<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
 
Sarcoidosis is the disease; and sarcoid of the lungs is a location affected
by the disease.   According to a report by the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services Public Health Service National Institutes of Health;
 Sarcoidosis is a disease due to inflammation. It can appear in almost any
body organ, but most often starts in the lungs or lymph nodes.  As
sarcoidosis progresses small lumps, or granulomas appear in the affected
tissues. Symptoms are usually general. Weight loss, fatigue, night sweats,
fever, or just an overall feeling of ill health.  In some cases it shows up
with the appearance of skin rashes. red bumps on the face, arms, shins, ect.,
and sometimes inflammation of the eyes.
 
Sarcoidosis was once considered a rare disease. It is now known to be a
common chronic illness that appears all over the world. It is the most common
of the fibrotic lung disorders, and occurs often enough in the United States
for Congress to have declared a national Sarcoidosis Awareness Day in 1990.
 
Sarcoidosis is currently (1993) thought to be associated with an abnormal
immune response. Whether a foreign substance;  a chemical, drug, virus, or
some other substance is the trigger and  how the immune disturbance is caused
are not known. No one can predict how sarcoidosis will progress.  In general,
sarcoidosis appears briefly and heals naturally. However, 20 to 30% of
sarcoidosis patients are left with some permanent lung damage. In 10 to 15%
of the patients, sarcodosis can become severe  and chronic.
When either the granulomas or fibrosis seriously affect the function of a
vital organ;  the lungs, heart, nervous system, liver, or kidneys, for
example, sarcoidosis can be fatal.
 
Research in the United States into the unanswered questions about sarcoidosis
is being conducted by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
 
Bill Vellios Sr.,   St. Louis, Missouri, USA