Sarcoidosis Symptoms

Sarcoidosis symptoms come from an inflammatory disease of the lungs and lymph glands, that can also be found within multiple organs in the body.

Symptoms

The symptoms of sarcoidosis may vary from patient to patient, especially since they can mimic other conditions. But, among those generally presented at first examination are:

Persistent dry cough: patient is feeling the beginnings of the growths in the lungs, and the body?s reaction is cough to dislodge the obstruction.

Fatigue: this is a general symptom of malaise, an overall feeling of illness, and in conjunction with sarcoidosis, possibly from being unable to rest due to other symptoms, like persistent coughing.

Shortness of breath: another symptom possibly caused by the development of growths within the lungs. Once the growths reach a certain stage and size, they can begin to interfere with the proper function of the lungs, causing a marked shortness of breath.

Swollen and painful joints: over time, the inflammation caused by this condition will begin to form cysts, swelling tissues within the joints themselves.

Enlarged lymph glands: these will appear in the neck, armpits, groin, and chest, especially around the lungs. As this condition progresses, the lymph glands will swell until they become noticeable as small lumps under the skin, and are often painful when pressed.

Pain in bony areas: this will occur in the hands and feet, primarily, but can appear in other bony areas of the body. The pain is indicative of cysts forming within the tissues in and around the bones.

These are symptoms that pertain to the direct effects of this condition. This disorder can also present common symptoms for a host of allergic reactions because of its effect on the immune system.

If you have any of the above symptoms, especially breathing issues, it is imperative to be examined by a doctor and soon, to avoid any misdiagnosis.

In patients affected by this condition, abnormal masses, made up of inflamed tissues, will begin to form in the affected organs.

Normally found in the lungs and lymph glands, it will often grow large enough to alter the normal structure, and may even affect the function of the organs they reside in.

The exact cause of sarcoidosis symptoms is unknown at this time, but it is generally thought to be associated with an abnormal response by the body?s immune system, and the trigger of it has yet to be determined.

At this time, what causes it to spread to other parts of the body is also unknown, as is the medium by which it spreads.

There is also no certain way to efficiently diagnose it, because the symptoms and lab results may resemble those for other conditions.

It has been found that this most often appears in women between the ages of 20 and 40 years of age, men less often.

It is also more common to be found in patients of African-American, Scandinavian, German, Irish, and Puerto Rican descent, than any other racial background. Currently, about 4 in 10,000 people in the United States have it.