The CDC prepared a list of expected side effects from the Experimental Covid-19 Vaccines in October, 2020, BEFORE THEY WERE ANNOUNCED AVAILABLE FOR EMERGENCY USE. NOTE THAT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED FOR REGULAR USE BY THE FDA BECAUSE THEY ARE STILL EXPERIMENTAL.
Below the following list of adverse reactions, I have included each adverse reaction and the definitions of the medical terms used which I obtained from the National Institute of Health (NIH) or Mayo Clinic.
FDA Safety Surveillance of COVID-19 Vaccines : DRAFT
Working list of possible adverse event outcomes
— Guillain-Barré syndrome
— Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis
— Transverse myelitis
— Encephalitis/myelitis/encephalomyelitis/meningoencephalitis/meningitis/encepholapathy
— Convulsions/seizures
— Stroke
— Narcolepsy and cataplexy
— Anaphylaxis
— Acute myocardial infarction
— Myocarditis/pericarditis
— Autoimmune disease
— Deaths
— Pregnancy and birth outcomes
— Other acute demyelinating diseases
— Non-anaphylactic allergic reactions
— Thrombocytopenia
— Disseminated intravascular coagulation
— Venous thromboembolism
— Arthritis and arthralgia/joint pain
— Kawasaki disease
— Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children
— Vaccine enhanced disease
Here is the CDC document published last October. This list of Adverse Vaccine Side Effects is on page 16:
https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/97349
Definitions of adverse reactions listed by the CDC
— Guillain-Barré syndrome
Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare neurological disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system. It is one of several disorders involving weakness due to peripheral nerve damage caused by the person’s immune system. Initial symptoms include unexplained sensations such as tingling in the feet or hands, or pain, followed by weakness on both sides of the body. The weakness can increase in intensity over a period of hours to days to weeks until the muscles cannot be used at all and the person is almost totally paralyzed. If breathing muscles are affected, the person is often put on a ventilator. Most individuals, however, have good recovery from even the most severe cases of GBS, although some continue to have some degree of weakness.
The exact cause of Guillain-Barré syndrome is unknown. It can occur a few days or weeks after the person has had symptoms of a respiratory or gastrointestinal viral infection. Occasionally, surgery will trigger the syndrome. In rare instances, vaccinations may increase the risk of GBS. Recently, some countries worldwide have reported an increased incidence of GBS following infection with the Zika virus.
A nerve conduction velocity (NCV) test, which measures the nerve’s ability to send a signal, can aid the diagnosis. The cerebrospinal fluid that bathes the spinal cord and brain contains more protein than usual in someone with GBS, so a physician may decide to perform a spinal tap to obtain a sample of fluid to analyze.
— Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis
Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is characterized by a brief but widespread attack of inflammation in the brain and spinal cord that damages myelin – the protective covering of nerve fibers. ADEM often follows viral or bacterial infections, or less often, vaccination for measles, mumps, or rubella. The symptoms of ADEM appear rapidly, beginning with encephalitis-like symptoms such as fever, fatigue, headache, nausea and vomiting, and in the most severe cases, seizures and coma. ADEM typically damages white matter (brain tissue that takes its name from the white color of myelin), leading to neurological symptoms such as visual loss (due to inflammation of the optic nerve) in one or both eyes, weakness even to the point of paralysis, and difficulty coordinating voluntary muscle movements (such as those used in walking). ADEM is sometimes misdiagnosed as a severe first attack of multiple sclerosis (MS), since the symptoms and the appearance of the white matter injury on brain imaging may be similar. However, ADEM has several features which differentiate it from MS. First, unlike MS patients, persons with ADEM will have rapid onset of fever, a history of recent infection or immunization, and some degree of impairment of consciousness, perhaps even coma; these features are not typically seen in MS. Children are more likely than adults to have ADEM, whereas MS is a rare diagnosis in children. In addition, ADEM usually consists of a single episode or attack of widespread myelin damage, while MS features many attacks over the course of time. Doctors will often use imaging techniques, such as MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), to search for old and new lesions (areas of damage) on the brain. The presence of older brain lesions on MRI suggest that the condition may be MS rather than ADEM, since MS can cause brain lesions before symptoms become obvious. In rare situations, a brain biopsy may be necessary to differentiate between ADEM and some other diseases that involve inflammation and damage to myelin.
