Buenos Aires, January 26 (NA) -- Kawasaki disease is very difficult to diagnose as there is no specific test to isolate the pathology. It is classified as a rare disease, affects small children under 5 years old, and on its World Day, the objective is to raise awareness of this ailment and support patients and their families who have to deal with the symptoms of this condition. This disease is characterized by inflammation of small to medium-sized blood vessels, which can affect any organ or system in the body, and the most feared complication is inflammation of the heart's arteries, which can cause serious heart problems. According to a Mayo Clinic report accessed by the Argentine News Agency, the symptoms are common to many other childhood illnesses, so it will be up to the physician to diagnose it based on their experience and knowledge, by ruling out other pathologies that may coincide with the symptoms. Kawasaki disease causes a swelling, called inflammation, in the walls of small to medium-sized blood vessels that carry blood throughout the body and most frequently affects the children's heart arteries. This condition is sometimes also called mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome because it also causes inflammation in glands, called lymph nodes, and in the membranes lining the inside of the mouth, nose, eyes, and throat. Children who have Kawasaki disease may have a high fever, swelling of the hands and feet with peeling skin, and redness of the eyes and tongue, but with early treatment, most children improve and have no long-term problems. Symptoms and when to see a doctor. Symptoms of Kawasaki disease include a fever of over 39 degrees Celsius for five or more days. Other symptoms that may appear are the following: abdominal pain, diarrhea, restlessness, joint pain, vomiting. If a child has a fever for more than three days, they should be taken to a doctor because treating Kawasaki disease within the 10 days following its onset can reduce the chances of damage occurring to the arteries that irrigate the heart. Afterwards, the skin on the fingers of the hands and feet peels. It is possible that the symptoms do not appear at the same time, while a symptom that has disappeared should be reported to the professional. And the child presents at least four of the following symptoms: a rash on the main part of the body or in the genital area, swelling of a lymph node in the neck, very red eyes without thick secretions, red, dry, and cracked lips and a red, swollen tongue, red and swollen skin on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet.
