Kawasaki disease or Kawasaki syndrome is a rare kind of vasculitis or blood vessel inflammation
Stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqui recently opened up about the rare Kawasaki disease his young son was diagnosed with. Faruqui said his son was one-and-a-half years old at the time and fell seriously ill.
In a podcast interview, Munawar recalled needing Rs 75,000 for his son’s treatment, but he only had Rs 700-800 in his wallet. Despite the stress, he tried to stay calm in front of the doctor.
What is Kawasaki disease?
According to experts, Kawasaki disease, or Kawasaki syndrome is a rare kind of vasculitis or blood vessel inflammation. The swelling in blood vessels makes them weak and stretched out, risking their tearing or narrowing. This limits how much blood can get through to nourish tissues and organs.
Doctors say Kawasaki disease happens most often in children 6 months to 5 years of age and affects all of their arteries – however, the biggest concern is the coronary arteries that supply blood to your heart. Children with affected coronary arteries can have permanent heart issues as a result.
With prompt treatment, most children recover in about two to three months.
What causes Kawasaki disease?
Even though the cause of Kawasaki disease is not known, most cases happen in late winter and early spring. And so, scientists say they are researching possible causes like changing weather patterns, infections, environmental factors, or even genetic issues.
Signs and symptoms of Kawasaki disease
A few symptoms of this disorder include:
- High fever, which lasts for more than five days
- Increased irritability in children
- Red or pink eyes without any discharge
- Redness or cracking of your child’s lips or tongue
- Swelling and redness in hands and feet
- Peeling of skin, usually beginning around nails
- Rash mostly on the child’s trunk
- Swollen lymph nodes on the neck
- Upset stomach
- Belly pain
Kawasaki disease mostly happens to boys who are younger than five years of age. Also, being of Pacific Islander or Asian descent makes you more vulnerable, even though the doctors say you can still get it even if you do not have any of these risk factors.
Complications caused by Kawasaki disease
A few complications, some of them serious, caused by Kawasaki disease include:
- Aneurysms or weakness and stretching in inflamed coronary arteries. In many severe cases, it also requires coronary artery bypass surgery.
- Blood clots and narrowing in coronary arteries
- Coronary artery rupture
- Issues with the heart valves that make the blood move in the right direction of the heart
- Inflammation in a child’s heart
- Hepatitis in child’s liver
- Inflammation in child’s lungs
- Infections in child’s heart
- Pancreatitis or inflammation in the child’s pancreas
- Poor heart function or heart failure
- Heart attack
Does Kawasaki disease get treated?
Children can have Kawasaki disease symptoms for four to six weeks. They may feel tired and irritable for eight weeks. According to experts, even though it gets treated, Kawasaki disease can come back in about 2–3 per cent of cases.
It causes long-term damage to arteries and possible heart issues like atherosclerosis in adulthood as well. Those who have aneurysms from the disease need long-term follow-up every year or a few years for the rest of their lives. In some cases, they may need a procedure to improve blood flow.
It is also important to make sure the child does not develop blood clots.
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