— Transverse myelitis
Transverse myelitis is an inflammation of the spinal cord. The inflammation interrupts communications between nerve fibers in the spinal cord and the rest of the body, affecting sensation and nerve signaling below the damage to the protective nerve coating called myelin. The segment of the spinal cord at which the damage occurs determines which parts of the body are affected. Damage at one segment will affect function at that level and below. In people with transverse myelitis, the myelin damage most often occurs in nerves in the upper back, causing problems with leg movement and bowel and bladder control, which require signals from the lower segments of the spinal cord.
Symptoms may develop suddenly or over days or weeks. Classic symptoms include:
- weakness of the arms and legs,
- sensory alterations such as burning, pricking, numbness, or sensory loss,
- pain (usually in the lower back or down the legs and arms or around the torso),
- and bowel and bladder dysfunction.
Some cases of transverse myelitis occur on their own, but a number of conditions appear to cause the disorder, including immune system disorders, bacteial and viral infections, fungal infections, and various parasites. Transverse myelitis can affect people of any age, but a peak in incidence rates appears to occur between 10 and 19 years of age and 30 to 39 years of age.
— Encephalitis, Meningitis
Meningitis is an infection of the meninges, the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord. Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain itself. Anyone can get encephalitis or meningitis. Causes of encephalitis and meningitis include viruses, bacteria, fungus, and parasites. Anyone experiencing symptoms of meningitis or encephalitis should see a doctor immediately.
Symptoms of encephalitis that might require emergency treatment include loss of consciousness, seizures, muscle weakness, or sudden severe dementia. Other symptoms include:
- sudden fever,
- headache,
- vomiting,
- heightened sensitivity to light,
- stiff neck and back,
- confusion and impaired judgment,
- drowsiness,
- weak muscles,
- a clumsy and unsteady gait,
- irritability.
- In more severe cases, people may have problems with speech or hearing, vision problems, and hallucinations.
Symptoms of meningitis, which may appear suddenly, often include:
- high fever,
- severe and persistent headache,
- stiff neck,
- nausea,
- sensitivity to bright light,
- vomiting, and
- changes in behavior such as confusion, sleepiness, and difficulty waking up.
In infants, symptoms of meningitis or encephalitis may include fever, vomiting, lethargy, body stiffness, unexplained irritability, and a full or bulging fontanel (the soft spot on the top of the head).
Rasmussen’s encephalitis (RE) is a very rare, chronic inflammatory neurological disease that usually affects only one hemisphere (half) of the brain. It most often occurs in children under the age of 10 but can also affect adolescents and adults. It has features of an autoimmune disease in which immune system cells enter the brain and cause damage. RE is characterized by frequent and severe seizures, progressive loss of neurological functions including motor skills, speech, and eventual paralysis on one side of the body (hemiparesis), inflammation of the brain (encephalitis), and mental deterioration. Children with RE frequently enter a phase of permanent, but stable, neurological deficits after 8 to 12 months; the disease in adults and adolescents may continue to progress slowly.
— Myelitis, Meningitis, Encephalomyelitis, Meningoencephalitis
Infections and other disorders affecting the brain and spinal cord can activate the immune system, which leads to inflammation. These diseases, and the resulting inflammation, can produce a wide range of symptoms, including fever, headache, seizures, and changes in behavior or confusion. In extreme cases, these can cause brain damage, stroke, or even death.
Inflammation of the meninges, the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord, is called meningitis; inflammation of the brain itself is called encephalitis. Myelitis refers to inflammation of the spinal cord. When both the brain and the spinal cord are involved, the condition is called encephalomyelitis.
— Encephalopathy
Encephalopathy is a term for any diffuse disease of the brain that alters brain function or structure. Encephalopathy may be caused by infectious agent (bacteria, virus, or prion), metabolic or mitochondrial dysfunction, brain tumor or increased pressure in the skull, prolonged exposure to toxic elements (including solvents, drugs, radiation, paints, industrial chemicals, and certain metals), chronic progressive trauma, poor nutrition, or lack of oxygen or blood flow to the brain. The hallmark of encephalopathy is an altered mental state. Depending on the type and severity of encephalopathy, common neurological symptoms are progressive loss of memory and cognitive ability, subtle personality changes, inability to concentrate, lethargy, and progressive loss of consciousness. Other neurological symptoms may include myoclonus (involuntary twitching of a muscle or group of muscles), nystagmus (rapid, involuntary eye movement), tremor, muscle atrophy and weakness, dementia, seizures, and loss of ability to swallow or speak. Blood tests, spinal fluid examination, imaging studies, electroencephalograms, and similar diagnostic studies may be used to differentiate the various causes of encephalopathy.
