National Sarcoidosis Awareness Month is observed in April, and calls attention to sarcoidosis. It also encourages further research into this rare condition.

National Sarcoidosis Awareness Month educates that sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease in which the immune system goes into overdrive, causing cells to group together into clumps called granulomas. While more than 90 percent of cases affect the lungs and lymph nodes, sarcoidosis also can cause skin and eye damage. Occasionally, those with sarcoidosis develop granulomas and inflammation in the heart, which can trigger abnormal heart rhythms and heart failure. This condition is known as cardiac sarcoidosis.