April is National Minority Health Awareness Month, and while all general health awareness is important, I’d like to make you aware of a much more specific and quite unknown health concern in African-Americans: Sarcoidosis.  Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease that most often affects the lungs and lymph nodes, but can infect any organ.  While it is a rare disease, sarcoidosis can be deadly, especially if left untreated.

According to the Foundations for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR), sarcoidosis can affect anyone, but is most commonly found in African-Americans and Scandinavian Caucasians, particularly between the ages of 20 and 40. Doctors are not sure exactly what causes the disease, but many believe its source to be found in genetics. Studies have shown that a usually harmless bacterial or viral infection can cause sarcoidosis to flare up in an individual with the right genetic code. 

In a person with sarcoidosis, the immune system goes into a heightened activity mode which causes inflammatory cells, called granulomas, to clump together in a mass.  Depending on the infected area and the size of the mass, the granulomas can disturb the organ’s function, causing pain, discomfort and in some cases death.  Most cases of the disease heal over time, usually a few years, but some can last longer and even span a lifetime.

For more information about sarcoidosis or to find a doctor that treats this disease, please visit FSR’s website at www.stopsarcoidosis.org.  You can also print their helpful brochure and give it to a friend or family member you believe might be suffering from this disease.