— Convulsions, Seizures
Febrile seizures are convulsions or seizures in infants or small children that are brought on by a fever or febrile illness. The seizures may come before the fever. Most often during a febrile seizure, a child loses consciousness and shakes uncontrollably. Less commonly, a child becomes rigid or has twitches in only a portion of the body. Most febrile seizures last a minute or two; some can be as brief as a few seconds, while others may last for more than 15 minutes. Approximately one in every 25 children will have at least one febrile seizure. Febrile seizures usually occur in children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years, with the risk peaking in the second year of life. The older a child is when the first febrile seizure occurs, the less likely that child is to have more febrile seizures as they will spend less time in the age group at risk. A few factors appear to boost a child’s risk of having recurrent febrile seizures, including a family history of febrile seizures in a first- or second-degree relative, a young age (less than 18 months) at the first febrile seizure, having a lower peak temperature during the illness when the febrile seizure occurs, and the febrile seizure occurring within an hour of recognized fever.
Focal seizures originate in just one part of the brain. About 60 percent of people with epilepsy have focal seizures. These seizures are frequently described by the area of the brain in which they originate. Many people are diagnosed with focal frontal lobe or medial temporal lobe seizures.
In some focal seizures, the person remains conscious but may experience motor, sensory, or psychic feelings (for example, intense dejà vu or memories) or sensations that can take many forms. The person may experience sudden and unexplainable feelings of joy, anger, sadness, or nausea. He or she also may hear, smell, taste, see, or feel things that are not real and may have movements of just one part of the body, for example, just one hand.
In other focal seizures, the person has a change in consciousness, which can produce a dreamlike experience. The person may display strange, repetitious behaviors such as blinks, twitches, mouth movements (often like chewing or swallowing, or even walking in a circle). These repetitious movements are called automatisms. More complicated actions, which may seem purposeful, can also occur involuntarily. Individuals may also continue activities they started before the seizure began, such as washing dishes in a repetitive, unproductive fashion. These seizures usually last just a minute or two.
Generalized seizures are a result of abnormal neuronal activity that rapidly emerges on both sides of the brain. These seizures may cause loss of consciousness, falls, or a muscle’s massive contractions. The many kinds of generalized seizures include:
- Absence seizures may cause the person to appear to be staring into space with or without slight twitching of the muscles.
- Tonic seizures cause stiffening of muscles of the body, generally those in the back, legs, and arms.
- Clonic seizures cause repeated jerking movements of muscles on both sides of the body.
- Myoclonic seizures cause jerks or twitches of the upper body, arms, or legs.
- Atonic seizures cause a loss of normal muscle tone, which often leads the affected person to fall down or drop the head involuntarily.
- Tonic-clonic seizures cause a combination of symptoms, including stiffening of the body and repeated jerks of the arms and/or legs as well as loss of consciousness.
- Secondary generalized seizures.
Not all seizures can be easily defined as either focal or generalized. Some people have seizures that begin as focal seizures but then spread to the entire brain. Other people may have both types of seizures but with no clear pattern.
— Stroke
A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is suddenly interrupted or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts, spilling blood into the spaces surrounding brain cells. Brain cells die when they no longer receive oxygen and nutrients from the blood or there is sudden bleeding into or around the brain. The symptoms of a stroke include sudden numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body; sudden confusion or trouble speaking or understanding speech; sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes; sudden trouble with walking, dizziness, or loss of balance or coordination; or sudden severe headache with no known cause. There are two forms of stroke: ischemic – blockage of a blood vessel supplying the brain, and hemorrhagic – bleeding into or around the brain.
— Narcolepsy, Cataplexy
Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder caused by the brain’s inability to regulate sleep-wake cycles. Many people with narcolepsy also experience uneven and interrupted sleep that can involve waking up frequently during the night. At various times throughout the day, people with narcolepsy experience overpowering bouts of sleep. If the urge becomes overwhelming, individuals will fall asleep for periods lasting from a few seconds to several minutes. In rare cases, some people may remain asleep for an hour or longer. In addition to excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), people with narcolepsy experience some or all of the typical symptoms of cataplexy (the sudden loss of voluntary muscle tone), vivid hallucinations during sleep onset or upon awakening, and brief episodes of total paralysis at the beginning or end of sleep called sleep paralysis).
