With Reye Syndrome, children are susceptible to liver and brain damage

Reye Syndrome is less fatal, but still leaves permanent damage to the brain. Parents should take their baby to the emergency room as soon as he shows signs of confusion, lethargy, or other symptoms related to psychiatric illness.

Reye's syndrome in children causes sudden brain damage and unexplained liver function. This syndrome usually occurs in children who are given aspirin for  chickenpox  or the flu. Giving aspirin to children is very dangerous, especially if you give it to children without your doctor's permission. Learn through the article below to recognize the symptoms and treatment when a child has this syndrome.

What is Reye Syndrome?

Reye Syndrome is a rare but serious illness that causes swelling in the liver and brain. This syndrome usually affects children and teenagers recovering from a viral infection such as the flu, a cold, or chickenpox. Suffering from this syndrome causes the patient's brain to swell, and the liver and other organs to accumulate fat. If not treated in time, the patient can quickly lead to liver failure, brain damage and even death.

Anyone can get Reye's syndrome. However, the disease is common in children from 4 to 12 years old and occurs many times during the season. This is the time when your child is most susceptible to the flu.

As a rare syndrome, it is difficult to diagnose, easily confused with encephalitis,  meningitis , drug shock,  sudden infant death syndrome  (SIDS) or poisoning.

If you notice that your baby has one of the following symptoms, take him or her to a medical facility or call 115 right away. Early diagnosis and timely treatment significantly improve the child's health.

Symptoms of Reye's syndrome

Reye Syndrome comes on very suddenly. Symptoms of this disease usually appear about 3-5 days after the baby has flu virus or chickenpox or a cold due to an infection of the upper respiratory tract. But sometimes symptoms also appear very late, after about 3 weeks after the baby is over. Early symptoms include fever,  diarrhea , difficulty breathing, lethargy , drowsiness, rash, and lethargy. When a child has Reye's syndrome, if a blood test shows that the child's blood sugar usually drops while ammonia and acidity increase. At the same time, the liver can swell and cause fat accumulation. The child's brain can also be swollen, causing a baby to convulsive and lose consciousness.

Early symptoms

For children around 2 years of age, the first signs of Reye's syndrome may include:

Diarrhea

Fast breathing

For older children and teenagers, early signs and symptoms include:

Vomiting in waves or constantly

Unusual coma or sleepiness

Other symptoms

As the disease progresses to affect the brain, the baby may have more serious symptoms, including:

Have aggressive behavior, hyperactivity or angry, resist

Confusion, disorientation, or hallucinations

Weak or numb arms and legs (arms and legs stretched, toes facing down, head and neck tilted back)

Convulsions

Excessive fatigue

Lethargy, decreased consciousness, deep lethargy.

Early treatment for Reye's syndrome is very important. Therefore, when your baby has one of the above symptoms, take him to the hospital for timely medical assistance.

Causes of Reye's syndrome

Currently, doctors do not know the exact cause of Reye's syndrome despite recognizing a number of factors that promote the development of the disease. But recently, studies have found that about 90 - 95% of patients with this syndrome have used aspirin to treat viral infections or infections, especially influenza and chickenpox.

Your doctor will prescribe aspirin for specific medical conditions, such as heart disease. If this is the case for your child, doctors have determined that the benefits of aspirin therapy for your baby outweigh the risk of Reye's syndrome.

In some cases, Reye syndrome can be a result of a metabolic condition caused by viral diseases or exposure to toxins such as pesticides, herbicides, etc.

Treatment of Reye's syndrome

There is currently no specific treatment for Reye's syndrome, but a baby can make a full recovery if treated properly and promptly. A quick diagnosis and early treatment are key so that doctors can protect your child from the serious harms of the disease. Make sure your baby is well hydrated.

Severe cases can be treated in an intensive care unit. Hospital staff will continue to closely monitor the child's blood pressure, fluid pressure in the brain and other important signs. In addition, your baby may be ordered for a blood test, CAT scan or MRI scan.

If your baby shows signs of difficulty breathing, the doctor will use a ventilator. Depending on the symptoms the doctor prescribes diuretics to remove excess fluid from the body, anticonvulsants if the child has seizures, and corticosteroids to reduce brain edema.

Specific treatments may include:

Infusion: Glucose and electrolyte solutions are given through an IV.

Diuretics: This drug may be used to reduce intracranial pressure and increase urinary tract.

Medications to prevent bleeding.

How to prevent Reye syndrome

Reye Syndrome is not contagious, so don't worry about your baby being at risk. To protect your child's health, take the following precautions:

 Although aspirin has been approved for use by children over 2 years old. However, you should absolutely not give children and adolescents recovering from diseases such as chickenpox, flu or any aspirin-containing medicine. If your baby has a viral infection or similar symptoms, ask your doctor what medicines you can safely give your child.

If you are breast-feeding: Absolutely do not take any medicine containing aspirin because aspirin is passed through breast milk.

Read the label carefully before taking it to avoid accidentally using aspirin. Many over-the-counter medications contain aspirin, including some weight loss pills, anti-nausea medications, cold medicines, and sinusitis.

Look for terms like salicylate, acetylsalicylate, acetylsalicylic acid, salicylamide, and phenyl salicylate as they are other names for aspirin.

Hope this article has provided many useful details for you about Reye syndrome, especially helpful for you to understand the common symptoms as well as the best treatment for this disease.