Lifestyle Changes For Kawasaki Disease

Kawasaki disease is a rare type of health condition and it often affects children from few months to up to 5 years age. However, it may sometimes affect children of 13 years. Doctors call it a specific type of vasculitis and it implies inflammation of the child’s blood vessels.

Kawasaki disease affects the patients entire body, including their coronary arteries i.e. arteries connecting the heart blood vessels. Until now, none of the doctors has any information about the exact cause of the Kawasaki disease. However, without proper treatment, affected kawasaki disease patients remain at relatively higher risk related to developing problems associated with coronary arteries. Besides coronary arteries, kawasaki disease may affect various other areas of the patient’s heart. Positively, with timely diagnose and treatment, a majority of children succeeded to recover without any lasting problem.

If your child experiences coronary artery aneurysm, he or she requires regular echocardiogram treatment and in some cases for many years after illness. Even your child requires more treatment, along with blood thinners for avoiding blood clots. Moreover, you should maintain follow-up visits with the child’s doctor even when your child does not experience any problem.

Children with Kawasaki disease always remain at risk related to coronary artery problems, along with early heart attack. In this situation, your child requires following a lifestyle to retain good health of his heart. These include having green veggies and other healthy diet options, getting physical exercise on a regular basis and avoid smoking. In addition, your child requires regular follow-up with a reputed cardiologist during his/her whole life.

You should immediately call the doctor of your child if he or she experiences symptoms related to Kawasaki disease and make sure to keep each of the follow-up appointments. ⁽¹⁾

Besides this, it is essential for you to keep a track on various signs and symptoms experienced by your child related to kawasaki disease complications, like-

• Poor eating or feeding
• Tiredness
• Swelling
• Breathing shortness or difficulty in breathing
• Chest Pain

• At the time of your visit with the doctor, you should note down the name of any new diagnosis and medication, tests or treatments. Even you should note new instructions given by your doctor about your child.
• You should find out the reason, for which your child’s doctor prescribes any new treatment or medicine and the way, in which it helps such medications help in improving the health of your child.
• You should make sure about asking any alternative treatment option associated with the condition of your child.
• As a parent, you should know the reason, for which the healthcare provider of your child recommends any specific procedure or test and its results.

Treatment to cure the problem of Kawasaki disease depends solely on general health, age and symptoms of your child. Even it depends on the severity of your child condition. In most of the cases, doctors start with the treatment as soon as they suspect the problem and for this, your child requires staying at the hospital for some time.

Initially, doctors prescribe Intravenous Gamma Globulin or Aspirin to your child. In case your child fails to get relieve from the mentioned types of medications, your doctors will recommend various other medicines, including corticosteroids to deal with kawasaki disease symptoms.

Once your child returns to home, he or she requires intake of aspirin in low-dosage for about 6 weeks to 8 weeks. However, if your kid experiences heart problem, the doctor may refer to a reputed pediatric cardiologist. Along with this, kawasaki disease patients require medicines, treatment procedures and surgery depending solely on their conditions. ⁽¹⁾

References-

1. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/kawasaki-disease/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20354603

Also Read:

• What Happens If Kawasaki Disease Goes Untreated?
• How Is Kawasaki Disease Prevented?
• Is Kawasaki Disease The Same As Hand Foot And Mouth Disease?
• Why Is IVIG Used For Kawasaki Disease?
• Can Kawasaki Disease Cause Aneurysms?
• Do Symptoms Of Kawasaki Disease Come And Go?
• How Does Kawasaki Disease Affect The Body?