Because narcolepsy is often misdiagnosed as other conditions, it may take years to get the proper diagnosis. The cause of narcolepsy remains unknown. It is likely that narcolepsy involves multiple factors interacting to cause neurological dysfunction and sleep disturbances.
Cataplexy, the sudden loss of muscle tone while a person is awake, leads to weakness and a loss of voluntary muscle control. It is often triggered by sudden, strong emotions such as laughter, fear, anger, stress, or excitement. The symptoms of cataplexy may appear weeks or even years after the onset of EDS. Some people may only have one or two attacks in a lifetime, while others may experience many attacks a day. In about 10 percent of cases of narcolepsy, cataplexy is the first symptom to appear and can be misdiagnosed as a seizure disorder. Attacks may be mild and involve only a momentary sense of minor weakness in a limited number of muscles, such as a slight drooping of the eyelids. The most severe attacks result in a total body collapse during which individuals are unable to move, speak, or keep their eyes open. But even during the most severe episodes, people remain fully conscious, a characteristic that distinguishes cataplexy from fainting or seizure disorders. The loss of muscle tone during cataplexy resembles paralysis of muscle activity that naturally occurs during REM sleep. Episodes last a few minutes at most and resolve almost instantly on their own. While scary, the episodes are not dangerous as long as the individual finds a safe place in which to collapse.
— Anaphylaxis
Anaphylaxis is a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. It can occur within seconds or minutes of exposure to something you’re allergic to, such as peanuts or bee stings.
Anaphylaxis causes your immune system to release a flood of chemicals that can cause you to go into shock — your blood pressure drops suddenly and your airways narrow, blocking breathing. Signs and symptoms include a rapid, weak pulse; a skin rash; and nausea and vomiting. Common triggers include certain foods, some medications, insect venom and latex.
Anaphylaxis requires an injection of epinephrine and a follow-up trip to an emergency room. If you don’t have epinephrine, you need to go to an emergency room immediately. If anaphylaxis isn’t treated right away, it can be fatal.
Anaphylaxis symptoms usually occur within minutes of exposure to an allergen. Sometimes, however, it can occur a half-hour or longer after exposure. Signs and symptoms include:
- Skin reactions, including hives and itching and flushed or pale skin
- Low blood pressure (hypotension)
- Constriction of your airways and a swollen tongue or throat, which can cause wheezing and trouble breathing
- A weak and rapid pulse
- Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
- Dizziness or fainting
Seek emergency medical help if you, your child or someone else you’re with has a severe allergic reaction. Don’t wait to see if the symptoms go away.
— Acute myocardial infarction
Acute myocardial infarction is one of the leading causes of death in the developed world. The prevalence of the disease approaches three million people worldwide, with more than one million deaths in the United States annually. Acute myocardial infarction can be divided into two categories, non-ST-segment elevation MI (NSTEMI) and ST-segment elevation MI (STEMI). Unstable angina is similar to NSTEMI. However, cardiac markers are not elevated.
An MI results in irreversible damage to the heart muscle due to a lack of oxygen. An MI may lead to impairment in diastolic and systolic function and make the patient prone to arrhythmias. In addition, an MI can lead to a number of serious complications. The key is to reperfuse the heart and restore blood flow. The earlier the treatment (less than 6 hours from symptom onset), the better the prognosis.
An MI is diagnosed when two of the following criteria are met:
- Symptoms of ischemia
- New ST-segment changes or a left bundle branch block (LBBB)
- Presence of pathological Q waves on the ECG
- Imaging study showing new regional wall motion abnormality
- Presence of an intracoronary thrombus at autopsy or angiography
All patients with STEMI and NSTEMI require immediately chewed aspirin 160 mg to 325 mg. Furthermore, the patient should have intravenous access and oxygen supplementation if oxygen saturation is less than 91%. Opioids may be used for pain control in addition to sublingual nitroglycerin if the blood pressure is adequate.
— Myocarditis
Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle (myocardium). Myocarditis can affect your heart muscle and your heart’s electrical system, reducing your heart’s ability to pump and causing rapid or abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias).
A viral infection usually causes myocarditis, but it can result from a reaction to a drug or be part of a more general inflammatory condition. Signs and symptoms include chest pain, fatigue, shortness of breath, and arrhythmias.
