysrhythmias, and sudden death, are the most commonly identified sarcoidosis symptoms in heart issues.
  6. Musculoskeletal system- Around 10% to 15% of patients may experience bone and muscle symptoms as sarcoidosis causes, such as arthritis, changes in bone structure, or muscle soreness and pain.

Sarcoidosis causes:

The exact sarcoidosis causes are not known. Sarcoidosis is assumed to develop when the immune system goes into “overdrive,” causing the body to attack its tissues and organs. Sarcoidosis granulomas form in the organs as a result of the accompanying inflammation.
To isolate and kill pathogens, the immune system of the body releases white blood cells into the bloodstream.

Common sarcoidosis symptoms seen are inflammation (swelling and redness) of the body tissues in that area as a result of this. This is how the immune system reacts to anything it doesn’t recognize in the blood, and it goes away after the infection is gone.
Rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, for example, are both autoimmune diseases in which the body attacks its tissues. Affiliations with sarcoidosis granulomas are referred to be autoimmune diseases.

The sarcoidosis skin is also termed as papular sarcoidosis.
A trigger in the environment may be the sarcoidosis caused by those who are genetically predisposed to it, but there’s no proof that the condition is inherited. Because the illness is not contagious, sarcoidosis symptoms are rare and it cannot be spread from one person to another.

Sarcoidosis Diagnosis

Depending on sarcoidosis symptoms and which organs are damaged, a variety of tests may be used to diagnose sarcoidosis causes. The growth of sarcoidosis granulomas (abnormal lumps or nodules made up of inflammatory tissue) in one or more of the body’s major organs is the characteristic sarcoidosis symptom of the condition. Sarcoidosis granulomas are similar to granulomas caused by other disorders.
Your doctor will start by completing a physical exam and recording your medical history, work history, medications you’ve taken or are taking, and any possible environmental exposure to sarcoidosis skin-causing factors. To confirm a diagnosis of sarcoidosis, they will look for granulomas.
If your symptoms suggest pulmonary sarcoidosis, your doctor may order a chest X-ray or a computerized tomography (CT) scan of your lungs to look for signs of the disease.
Doctors may use an endoscope, a long, thin, flexible tube with a light source and a camera at the end that is passed down your throat, to inspect the sarcoidosis symptoms inside of your lungs in some circumstances. During this procedure, a small sample of lung tissue may be taken to be examined under a microscope, known as biopsy to examine sarcoidosis causes.

Sarcoidosis treatment

Although there is no cure and the sarcoidosis causes are not known, most people with the disease do not require sarcoidosis treatment because sarcoidosis symptoms normally go away on their own within a few months or years. The following are examples of good health practices to treat Sarcoidosis granuloma:

Visiting your healthcare provider regularly.
Including a range of fresh fruits and vegetables in a well-balanced diet to avoid sarcoidosis causes.
8 to 10-ounce glasses of water each day are recommended.
Getting a good night’s sleep of 6 to 8 hours.
Regular exercise, as well as weight management and maintenance, can help in sarcoidosis treatment.
Smoking cessation to reduce sarcoidosis symptoms.
Avoid dust, chemicals, fumes, gases, hazardous inhalants, and other potentially harmful things.
Excessive calcium-rich foods (dairy products, oranges, canned salmon with bones), vitamin D, and sunlight should be avoided.

Drug of Choice for Sarcoidosis treatment

Drugs in sarcoidosis treatment are used to alleviate sarcoidosis symptoms, reduce tissue inflammation, lower the risk of granuloma formation, and prevent the development of lung fibrosis and other irreversible organ damage.
Corticosteroids are the first drug for treating sarcoidosis because they are very effective at lowering inflammation. Prednisone, an oral corticosteroid, is the most often prescribed corticosteroid. Corticosteroid medication manages rather than cures the sarcoidosis causes.

Alternatives:

Methotrexate, leflunomide, or azathioprine: These drugs, which are most commonly used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, have been used to treat pulmonary sarcoidosis and chronic sarcoidosis.
Various Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen or aspirin.
Topical steroids- These can be used to treat sarcoidosis skin.
Organ transplantation- In end-stage patients.

Hence, after consulting with your doctor, your doctor may prescribe you medicine according to your health condition. So, you can buy medicine at your nearest medical store or if you are looking for online medicine and also for free online doctor consultation. You can refer to our Truemeds physician which provides free online consultations. We also provide you with  PAN India home medicine delivery, with a discount offer, and monthly savings on your medical bill. 

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Our healthcare experts have carefully reviewed and compiled the information presented here to ensure accuracy and trustworthiness. It is important to note that this information serves as a general overview of the topic and is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, prevent, or cure any health problem. This page does not establish a doctor-patient relationship, nor does it replace the advice or consultation of a registered medical practitioner. We recommend seeking guidance from your registered medical practitioner for any questions or concerns regarding your medical condition.

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