Speak with an experienced advisor! How Sarcoidosis Affects Life Insurance Prices
Sarcoidosis is a mysterious disease that leads to the inflammation of tissues in organs in the body. It is often found by accident during routine physicals or chest X-rays since it does not always present symptoms. Statistically, most people are diagnosed with sarcoidosis between the ages of twenty and forty; it also tends to affect more women than men. It is a condition that affects more African-Americans than Caucasians and people from the countries of Scandinavia, Germany, Ireland and Puerto Rico are prone to it. It is estimated that up to 4 in 10,000 people in the United States have sarcoidosis, but fortunately it is rarely diagnosed in children. In most cases, saracoidosis will not prevent a person from qualifying for life insurance.
Other related medical conditions (or medical terminology) include Sarcoidosis, Lung Disease, Pulmonary Conditions . Read below for more information about Sarcoidosis and receiving a life insurance quote from a life insurance specialist.
How Will I Know If I Have Sarcoidosis?
There may be no obvious symptoms or there may be a myriad of symptoms not specific to any one condition. Vague symptoms including general discomfort, fever, headache, cough, shortness of breath, skin rash, dry mouth, visual or neurological changes may be experienced. The presence of sarcoidosis may cause the liver, spleen and lymph glands to enlarge. Other symptoms may include decreased tearing, seizures, nosebleeds, joint stiffness, hair loss, eye burning, itching and discharge or abnormal breath sounds.
Often sarcoidosis is discovered by accident during a routine physical or chest X-ray. Small lumps, called granulomas that are composed of clusters of immune cells, form in inflamed tissues of persons with sarcoidosis. These granulomas can affect the normal structure, and sometimes the function, of the affected organs. It can affect almost any organ of the body; however, 90 percent of the time it affects the lungs.
Diagnosis will be confirmed after a combination of tests that may include chest X-ray, blood tests, pulmonary functions tests, CT scan, bronchoscopy and biopsies of suspected affected tissue, are reviewed.
What Causes Sarcoidosis and Can It Be Cured?
The disease is associated with an abnormal immune response, but what triggers this response in a person’s body is uncertain. Although no clear cause has been identified for the disease, several possibilities include hypersensitivity to envirnonmental factors, genetic issues or an extreme immune response to infection. It is also unclear how sarcoidosis spreads from one part of the body to another.
Sarcoidosis often appears suddenly and may disappear just as quickly. If a person diagnosed with sarcoidosis is asymptomatic, treatment is not necessary and the condition will frequently resolve itself within two years from the date of diagnosis with no long term effects. Making healthy lifestyle choices to improve overall health begins with the cessation of smoking, eating a well-balanced diet, drinking 8-10 glasses of water each day, getting 6-8 hours of sleep each night along with regular exercise and weight management. In some instances, even thought the sarcoidosis goes into remission, permanent damage to inflamed tissues may remain. This is occurs most noticeably in the lungs. Corticosteroids may be recommended to relieve inflammation and calm symptoms. Other treatment options may include immunosuppressive treatments such as methotrexate, azathioprine and cyclophosphamide may be prescribed in addition to corticosteroids in some instances. A small percentage of individuals will develop a chronic form of the disease and may require long-term treatment. In rare cases, where organs have been irreversibly damaged from scarring due to long term inflammation, an organ transplant may be necessary. Death from sarcoidosis is rare.
The Impact of Sarcoidosis on Life Insurability
The best life insurance scenario is for individuals whose sarcoidosis has been in remission for six months, who did not require treatment and who suffer no residual effects from the disease. For individuals who have been in complete remission from sarcoidosis for at least seven months, but who are dealing with some permanent tissue damage (most commonly in the lungs), they may be requested to undergo a pulmonary function test to assess and document the damage done. Individuals with active symptomatic sarcoidosis, with vital organ involvement, will be postponed until the condition can be brought under control.
How Can MEG Financial Help?
At MEG Financial, we have worked with many individuals across the country that have had related histories and have helped many obtain fairly priced life insurance. A number of these clients previously attempted to buy life insurance elsewhere but were either turned down or asked to pay a significantly higher rate. Our experience helping others with related problems is invaluable to you in identifying the insurance company that will treat you most fairly.
For more specific information or to obtain a custom quote, call MEG Financial today at (877) 583-3955. You may also submit this short form and an independent insurance agent will personally contact you to go over any questions or other concerns.