Severe myocarditis weakens your heart so that the rest of your body doesn’t get enough blood. Clots can form in your heart, leading to a stroke or heart attack.
Treatment for myocarditis depends on the cause.
If you have a mild case of myocarditis or are in the early stages, you might have no symptoms or mild ones, such as chest pain or shortness of breath.
In serious cases, the signs and symptoms of myocarditis vary, depending on the cause of the disease. Common myocarditis signs and symptoms include:
- Chest pain
- Rapid or abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias)
- Shortness of breath, at rest or during physical activity
- Fluid retention with swelling of your legs, ankles and feet
- Fatigue
- Other signs and symptoms of a viral infection, such as a headache, body aches, joint pain, fever, a sore throat or diarrhea
When children develop myocarditis, they might have signs and symptoms including:
- Fever
- Fainting
- Breathing difficulties
- Rapid breathing
- Rapid or abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias)
Contact your doctor if you have symptoms of myocarditis, particularly chest pain and shortness of breath. If you’ve had an infection, be alert for the symptoms of myocarditis and let your doctor know if they occur. If you have severe symptoms, go to the emergency room or call for emergency medical help.
— Pericarditis
Pericarditis is swelling and irritation of the thin, saclike tissue surrounding your heart (pericardium). Pericarditis often causes sharp chest pain and sometimes other symptoms. The chest pain occurs when the irritated layers of the pericardium rub against each other.
Pericarditis is usually mild and goes away without treatment. Treatment for more-severe cases may include medications and, rarely, surgery. Early diagnosis and treatment may help reduce the risk of long-term complications from pericarditis.
Chest pain is the most common symptom of pericarditis. It usually feels sharp or stabbing. However, some people have dull, achy or pressure-like chest pain.
- The pain usually occurs behind the breastbone or in the left side of your chest.
- It may spread to your left shoulder and neck.
- It often gets worse when you cough, lie down or take a deep breath.
- Sitting up and leaning forward makes you feel better.
Other signs and symptoms of pericarditis may include:
- Abdominal or leg swelling
- Cough
- Fatigue or general feeling of weakness or being sick
- Low-grade fever
- Pounding or racing heartbeat (heart palpitations)
- Shortness of breath when lying down
The specific symptoms you have depend on the type of pericarditis you have. Pericarditis is grouped into different categories, according to the pattern of symptoms and how long symptoms last.
- Acute pericarditis begins suddenly but doesn’t last longer than three weeks. Future episodes can occur. It may be difficult to tell the difference between acute pericarditis and pain due to a heart attack.
- Recurrent pericarditis occurs about four to six weeks after an episode of acute pericarditis with no symptoms in between.
- Incessant pericarditis lasts about four to six weeks but less than three months. The symptoms are continuous.
- Chronic constrictive pericarditis usually develops slowly and lasts longer than three months.
Many of the symptoms of pericarditis are similar to those of other heart and lung conditions. The sooner you are evaluated, the sooner you can receive proper diagnosis and treatment. For example, although the cause of acute chest pain may be pericarditis, the original cause could have been a heart attack or a blood clot of the lungs (pulmonary embolus).
— Autoimmune disease
A healthy immune system defends the body against disease and infection. But if the immune system malfunctions, it mistakenly attacks healthy cells, tissues, and organs. Called autoimmune disease, these attacks can affect any part of the body, weakening bodily function and even turning life-threatening.
Scientists know about more than 80 autoimmune diseases. Some are well known, such as type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis, while others are rare and difficult to diagnose. With unusual autoimmune diseases, patients may suffer years before getting a proper diagnosis. Most of these diseases have no cure. Some require lifelong treatment to ease symptoms.
Collectively, these diseases affect more than 24 million people in the United States. An additional eight million people have auto-antibodies, blood molecules that indicate a person’s chance of developing autoimmune disease. Autoimmune diseases are affecting more people for reasons unknown. Likewise, the causes of these diseases remain a mystery.
Studies indicate these diseases likely result from interactions between genetic and environmental factors. Gender, race, and ethnicity characteristics are linked to a likelihood of developing an autoimmune disease. Autoimmune diseases are more common when people are in contact with certain environmental exposures.
— Deaths
A permanent cessation of all vital functions : the end of life.
— Pregnancy and birth outcomes
Adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes.
