{"id":5550,"date":"2019-04-19T04:47:26","date_gmt":"2019-04-19T04:47:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=5550"},"modified":"2021-05-04T14:47:22","modified_gmt":"2021-05-04T14:47:22","slug":"14-telltale-symptoms-of-kawasaki-disease","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/14-telltale-symptoms-of-kawasaki-disease\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Telltale Symptoms of Kawasaki Disease"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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With Kawasaki disease it causes a person to have a range of symptoms. Not everyone that suffers from the disease has the same symptoms and at the same degree. Kawasaki disease causes the medium arteries to become inflamed throughout the entire body. The coronary arteries are affected the most, which become inflamed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These arteries supply blood to the heart. It can affect other parts of the body as well, including the lymph nodes and skin. Kawasaki disease is scary, but it can be cured. If it is caught while it\u2019s in its early stages, it only takes about 10 days to show improvement. When a child has Kawasaki disease there are three stages of symptoms that he or she will go through. There are eight telltale symptoms of Kawasaki disease that you should be aware of. Once you know what to expect, you and your child will feel at ease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Fever that is higher than 102.2 degrees <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

is common when you have Kawasaki disease<\/a>. The fever will usually last more than three days. When this happens, you need to give your child some aspirin and\/or take him or her to see their doctor. A child shouldn\u2019t have a high fever for more than three days. It will cause them to feel sick and lie down all of the time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once a child is diagnosed with Kawasaki disease, the doctor can take the necessary steps to heal your child. Besides giving a child aspirin to help lower their fever, drinking some water will help as well. The room that the child is in should be comfortable, but not too hot or cold. This can help lower their fever as well. It is a good idea to check their temperature often to see if it\u2019s gone down any. If not, go back to the doctor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. An irritable child <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

is a sign your child has Kawasaki disease. Every time you ask them a question or to do something, the child will become irritated. It is your job to stay calm, even though, it will be difficult to do so. The child is irritated because they are in pain<\/a>. They don\u2019t know what to do about the pain that they\u2019re having. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s important that the child stays calm because it\u2019s not good for his or her heart. Parents should consider letting the child speak with a mental health counselor. The child may not want to, but it will help him or her a great deal. A lot of times children don\u2019t want to talk to strangers if their parents are around. On the other hand, the child may want their parents in the therapy session with him or her. The more sessions the child attends, the less irritated they will be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. A strawberry tongue <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

is a common symptom of Kawasaki disease. The lips become red, cracked, and dry where the tongue is swollen <\/a>and red. When you have cracked lips, you always turn to Vaseline or some other form of lip therapy, but in this situation, no lip therapy will work until Kawasaki disease is under control or clears. When the tongue becomes swollen, it may be hard for the child to eat his or her food. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their doctor may suggest other methods to help relieve their swollen and red tongue. Aspirin may be good to take to get rid of some of the inflammation. The child will have to stay home from school because the symptom will be too embarrassing for the child. The child needs to be at home where he or she can heal before going back to school. In fact, the child can complete his or her schoolwork at home, so that they don\u2019t fall behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. The skin on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet are red and swollen <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Parents can give their child aspirin and a cold foot soak to get rid of the redness <\/a>and swelling. The child will be uncomfortable because they won\u2019t be able to walk if they\u2019re feet are swollen. It will cause him or her to become frustrated and irritated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As soon as you notice this symptom in your child, take him or her to their doctor, so that the doctor can start the process of curing them. Aspirin alone may not be the solution to the child\u2019s condition. The child may need to have additional treatments are done, such as a heart stent. A lot of the times when there are swelling and redness, the blood is not circulating throughout the body properly. It becomes dangerous when the blood is unable to get to the heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. Joint pain <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

is a telltale symptom of Kawasaki disease. When it comes to joint pain, the blood is affecting the bones. The bones become weak and cause arthritis. Aspirin <\/a>will alleviate the pain and swelling as well as topical ointments until you can go in to speak with your child\u2019s doctor. If the joint pain because too bad, the child may have to use a wheelchair, walker, or cane to get around. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It can become frustrating for the child, especially if he or she was physically active before. The doctor may suggest seeing a chiropractor while the child is dealing with Kawasaki disease to help with some of the joint pain. The chiropractor may suggest exercises the child can do at home to help. Once Kawasaki disease is treated, the joint pain may go away. That is if the parents didn\u2019t wait too long to seek treatment for their child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. Diarrhea <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

occurs with Kawasaki disease because the body is not working the way it\u2019s supposed to. Diarrhea <\/a>is embarrassing where you\u2019re at home or out in public. The child needs to stay home from school because, with diarrhea, he or she will need to be in the bathroom all of the time. The doctor may suggest over-the-counter medications to stop diarrhea if it\u2019s safe for him or her to take it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The doctor will have to give the child some blood and imaging tests to see how severe the Kawasaki disease has become. Sometimes over-the-counter medicines can cause other problems to your body when you have health problems. Diarrhea should stop once the child\u2019s body starts responding to the treatment of Kawasaki disease. The child should be able to go back to school without any problems, but their teachers should be made known aware of the child\u2019s condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. Vomiting <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

can occur when you have Kawasaki disease. The body is in pain and the child could start vomiting<\/a>. When this happens, the child won\u2019t be able to eat. When the child does eat, it will just come back up. The child will begin to lose weight because of this. The child needs plenty of rest because the longer he or she stays up, the vomiting could get worse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once they rest and wake up, the child may be able to drink some fluids like chicken broth to start off with. A lot of the times a child is vomiting when they have Kawasaki disease because they\u2019re not eating the right foods. Certain foods can aggravate disorders that a person has, such as processed foods. Once the child starts eating healthier, the vomiting may stop. It\u2019s not good for the heart when you eat a lot of foods with saturated fats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Abdominal pain <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

