Stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqui recently revealed about his son battling a rare disease called Kawasaki disease. In a podcast, he said that his son Mikael was diagnosed with the disease when he was just one and a half years old.

She said she had to struggle financially for her son’s treatment as each life-saving injection cost Rs 25,000.

What is Kawasaki disease?

Kawasaki disease, also known as Kawasaki syndrome, is a rare disease that causes damage to the heart and blood cells. It mostly affects children under 5 years of age. However, the cause of this disease has not been known.

This causes swelling of the walls of small blood vessels that carry blood throughout the body, known as edema. It mostly affects the heart arteries of children, which supply oxygen-rich blood to the heart.

Due to this, there is a higher risk of damage to the heart arteries of children.

symptoms of kawasaki disease

Children suffering from Kawasaki disease may show symptoms such as high fever higher than 102.2 degrees Fahrenheit for five or more days, swelling and peeling of the skin in the hands and feet, red eyes and tongue.

Other symptoms include stomach pain, diarrhea, irritability, joint pain and vomiting.

If some children have high fever for a few days but show less than four symptoms, then it is called incomplete Kawasaki disease. Due to this, there is still a risk of children’s heart arteries getting damaged.

treatment of kawasaki disease

Treatment for Kawasaki disease is available. The primary disease treatment is to inject intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), which helps reduce inflammation and prevent complications, and aspirin therapy.

This approach helps reduce symptoms and reduce the risk of serious complications. Healthcare providers may also recommend additional treatments if needed.

If Kawasaki disease is treated within 10 days after symptoms begin, it may reduce the chance of permanent damage to the arteries supplying the heart.