Bernie Mac was known as America’s funny man, but the comedian didn’t have fans laughing when he suddenly passed away last August due to complications of pneumonia and sarcoidosis.
Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease that affects multiple organs in the body, but primarily the lungs and lymph glands.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has stated the cause of sarcoidosis is unknown, but it can appear suddenly and disappear or it can develop gradually and go on to produce symptoms that reoccur, sometimes for a lifetime.
Mac found the disease early on however published reports state many African-Americans are unaware of the disease and could be living with it.
“Both gender and ethnicity may impact disease risk; the age-adjusted annual incidence rate is higher for Blacks than whites,” said a spokesperson for the American Lung Association. “Women also have higher observed rates compared to men.”
Physicians believe sarcoidosis is a silent killer, next to the heart attack.
In addition to the lungs and lymph nodes, body organs including the liver, skin, nervous system and kidneys are likely to be affected by sarcoidosis.
Lynn Short, executive director for the Sarcoid Foundation has been living with the disease for 11 years.
“It started out as a really bad cough, then I went to the doctor to get a chest x-ray and the doctors were baffled at what they found,” said Short. “The x-ray of my chest looked like a really large cloud.”
Alongside a cough, other possible warning signs of sarcoidosis include tender reddish bumps or patches on the skin, red and teary eyes or blurred vision, swollen and painful joints, nasal stiffness and a hoarse voice among others.
Sarcoidosis most often occurs between 20 and 40 years of age, with women being diagnosed more frequently than men. It is also 10 to 17 times more common in Blacks than whites.
“People could be walking around misdiagnosed or not diagnosed,” said Joy Keys, an advocate for the disease. “Similar to lupus and multiple sclerosis, it is a disease that is hard to detect with one test and many tests have to be done before it is confirmed.”
There is no cure for sarcoidosis, but it is believed by doctors that the disease may get better on its own over time.
The American Lung Association added many people with sarcoidosis have mild symptoms and do not require any treatment.
“Treatment generally falls into two categories-maintaining good health practices and drug treatment prescribed by doctors,” said Short.
For more information about sarcoidosis, visit the Sarcoid Networking Association at www.sarcoidosisnetwork.org or www.stopsarcoidosis.org or call 1-866-5477.