is another symptom to look out for when your child has Kawasaki disease. Aspirin should help with abdominal pain, but if it\u2019s too severe, your child may need something stronger that only your doctor can prescribe. Since Kawasaki disease responds well to aspirin, your doctor may just continue you on that regimen along with other treatments, such as gamma globulin<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With gamma globulin, which is injected into the veins to lower the risk for coronary heart issues. After the first treatment of gamma globulin, the child should start to improve. The child may have to take more treatments of gamma globulin to completely heal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the first treatment, the abdominal pain should start to go away if it\u2019s been continuous. Rest is important when you have abdominal pain. Another good idea is when you rest, put a pillow over your stomach. When you wake up, the pain should be gone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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9.    Chills<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The fever produced by Kawasaki’s disease is one of the first symptoms to show up. Children affected by Kawasaki’s disease experience high temperatures, lasting over a period of 5-days. During this time, the patient may find that they feel cold, and develop chilling shivers \u2013 even while they are dealing with a fever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These chills <\/a>occur due to the body catching up to the current setpoint temperature initiated by the nervous system. Pyrogen proteins attach to nerve endings in the lower back, signaling the CNS to turn up the heat to fight off the infection. A fever is the body’s natural defense against invading pathogens and is a result. Many physicians hesitate to medicate the patient to break the fever unless it surpasses temperatures of 101F, where it may cause severe complications with the brain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The chills will occur every time the nervous systems resets the baseline temperature, as the body lags to meet the new level.
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10.    Dehydration<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As previously mentioned, Kawasaki’s disease causes symptoms of vomiting in the patient. It’s vital that the child replaces the water and minerals they lose after each purge. The child loses both water and electrolytes when they vomit. Electrolytes <\/a>regulate nervous system function, and an imbalance could cause the onset of severe complications. If left untreated, the child may start to experience the onset of seizures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your child cannot hold down fluids for a period longer than 24-hours, take them to the emergency room for immediate medical treatment. The doctors will introduce intravenous fluids to rehydrate your child and prevent the seizures from occurring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For those children where vomiting symptoms are less intense, let them suck on an ice block to avoid the symptoms of cotton-mouth associated with dehydration. After each purge, replace lost fluids using a specialized rehydration powder available from your pharmacy. The powder contains electrolytes and minerals to replace those lost while vomiting.
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11.    Muscle Pain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Along with sore joints, children infected with Kawasaki’s disease may find that they experience symptoms of sore muscles as well. These muscle and joint issues are influenza-type symptoms that may confuse parents about the cause of their child’s illness. Some parents may mistake it for influenza<\/a>, delaying the early treatment of the child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the immune system ramps up its efforts to rid the body of the invading pathogen, it starts to create more white blood cells and antibodies. These antibodies penetrate muscle tissue, resulting in sensations of stiff or sore muscles. In most cases, the pain is mild and fades after the fever breaks. Some young children infected with the disease may cry if you hold their upper arm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The doctor will typically leave muscle and joint pain to resolve on its own. However, those children experiencing severe discomfort may take OTC anti-inflammatories and painkiller medications recommended by their doctor. Never give a child under the age of 18-years old Aspirin. Aspirin can cause the development of “Reyes Syndrome” in children and teens.
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12.    Swollen Lymph Nodes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The lymphatic system runs throughout the body, collecting toxins and pathogens from the bloodstream and tissues. Bacteria and viruses become trapped in the lymphatic fluid which passes through the lymph nodes<\/a>, where the nodes filter the toxins and expel it from the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The largest concentrations of lymph nodes are in the neck, groin, and armpits. It’s typical for children infected with Kawasaki’s disease to develop symptoms of swollen lymph nodes in the neck. Checking the lymph nodes and glands is one of the first tasks a doctor does during their evaluation of the patient. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lymph nodes will generally swell to the size of a kidney bean during the advanced stages of the condition. They have a distinct pinkish or reddish color to them as well. As the patient recovers, the nodes fade in color and size over the course of a few days. However, should the nodes turn firm or a dark color, the child requires immediate medical assistance.
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13.    Heart Complications<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In most cases, children make a full recovery from the effects of Kawasaki’s disease. The disorder can last for up to two weeks in most cases, depending on the health and development stage of the affected child’s immune system<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In rare cases, some children may develop complications related to the disease in its advanced stage. Cardiovascular issues such as abnormal heart rhythms, heart muscle inflammation, and damage to the valves or blood vessels can all be complications of Kawasaki’s disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These conditions may also cause inflammation of the delicate endocardial lining in the walls of the heart valves. This inflammation, otherwise known as “endocarditis,” may have life-threatening consequences if the child does not receive immediate medical treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other aneurysms may occur in other areas of the heart as well. Should these aneurysms rupture, they may block the arteries supplying blood to the heart, and the patient may experience sudden death through congestive heart failure.
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14. Redness of the Soles or Palms<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another one of the tell-tale signs of Kawasaki’s disease in children includes the development of tender bumps on the soles of the feet and the palms of the hands. These bumps, otherwise known as, “Osler’s nodes,” are a reaction to the infection and its effects on the nervous system<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In most cases, the appearance of the nodes is almost unnoticeable, but you’ll feel them on the surface if you touch the skin. The nodes may turn slightly reddish or pink, but they don’t emanate any body heat. Osler’s nodes appear as an underlying sign of a more severe disease or infection in the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doctors can’t treat Osler’s nodes, and since they only present mild symptoms of pain, the physician will leave them to resolve on their own. However, doctors may prescribe OTC pain medication, along with anti-inflammatories to manage the swelling. The nodes will hang around during the most acute phase of the disease, and fade as the patient starts to show signs of recovery.
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