Sarcoidosis has touched the lives of prominent figures like Bernie Mac and Tisha Campbell Martin among others. What many don’t know is that until recently, this disease was very rare but has since become one of the most prominent diseases among blacks.
In the United States, sarcoidosis is more prevalent among African-Americans, presenting 10 times more common in Blacks, and occurring two times more frequently in Black females than in Black males. Since the disease is still a bit of a mystery, we pulled together a few important things you need to know about Sarcoidosis.
1. EXACTLY WHAT IS SARCOIDOSIS?
Sarcoidosis is a disease that causes your immune system to overreact, which can lead to health issues. We don’t know exactly what triggers this over-reaction, but this is a subject of intense investigation in the research labs across the country.
While sarcoidosis can affect virtually any
organ in the body including the skin, lymph nodes, heart, nervous system, and joints, over 90% of cases include the lungs.
2. HOW DO SARCOIDOSIS SYMPTOMS AFFECT YOUR BODY?
If diagnosed with sarcoidosis, the increased inflammation in your body may feel as if you have the flu and leave you with symptoms like night sweats, joint pain, and fatigue.
This inflammation can lead to scar tissue in your lungs while also making them function more poorly. Some people with sarcoidosis also have skin and eye damage in addition to lung disease. Occasionally, those with sarcoidosis develop granulomas and inflammation in their hearts, which can trigger abnormal heart rhythms and problems with heart muscle pumping strength.
3. WHAT CAUSES SARCOIDOSIS AND WHY IS IT SO HARD TO DIAGNOSE?
There haven’t been concrete findings behind what causes sarcoidosis, but it has been found that people over the between the ages of 20 and 40 years old, and women are more likely to develop sarcoidosis.
Sarcoidosis is difficult to
diagnose because of the myriad of ways it can show up in the body – from skin rashes to blurry vision to respiratory problems – and some patients never even have external symptoms.
In addition, as mentioned above, sarcoidosis is a rare disease – estimated to affect 200,000 Americans (i.e. < 0.1% of us) making leading to a lack of knowledge among some physicians. Lung doctors tend to have the most experience with sarcoidosis.
4. HOW CAN THOSE WITH SARCOIDOSIS MANAGE THE DISEASE?
Sarcoidosis is often treated with the help of a varied team of healthcare professionals. Because the disease can affect so many organ systems, you may work with many healthcare providers who specialize in the treatment of the lungs, heart, brain, kidneys, liver, eyes and skin.
Support can come in many forms and include oxygen therapy for patients with advanced disease who have low oxygen levels in the blood. For such sarcoidosis patients, supplemental oxygen can be helpful to decrease your shortness of breath during everyday activities and feel less fatigued and help keep you active.
Pulmonary rehabilitation programs can be helpful for those who have experienced muscular deconditioning after a period of significant exercise limitation due to illness. It is important to maintain a regular exercise regimen and a healthy diet.
Jasmine Browley holds an MA in journalism from Columbia College Chicago, and has contributed to Ebony, Jet and MADE Magazine among others. So, clearly, she knows some stuff. Follow her digital journey @JasmineBrowley.
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