What is Kawasaki Disease
So exactly what is Kawasaki disease….. It is an acute childhood disease that can strike completely out of the blue.
It presents itself with similarities to other childhood illnesses:
- Temperature
- Sore mouth
- Cracked lips
- Red tongue - Skin rash Swollen glands
Boys are almost twice as likely as girls to contract Kawasaki disease and under fives are primarily affected.
It is an inflammatory process that can affect almost every system in the body, although the arteries that supply blood to the heart (the coronary arteries) appear specifically affected. Kawasaki is relatively unknown and delay in treatment can result in sever damage to the coronary arteries. This is what has happened to ‘The Kawasaki Kid’. He now lives with two giant aneurysms and I live in fear of him having a heart attack every day. The cause is unknown, however research is taking place throughout the world to find the cause.
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