PULSE YOUR HEALTH

What is Kawasaki’s Disease? Kawasaki's disease, also known as Kawasaki Syndrome is a rare but serious condition that affects mainly children under 5 years of age. It is a form of vasculitis, which means inflammation of the blood vessels. It mainly affects small to medium-sized arteries that carry oxygen-rich blood to the heart and other parts of the body. The inflammation can damage the walls of these arteries and cause them to bulge or narrow, which can affect blood flow and increase the risk of blood clots. This can lead to serious complications such as abnormal dilations of the heart arteries and myocarditis inflammation of the heart muscle. Kawasaki disease is also known as mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome, because it causes swelling of the lymph nodes (glands that filter germs and other substances from the body) and mucous membranes (the moist linings of the mouth, nose, eyes, and throat). Who gets Kawasaki disease? Kawasaki disease mainly affects children under 5 years old,