— Other acute demyelinating diseases
A demyelinating disease is any condition that results in damage to the protective covering (myelin sheath) that surrounds nerve fibers in your brain, optic nerves and spinal cord. When the myelin sheath is damaged, nerve impulses slow or even stop, causing neurological problems.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. In this disorder, your immune system attacks the myelin sheath or the cells that produce and maintain it.
This causes inflammation and injury to the sheath and ultimately to the nerve fibers that it surrounds. The process can result in multiple areas of scarring (sclerosis).
Other types of demyelinating disease and their causes include:
- Optic neuritis — inflammation of the optic nerve in one or both eyes
- Neuromyelitis optica (Devic’s disease) — inflammation and demyelination of the central nervous system, especially of the optic nerve and spinal cord
- Transverse myelitis — inflammation of the spinal cord
- Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis — inflammation of the brain and spinal cord
- Adrenoleukodystrophy and adrenomyeloneuropathy — rare, inherited metabolic disorders
MS and other demyelinating diseases most commonly result in vision loss, muscle weakness, muscle stiffness and spasms, loss of coordination, change in sensation, pain, and changes in bladder and bowel function.
— Non-anaphylactic allergic reactions
Allergies occur when your immune system reacts to a foreign substance — such as pollen, bee venom or pet dander — or a food that doesn’t cause a reaction in most people.
Your immune system produces substances known as antibodies. When you have allergies, your immune system makes antibodies that identify a particular allergen as harmful, even though it isn’t. When you come into contact with the allergen, your immune system’s reaction can inflame your skin, sinuses, airways or digestive system.
The severity of allergies varies from person to person and can range from minor irritation to anaphylaxis — a potentially life-threatening emergency. While most allergies can’t be cured, treatments can help relieve your allergy symptoms.
Allergy symptoms, which depend on the substance involved, can affect your airways, sinuses and nasal passages, skin, and digestive system. Allergic reactions can range from mild to severe. In some severe cases, allergies can trigger a life-threatening reaction known as anaphylaxis.
Hay fever, also called allergic rhinitis, can cause:
- Sneezing
- Itching of the nose, eyes or roof of the mouth
- Runny, stuffy nose
- Watery, red or swollen eyes (conjunctivitis)
A food allergy can cause:
- Tingling in the mouth
- Swelling of the lips, tongue, face or throat
- Hives
- Anaphylaxis
An insect sting allergy can cause:
- A large area of swelling (edema) at the sting site
- Itching or hives all over the body
- Cough, chest tightness, wheezing or shortness of breath
- Anaphylaxis
A drug allergy can cause:
- Hives
- Itchy skin
- Rash
- Facial swelling
- Wheezing
- Anaphylaxis
Atopic dermatitis, an allergic skin condition also called eczema, can cause skin to:
- Itch
- Redden
- Flake or peel
You might see a doctor if you have symptoms you think are caused by an allergy, and over-the-counter allergy medications don’t provide enough relief. If you have symptoms after starting a new medication, call the doctor who prescribed it right away.
— Thrombocytopenia
Thrombocytopenia is a condition in which you have a low blood platelet count. Platelets (thrombocytes) are colorless blood cells that help blood clot. Platelets stop bleeding by clumping and forming plugs in blood vessel injuries.
Thrombocytopenia might occur as a result of a bone marrow disorder such as leukemia or an immune system problem. Or it can be a side effect of taking certain medications. It affects both children and adults.
Thrombocytopenia can be mild and cause few signs or symptoms. In rare cases, the number of platelets can be so low that dangerous internal bleeding occurs. Treatment options are available.
Thrombocytopenia signs and symptoms may include:
- Easy or excessive bruising (purpura)
- Superficial bleeding into the skin that appears as a rash of pinpoint-sized reddish-purple spots (petechiae), usually on the lower legs
- Prolonged bleeding from cuts
- Bleeding from your gums or nose
- Blood in urine or stools
- Unusually heavy menstrual flows
- Fatigue
- Enlarged spleen
Make an appointment with your doctor if you have signs of thrombocytopenia that worry you.
Bleeding that won’t stop is a medical emergency. Seek immediate help for bleeding that can’t be controlled by the usual first-aid techniques, such as applying pressure to the area.
— Disseminated intravascular coagulation
Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a rare but serious condition that causes abnormal blood clotting throughout the body’s blood vessels. It is caused by another disease or condition, such as an infection or injury, that makes the body’s normal blood clotting process become overactive.
