Sarcoidosis

It’s often difficult to predict how sarcoidosis will affect you, as the condition affects different body organs, and the symptoms depend on the organ involved. 

Some people with sarcoidosis develop symptoms suddenly, but they usually clear within a few months or years, and the condition doesn’t return. 

Many people don’t have any symptoms at all, and the condition is diagnosed after a chest X-ray or a CT Scan is carried out for another reason. 

In a minority of people, symptoms get worse over time and severely affect their health.

Lung symptoms

Lungs are the most commonly affected organ. This is known as pulmonary sarcoidosis. The main symptoms are:

• breathlessness

• a cough that won’t go away

• pain and/or discomfort in your chest

Skin symptoms

If you have sarcoidosis, your skin can also be affected. Symptoms include:

• tender, red bumps or patches, particularly on your shins

• rashes on your upper body

Other symptoms 

You may also experience 1 or more of these symptoms, depending on which of your organs are affected:

• tender and swollen glands in your face, neck, armpits, or groin

• feeling unwell and tired

• painful joints or bones

• red or sore eyes

• an abnormal heart rhythm

• kidney stones

The condition may be triggered by a virus or bacteria. Your immune system, which is responsible for fighting infections, usually slows down when an infection has been cleared. It’s thought that sarcoidosis happens because the immune system fails to switch off and attacks its own tissues and organs. The resulting inflammation causes granulomas in the affected organs. 

It’s not known why the immune system behaves like this. Something in the environment may trigger the condition in people who are genetically susceptible.

There are many similar conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, that are caused by the body attacking its own tissues. These are collectively known as autoimmune conditions.

Experts also know that sarcoidosis isn’t infectious and can’t be passed from person to person. It rarely occurs in family members, and there’s no evidence that it’s inherited.

Your consultant will see you for an initial consultation where they’ll take your medical history and ask about your symptoms, if you have any. They may also want to do a physical examination.

Several tests may need to be carried out to make a diagnosis, depending on which of your organs are affected. 

It’s common to start with: 

• blood tests 

• chest X-ray

If your symptoms or a chest X-ray suggest you may have pulmonary sarcoidosis, the next tests could be:

• a CT scan to look at your lungs and lymph nodes

• breathing tests to measure your lung capacity

• a bronchoscopy (a camera on the end of a thin, flexible tube that’s passed through your throat into your breathing tubes)

• a biopsy to confirm the diagnosis

If sarcoidosis is affecting other organs like your skin, kidneys, heart, or eyes, further examination, scans, or biopsies may be carried out.

It’s not possible to prevent sarcoidosis or reduce your risk of developing it, as it’s not yet known what causes it.

For most people, the condition clears up on its own and doesn’t cause severe symptoms. 

However, for some people, it can be chronic and cause further complications. Around 10% to 20% of people with chronic sarcoidosis experience permanent organ damage from the condition. The most common complication is scarring on your lungs.

Sarcoidosis can very rarely be fatal — between 1% to 5% of people die as a result of the condition. 

Most people with sarcoidosis don’t need treatment as the condition often goes away on its own, usually within a few months or years. 

Pain medication

Simple over-the-counter painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen are often sufficient to control your symptoms.

Steroids

If your consultant does recommend treatment, they may suggest steroid tablets. These can help to relieve symptoms, reduce inflammation, and help prevent scarring. The starting steroid tablet dose is usually relatively high and given for a short period of time, before switching to a low dose for months or years afterwards as needed. Your consultant will monitor your condition during this time to see how well the treatment is working.

Immunosuppressants 

If steroid tablets don’t control the condition or cause unacceptable side effects, your consultant may recommend an alternative treatment. This might be a type of medication called immunosuppressants. These may help to improve your symptoms by reducing the activity of your immune system. 

At Welbeck, our respiratory specialists are experts in their field and are dedicated to providing world-class care to every patient.

With access to colleagues across other specialties, our consultants are also able to refer within the Welbeck ecosystem if required to ensure you receive the treatment you need as quickly as possible, all under one roof.  

All appointments, testing, treatment, and follow-up appointments take place within our state-of-the-art facilities, enabling us to deliver accurate diagnostics and advanced treatments.

Your health is important to us, so we strive to offer same-day appointments whenever possible.

Our consultants are recognised by the major health insurance companies. If you have private health insurance, your treatment at Welbeck can begin once you have obtained authorisation. We also provide care to self-paying patients. Learn more about the different payment options at Welbeck.

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