National Sarcoidosis Day

It is a day for raising awareness on sarcoidosis, a disease due to inflammation of cells because of Granuloma.

National Sarcoidosis Day is celebrated worldwide on April 30th and we celebrate it by raising awareness, volunteering at events and spreading the word about do's and don'ts should do in relation to this chronic illness. Did you know that 70% of people with sarcoidosis are from 20 and 40 years old? In addition, women are more likely to develop the disease.

History of National Sarcoidosis Day

National Sarcoidosis Day was born out of Sarcoidosis Awareness Month, which is celebrated every year in April. People have been asking for a compliance date as an official holiday since Sarcoidosis Month was announced. It was finally proposed by Congress and officially declared retired only in 2008.

The second Saturday in April is also considered the same disease awareness day. The snowflake symbol has been similar to the symptoms of the disease, in order to raise awareness across the country.

There is no cure for sarcoidosis, and people diagnosed with it find it difficult to recover from the complications that arise from it. The root cause of sarcoidosis may be genetic. The disease is thought to primarily affect African-Americans, and people with pre-existing autoimmune disorders are also more susceptible. As of 2015, approximately 1.9 million people have been affected by pulmonary sarcoidosis, which mainly affects the lungs. So, National Sarcoidosis Day was established to spread awareness about this disease.

Why National Sarcoidosis Day?

National Sarcoidosis Day is celebrated to create awareness about sarcoidosis, a disease caused by inflammation of the cells caused by granulomas, which is a collection of immune cells that are formed while the immune system makes efforts to remove these substances. Any of the Organs can be affected by this disease and the consequences and symptoms depend on the Organ affected.

The root cause of sarcoidosis is still unknown. However, the cause can also be genetic as it mainly affects African Americans than European Americans and autoimmune disorders. However, it has not been proven. Furthermore, there is no treatment so far, although a solution for the early stages can be found, scientists are trying to find a cure for it. However, some of them go away without any treatment or medication. The high-complex risks are estimated to be 1 to 7% based on the patient's history.

Probably, no test is possible, especially for these diseases. It is sometimes diagnosed by a test done for a different disease. As of 2015, nearly 1.9 million people suffer from pulmonary sarcoidosis, a disease that affects the lungs, eventually leading to the death of 120000 people due to ignorance.

Some truths about Sarcoidosis Day

• Sarcoidosis mainly affects the lungs. 90% of Sarcoidosis affects the lungs and further leads to inflammation in the blood vessels of the pulmonary arteries. 50% of people with pulmonary sarcoidosis have permanent abnormalities in the pulmonary arteries.
• Treatment should be appropriate for widespread inflammation. The remaining 10%, which can be affected by Sarcoidosis are Skin, Heart, Eyes, Nervous System, Endocrine System, Exocrine System, Stomach, Bones, Muscles and Joints. The affected organ after the lung is the skin. The main symptoms are patches on the skin and can spread to the Scalp. The skin tissue is damaged and becomes slightly red. it rarely causes any major problems. Treatment or medication is not necessary as the patches will disappear within a few weeks. Mostly it affects African Americans.
• Cardiac sarcoidosis occurs infrequently and cannot be compared with lung and skin disease. Approximately 5% of patients with sarcoidosis are diagnosed with cardiac sarcoidosis. Symptoms can be none or sudden ventricular disease that can lead to immediate heart block. However, reported cases of high complexity are rare.
• Ocular sarcoidosis was observed in some cases. This type of Sarcoidosis can be severe, unlike Skin. It mainly leads to retinitis and further manifestations can eventually lead to permanent blindness.
• Sarcoidosis caused “Anemia” if they are available in the bloods.
• Neuro Sarcoidosis affects a lot to our central nervous system. Symptoms can include irregular periods, changes in body temperature, and diabetes insipidus.
• Sarcoidosis of bones, muscles, and joints can cause musculoskeletal symptoms and swelling in the respective organs. Medications or Treatments are used depending on the severity of the disease.

Some reasons for Sarcoidosis Day being important

• Sarcoidosis is Rare

Sarcoidosis is a rare disease that people don't know much about. Although a small portion of the population is susceptible to the disease, if they do get sick, they won't know what to do. As the result, you can realize the importance of getting more knowledge about this disease.

• Sarcoidosis affects breathing

Sarcoidosis is one of the few diseases that most affects the lungs. When your breathing is affected by sarcoidosis, you don't necessarily have enough time to seek medical attention and treatment. So National Sarcoidosis Day is important to inform people about symptoms and precautions.

• Sarcoidosis cannot be cured

Until now, there is no cure for sarcoidosis. A day like National Sarcoidosis Day can help raise awareness to know more about this incurable disease. This will keep people away from things

How to celebrate Sarcoidosis Day

• Go out and take part in camps to raise awareness

On April 30th, many hospitals and medical institutes organized medical examination camps for people with sarcoid disease. You can observe the day by having a health check at such a camp in your area. Or you can go to health and volunteer organizations to spread awareness on this day.

• Learn more about sarcoidosis

There is not much information about sarcoidosis online. It won't be a bad idea on April 30th if you go to the nearby library or your doctor and learn more about the disease. The more you know about it, the better you can spread awareness.

• Promote it on social media

Share the information you collect and use the hashtag #NationalSarcoidosisDay on social media. Your knowledge about this disease will help us to prevent from this disease as well as raise awareness of the disease, at least on this one day of the year.