Kawasaki is a health problem which is mainly found in children, in this problem the blood vessels of the body starts to swell and cause infection in the long run. The actual cause of this disease is not known. However, it has been observed that it causes swelling in the lymph node, fever and it is believed that this problem is related to infection. This disease is not contagious this means it is not passed from one person to another through contact but it can be genetic in nature i.e. passed from one generation to another.
Usually, the symptoms of this problem disappear on its own and the child starts to recover slowly. However, if the problems become complicated then it can have serious adverse effect on the body. Hence, it is always advised to visit a doctor if they experience any of the symptoms of Kawasaki disease.
Does Kawasaki Disease Have Long Term Effects?
Information available on heart disorder indicates that patients who have suffered echocardiogram abnormalities in their childhood are highly prone to develop cardiovascular complications in the later part of their life. This can be caused because of infection in the blood vessels connecting heart. The process of scarring is very slow it takes years or at times even decades to show up. Scarring causes narrowing of blood vessels leading to drastic slowdown of the blood flow in heart muscles. In patient suffering from aneurysms, there is a high possibility of experiencing decrease in functioning of heart muscle or irregularity of heart beats. Both these symptoms ultimately lead to complications or infection in heart muscles causing Kawasaki disease. (1) (2)
Sad thing is that doctors have very little information about this heart problem, which was mainly gathered before IVIG was used to treat acute Kawasaki disease. Till date, no detailed research has been conducted on long-term outcome of IVIG in patients suffering Kawasaki. Hence, the cardiovascular complications experienced while undergoing the treatment is not known. Study is still on and it is expected that in the coming few year, researchers will get a valid proof on the complications, causes and other details of this cardio vascular problem.
Experts suggest that, adults who have past history of coronary artery damage or Kawasaki should consider getting CT Calcium (screening test) performed for coronary artery damage. This test can be performed only when it is prescribed by a registered medical practitioner. However, it is a highly recommended screening test for all the adults who have experienced abnormalities in the echocardiogram test while in the initial phase of Kawasaki disease. The test can also prescribe for adults who were not detected with any abnormality in the cardiac test in the childhood.
Research Study
KDRC i.e. Kawasaki Disease Research Center continues to perform research on the long term effect of Kawasaki disease in patients. This research is conducting by asking patients to fill out a questionnaire having questions related to the health problems. Based on the responses analyses is done. This is not a one-time process, instead; the practice to fill health questioners is repeated every few years.
Kawasaki is a problem that mainly affects the children, who are less than five years old. In fact, more than sixty percent of the kids are suffering from this problem are less than two years. This does not mean that the problem does not affect older children but research has revealed the fact that boys are more prone to develop this problem compared to girls. Also, it has been observed that this problem very common or affective during winters and spring season.
Kawasaki Disease Symptoms
Some of the common symptoms of Kawasaki disease are:
- High fever
- Constant irritation
- Swollen lymph node
- Redness in eyes and skin
- Vomiting
These are some of the common symptoms, which may disappear with time but if not taken care of can cause some serious problem in the later phase of life.
References:
- https://medschool.ucsd.edu/som/pediatrics/research/centers/kawasaki-disease/parents/Pages/Long-Term-Effects-of-KD.aspx
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3888612/
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