Sarcoidosis: Degenerative Disease

I am going to discuss Sarcoidosis as my degenerative disease experienced at a higher rate among African Americans. Sarcoidosis is actually 17 more times more common in African Americans than the American majority. The cause of this degenerative disease is still unknown but studies suspect it may be a type of autoimmune disease. Sarcoidosis mostly affects the lungs by causing inflammation (although it can affect any organ in the body.) The inflammation leads to scar tissue and poor lung function. Some cases of Sarcoidosis cause inflammation in the heart leading to heart failure. Many people never have symptoms, it can become chronic and eventually worsen quality of life.

One of the biggest health care disparities implicated in this degenerative disease is mistrust. Generation after generation African Americans have been treated unfairly and their needs have gone unmet in health care settings. In a place where they should feel safe and taken care of, they instead feel inferior to other Americans and therefore mistrust the system. Racial inequality plays a significant role in their experiences with health care providers and the system. After these negative experiences and not believing in the system they avoid getting the health treatments that they need. This leads to health disparities and degenerative diseases such as Sarcoidosis.
Instead I will discuss the two treatment options. The two options are a steroid treatment and a non steroid