What are the symptoms of sarcoidosis?
Symptoms of sarcoidosis include:
- feeling short of breath
- a cough which is often dry
- tiredness
- red or painful eyes
- painful red or purple bumps on your shins or ankles
- growths under the skin
- swollen glands in your face, neck, armpits or groin
- skin rashes
- painful joints, bones or muscles
- an abnormal heart rhythm (palpitations) or chest pain
- unintentional weight loss
- fevers and night sweats
- low sex drive (loss of libido).
Tiredness and fatigue
Most people with sarcoidosis will feel very tired – known as fatigue. It’s important people around you understand this.
You can find information and support around sarcoidosis and fatigue on Sarcoidosis UK’s website.
Acute sarcoidosis
In most cases, symptoms come on suddenly, but do not get worse and clear within a few months or, at most, a few years. This is called acute sarcoidosis.
Common symptoms of acute sarcoidosis are swollen glands, fever, tiredness, joint pains and lumps or rashes on the legs.
Chronic sarcoidosis
If symptoms develop slowly and gradually get worse over many years, this is called chronic sarcoidosis.
In chronic sarcoidosis, many granulomas can form in the same place and stop an organ working properly. Sometimes granulomas form in more than one organ. Shortness of breath can be a sign of chronic pulmonary sarcoidosis.
Are there always symptoms?
Some people never experience any significant symptoms. In this case, you may only find out you have sarcoidosis if you have a chest X-ray for another reason.