1. Seek Medical Advice
Kawasaki symptoms include dry lips, a sore throat, a rash, a swollen tongue with big red bumps, swollen lymph nodes and very red eyes. If you suspect that your child has Kawasaki disease, it is important that you consult with your doctor as soon as possible. If Kawasaki disease is caught early, your child has a good chance to make a full recovery within a few days. If left untreated, however, Kawasaki disease can have serious complications that may damage the heart.
2. Use Aspirin to Relieve Symptoms
Once your child has been diagnosed with Kawasaki disease, she will be given high doses of aspirin. Aspirin can help lower the fever and reduce the pain, rash and joint inflammation. It is also important for preventing blood clots from forming.
After your child's fever goes away, she will continue taking low doses of aspirin for 6 to 8 weeks. If a coronary-artery aneurysm develops, your child will stay on aspirin even longer to minimize the risk of blood clots. The only time aspirin will probably not be given to your child is if she develops chicken pox or flu. Taking aspirin with these conditions has been linked to a serious illness called Reye's syndrome.
3. Doctors May Choose Intravenous Gamma Globulin
Your child may also receive another treatment called gamma globulin, an immune protein that will be given intravenously. Its purpose is to reduce the risk of any coronary-artery abnormalities. Gamma globulin and the high doses of aspirin are generally administered to children in the hospital so that doctors can monitor any complications.
4. Monitor Heart Problems
To help avoid serious complications, your doctor will want to continue monitoring your child if he exhibits any signs of heart problems. If the heart abnormalities do not clear up on their own, you should be referred to a pediatric cardiologist. A cardiologist can help by prescribing anticoagulant medications to prevent clots from forming. A cardiologist can also perform surgeries that your child may require, such as a stent placement or coronary-artery angioplasty.