DIC may develop quickly over hours or days, or more slowly. Signs and symptoms may include bleeding, bruising, low blood pressure, shortness of breath, or confusion. Complications can be life-threatening and include bleeding or multiple organ failure.
DIC that develops quickly usually requires emergency treatment in the hospital. In treating DIC, your doctor will treat the disease that is causing DIC. Your doctor may also give you medicines to prevent blood clots, or blood products such as platelets or clotting factors to stop bleeding.
Signs and symptoms of DIC may include:
- Bruising, which may appear easily, and often in various areas as small dots or larger patches
- Bleeding at the site of wounds from surgical cuts or from placement of a needle
- Bleeding from the nose, gums, or mouth, including when you brush your teeth
- Blood in the stools from bleeding in the intestines or stomach. Stools may appear dark red or like tar.
- Blood in the urine
- Chest pain, trouble breathing, and shortness of breath
- Confusion, speech changes or trouble speaking, dizziness, or seizures
- Headaches
- Low blood pressure
- Pain, redness, warmth, and swelling in the lower leg
- Unusually heavy periods
Your doctor will diagnose DIC based on your medical history, a physical exam, and tests. Your doctor will also look for the cause of DIC, because it does not occur on its own.
— Venous thromboembolism
Also known as Blood Clots, Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), Pulmonary Embolism (PE)
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a disorder that includes deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. A deep vein thrombosis (DVT) occurs when a blood clot forms in a deep vein, usually in the lower leg, thigh, or pelvis. A pulmonary embolism (PE) occurs when a clot breaks loose and travels through the bloodstream to the lungs.
The risk of developing VTE is highest after major surgery or a major injury, or when you have heart failure, cancer, or a heart attack. Swelling, redness, and pain are some of the signs and symptoms of deep vein thrombosis. A pulmonary embolism can cause sudden chest pain and shortness of breath. Sometimes VTE occurs without any obvious signs. Medicines that help prevent further blood clots from forming or that dissolve serious vein blockages are the main treatments for VTE. Without treatment, VTE can restrict or block blood flow and oxygen, which can damage the body’s tissue or organs. This can be especially serious in the case of a pulmonary embolism, which blocks blood flow to the lungs. If a blood clot is large or there are many clots, a pulmonary embolism can cause death.
VTE occurs in the veins that carry blood to your heart. A deep vein thrombosis may occur if the flow of blood slows down in your body’s deep veins, if something damages the blood vessel lining, or if the makeup of the blood itself changes so that blood clots form more easily. A pulmonary embolism (PE) refers to an embolus from a deep vein blood clot that breaks loose and travels to the lungs, blocking an artery in the lung. Blood clots can develop in veins damaged by surgery or trauma, or a result of inflammation in response to an infection or injury.
Deep vein thrombosis may cause the following to occur around the area of a blood clot:
- Swelling
- Pain or tenderness
- Increased warmth, cramps, or aching in the area that is swollen or painful, usually the calf or thigh
- Red or discolored skin
Signs and symptoms of pulmonary embolism include:
- Shortness of breath
- Pain with deep breathing
- Rapid breathing
- Increased heart rate
Less common signs and symptoms of pulmonary embolism may include coughing, with or without blood; feelings of anxiety or dread; light-headedness or fainting; and sweating.
Contact your doctor right away if you suspect that you have signs or symptoms of VTE. Deep vein thrombosis should be taken seriously, as it may lead to pulmonary embolism.
— Arthritis and arthralgia, joint pain
Arthritis is the swelling and tenderness of one or more of your joints. The main symptoms of arthritis are joint pain and stiffness, which typically worsen with age. The most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Osteoarthritis causes cartilage — the hard, slippery tissue that covers the ends of bones where they form a joint — to break down. Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease in which the immune system attacks the joints, beginning with the lining of joints.
Uric acid crystals, which form when there’s too much uric acid in your blood, can cause gout. Infections or underlying disease, such as psoriasis or lupus, can cause other types of arthritis.
Treatments vary depending on the type of arthritis. The main goals of arthritis treatments are to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life.
The most common signs and symptoms of arthritis involve the joints. Depending on the type of arthritis you have, your signs and symptoms may include:
- Pain
- Stiffness
- Swelling
- Redness
- Decreased range of motion
Arthralgia is pain in one or more of your joints. The pain may be described as sharp, dull, stabbing, burning or throbbing, and may range in intensity from mild to severe. There are many causes of arthralgia, including injury, infection, arthritis, and other ailments. The most common cause is arthritis, which is inflammation of the joints.
