4 Ways To Treat Sarcoidosis

Sarcoidosis is a condition which is characterised by the inflammation of body tissues. The disease can appear in any organ of the body but in majority of the conditions, it affects the lungs and the lymph nodes.

Earlier known as Hutchinson’s disease, the condition is characterised by formation of skin eruptions. The cause of Sarcoidosis is unknown and the disease once diagnosed may produce symptoms that may stay for a lifetime if not treated.

sarcoidosis

The treatment of Sarcoidosis

In most cases, fortunately, sarcoidosis symptoms disappear eventually with time. However, if they persist even after few weeks one has to take a treatment with doctor’s consultation.

The treatment span can lead to a period of 2 years. The disease usually does not leave irreversible damage beyond a mild problem in the lungs and lymph nodes. Below given are some of the treatment options for sarcoidosis:

1. Discard the Symptoms

Taking steps to keep the body parts functioning and relieve the symptoms is the foremost method of treating this condition. Once the symptoms fade, the disease can be safely concluded to be under control.

The inflammation of body tissues and the formation of granuloma are the primary symptoms that should be brought under control. Fibrosis or the scarring of lungs may happen in advanced sarcoidosis and has no known treatment to reverse the situation, till now.

2. Cut down Calcium

Multiple tests may be required to find out if sarcoidosis has reduced in the patient or not. Sometimes the tests reveal a high presence of calcium in the blood in addition to the condition of sarcoidosis.

In these conditions it is advised to the patient to cut down on calcium rich food or even sunlight and vitamin D. This is accompanied by prescribing corticosteroid drugs that reverses this condition.

3. Corticosteroid Drugs

The treatment of sarcoidosis with the corticosteroid drugs is considered to be the most used treatment, but the medication usually is recommended for a lifetime if the symptoms keep reappearing; or else you might have to take it till 2 years. However, continuous consumption of this drug invites a host of side effects as well.

These side effects may include an increase in weight due to water retention and a craving for more food. There could be high blood pressure, high blood sugar and long term use of the drug generally affects the skin, stomach and bones. The situation could cause stomach pain and acne as well as loss of bone calcium.

4. Thalidomides

Thalidomides have been used under controlled conditions to treat sarcoidosis and has shown good results by healing skin lesions and improving lung functions. Recently, even infliximab has been reported to be effective in treating patients of sarcoidosis.

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