Kawasaki disease (KD), also called mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome, causes inflammation and swelling in arteries, capillaries, and veins. It primarily affects children. It infects lymph nodes and induces symptoms in your mouth, nose, and throat. The inflammation affects coronary arteries that supply blood to our heart muscle.
Common symptoms of Kawasaki syndrome are high fever and peeling skin. The great news is Kawasaki disease is curable and children with Kawasaki disease recover without any severe health problems.
Kawasaki disease can be a scary experience, but early diagnosis and treatment are key to a full recovery. This illness tends to progress in three stages, each with its own set of symptoms. Let’s break it down:
This is when things get tough. The acute phase usually lasts between 10 and 14 days, but it can vary. Here’s what to watch out for:
This stage usually starts around the third week after the fever begins. Things start to improve, but some symptoms might linger:
This stage can last for several weeks or even months. It’s all about getting back to normal, but some caution is still needed:
Kawasaki disease can be a confusing illness because the exact cause remains a mystery. Researchers haven’t cracked the code yet, but they’ve identified some factors that might play a role. Let’s delve into the world of causes and risk factors:
Causes for Kawasaki Disease :
Unfortunately, there’s no single, definitive answer to what causes Kawasaki disease. It’s likely a combination of things, and scientists are still putting the puzzle pieces together. Here are the leading theories:
Risk Factors
While the cause remains elusive, some factors seem to increase the risk of Kawasaki disease:
It’s important to remember that having these risk factors doesn’t guarantee a child will get Kawasaki disease. Conversely, a child without these factors can still develop it.
Kawasaki disease occurs in stages, and symptoms appear in phases during spring and late winter.
These symptoms and signs continue for two weeks. They involve
In the second stage, children may develop-
The disease is not usually fatal but can cause complications such as inflammation of coronary arteries, aneurysms, clotting risks, chest pains, heart muscle damage, joint pain, skin flaking, cholecystitis, and renal issues. Early diagnosis and treatment can prevent these complications and help most children regain complete health.
To avoid the complications of Kawasaki disease, the doctor will start the treatment as soon as possible because your child may suffer from fever. The main object of primary treatment is to reduce or lower inflammation, cure fever, and also prevent heart damage.
Kawasaki treatment involves an infusion of antibodies called intravenous immunoglobulin for less than 10 days of the fever. They provide a daily dosage of aspirin for four days. Children also need to take a lower dose of aspirin for 6-8 weeks after being cured of fever to prevent the formation of blood clots.
Some children require treatment for a longer time to prevent a heart problem or blocked artery. The treatment requires a longer time that involves antiplatelet aspirin doses until echocardiograph becomes normal.
We hope you have discovered the main symptoms of Kawasaki syndrome to prevent your children from the risks of heart disease.
If your child experiences these symptoms and signs and they last for more than five days, then you should take your child to the doctor. Most children with this syndrome recover completely when they are treated at an early stage. Children who develop heart problems because of Kawasaki disease require more testing and must visit a cardiologist.
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