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Sarcoidosis Symptoms

Sarcoidosis symptoms vary widely, depending on the organ of the body that is affected by the disease. In general, symptoms include fever, fatigue, and loss of appetite. However, in many cases, sarcoidosis symptoms never develop.

 

An Overview of Sarcoidosis Symptoms

Many people who have sarcoidosis have no apparent symptoms. Often, the condition is discovered by accident, only because a person has had a chest x-ray for another reason, such as a pre-employment x-ray.
 
Some people have few sarcoidosis symptoms; others have many.
 
Sarcoidosis symptoms usually depend on which organs the disease affects. The organs that can be affected by sarcoidosis include the:
 
  • Lungs
  • Lymph nodes
  • Skin
  • Eyes
  • Heart
  • Muscles and joints
  • Bones
  • Liver
  • Parotid and other salivary glands
  • Blood, urinary tract, or kidneys
  • Pituitary gland.
     

Sarcoidosis Symptoms in the Lungs

When sarcoidosis occurs in the lungs, symptoms can include:
 
  • Shortness of breath
  • A dry cough that doesn't bring up phlegm or mucus
  • Wheezing
  • Pain in the middle of the chest that gets worse when you breathe deeply or cough (this is rare).
     

Sarcoidosis Symptoms in the Lymph Nodes

When sarcoidosis occurs in the lymph nodes, symptoms include enlarged and sometimes tender lymph nodes. The lymph nodes most commonly affected are in the:
 
  • Neck
  • Chest.
     
Sarcoidosis can also affect lymph nodes in the:
 
  • Chin
  • Arm pits
  • Groin.
     
(Sarcoidosis Symptoms Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD