Kawasaki Disease - a Non-Contagious Deadly Disease Among Children
Author: markbennett | Posted: 29.12.2011Most of us know about the Kawasaki Disease. It is either that we have heard about it through our passing phase of life or from our friends and relatives. But do we know how this disease occurs, how it affects children and why. Well, through this article you would get some basic information about this disease and its deadly effects.
Kawasaki is an illness that is most common in children below five years and most of the victims of this disease are boys. This illness is poorly understood by common people and they assume it is contagious. Actually this disease is not contagious and small children get it due to an autoimmune disorder. This autoimmune disorder occurs when the immune system of our body mistakenly attacks the healthy tissues and destroys it.
This disease was first found out in the late 1960s by a Japanese pediatrician called Tomisaku Kawasaki who described the illness in his medical literature. Although, this disease is more prevalent among children of Asian and Pacific Islands descent, it affects people of all racial and ethnic groups. As per the US Health Association, it is estimated that more than four thousand two hundred children are diagnosed with Kawasaki disease each year in the US alone.
Now what are the symptoms of this disease. A child suffering from Kawasaki disease will have a high and persistent fever (i.e. up to hundred and two degree Fahrenheit or even high as hundred and four degree Fahrenheit) which will last for more than five days. The fever may last up to two weeks and does not go away with the normal dosage of medication like Tylenol and Ibuprofen.
The other various symptoms of this disease consist of having extremely bloodshot eyes, chapped or cracked lips, strawberry colored tongue with white coating and sometimes occasional red bumps on the back of the tongue. Some children may have swollen hands and feet and skin rashes on their body due to this disease. Diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, cough and running nose are some of the other symptoms that are found quite common among children.
If this disease is not properly taken care of or not treated at the right time, it could lead to inflammation of the blood vessels and complications to the heart which could naturally lead to heart attack at a young age or later in life.
The factors that cause this disease is either genetic or environmental factors. In some cases researchers believe that it could also be due to virus infection. Still the exact and proper reason for this disease is still not found and researchers expect to find a positive and the cause of this disease in the coming years.
The treatment for this disease involves in admitting the child to the hospital. In the hospital, experienced doctors who are very much used to the treatment of this disease would first make a diagnosis and then steps would be taken to prevent damage to the coronary arteries of the heart.
The standard treatment for this disease involves giving gamma globulin in high dosage. Within twenty four hours, the child's condition will improve with the fourth dosage of gamma globulin. Even sometimes high dosage of aspirin is given along with gamma globulin, but still twenty percentages of children who are given this dosage of aspirin and gamma globulin develop problems in the coronary arteries. Some doctors and physicians have advised the usage of steroids in the usual treatment routine, but still researcher is going on for this solution of the treatment.
Now if in case your child or children in your neighborhood show signs of this disease, immediately take them to the hospital or to the nearby medical facility. It would be much easier to cure if the disease is in the initial stages. If you have doubts or need more information, you could always log on to your internet service provider like Verizon FiOS Internet and surf the websites and articles about this disease.
About Author:
Mark is a freelance writer and always researches on health programs, diseases and their treatments. He regularly surfs the net through Verizon FiOS Internet to collect information about his research.
Mark is a freelance writer and always researches on health programs, diseases and their treatments. He regularly surfs the net through Verizon FiOS Internet to collect information about his research.
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