— Kawasaki disease
Kawasaki disease causes swelling (inflammation) in the walls of medium-sized arteries throughout the body. It primarily affects children. The inflammation tends to affect the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart muscle.
Kawasaki disease is sometimes called mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome because it also affects glands that swell during an infection (lymph nodes), skin, and the mucous membranes inside the mouth, nose and throat.
Signs of Kawasaki disease, such as a high fever and peeling skin, can be frightening. The good news is that Kawasaki disease is usually treatable, and most children recover from Kawasaki disease without serious problems.
Kawasaki disease signs and symptoms usually appear in three phases.
Signs and symptoms of the first phase may include:
- A fever that is often is higher than 102.2 F (39 C) and lasts more than three days
- Extremely red eyes without a thick discharge
- A rash on the main part of the body and in the genital area
- Red, dry, cracked lips and an extremely red, swollen tongue
- Swollen, red skin on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet
- Swollen lymph nodes in the neck and perhaps elsewhere
- Irritability
In the second phase of the disease, your child may develop:
- Peeling of the skin on the hands and feet, especially the tips of the fingers and toes, often in large sheets
- Joint pain
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Abdominal pain
In the third phase of the disease, signs and symptoms slowly go away unless complications develop. It may be as long as eight weeks before energy levels seem normal again.
If your child has a fever that lasts more than three days, contact your child’s doctor. Also, see your child’s doctor if your child has a fever along with four or more of the following signs and symptoms:
- Redness in both eyes
- A very red, swollen tongue
- Redness of the palms or soles
- Skin peeling
- A rash
- Swollen lymph nodes
Treating Kawasaki disease within 10 days of when it began may greatly reduce the chances of lasting damage.
— Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children
Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a serious condition that appears to be linked to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Most children who become infected with the COVID-19 virus have only a mild illness. But in children who go on to develop MIS-C, some organs and tissues — such as the heart, lungs, blood vessels, kidneys, digestive system, brain, skin or eyes — become severely inflamed. Signs and symptoms depend on which areas of the body are affected.
MIS-C is considered a syndrome — a group of signs and symptoms, not a disease — because much is unknown about it, including its cause and risk factors. Identifying and studying more children who have MIS-C may help to eventually find a cause. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health are working with doctors and researchers across the country to learn more about risk factors for MIS-C, share data, and improve diagnosis and treatment of MIS-C.
Rarely, some adults develop signs and symptoms similar to MIS-C. This new and serious syndrome, called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults (MIS-A), occurs in adults who were previously infected with the COVID-19 virus and many didn’t even know it. MIS-A seems to occur weeks after COVID-19 infection, though some people have a current infection. If MIS-A is suspected, a diagnostic or antibody test for COVID-19 can help confirm current or past infection with the virus, which aids in diagnosing MIS-A.
MIS-C is rare, and most children who have it eventually get better with medical care. But some kids rapidly get worse, to the point where their lives are at risk.
Much remains to be learned about this emerging inflammatory syndrome. If your child shows any signs or symptoms, get help fast.
Signs and symptoms of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) include those below, though not all children have the same symptoms.
- Fever that lasts 24 hours or longer
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Pain in the stomach
- Skin rash
- Feeling unusually tired
- Fast heartbeat
- Rapid breathing
- Red eyes
- Redness or swelling of the lips and tongue
- Redness or swelling of the hands or feet
- Headache, dizziness or lightheadedness
- Enlarged lymph nodes
Emergency warning signs of MIS-C
- Severe stomach pain
- Difficulty breathing
- Pale, gray or blue-colored skin, lips or nail beds — depending on skin tone
- New confusion
- Inability to wake up or stay awake
If your child has any of the emergency warning signs listed above — or is severely sick with other signs and symptoms — get care immediately. Take your child to the nearest emergency department or call 911 or your local emergency number.
If your child isn’t severely ill but shows other signs or symptoms of MIS-C, contact your child’s doctor right away for advice. Doctors may want to do tests — such as blood tests, or imaging tests of the chest, heart or abdomen — to check for areas of inflammation and other signs of MIS-C.
— Vaccine enhanced disease
Examples of vaccine-induced enhancement of susceptibility to virus infection or of aberrant viral pathogenesis have been documented for infections by members of different virus families. Several mechanisms, many of which still are poorly understood, are at the basis of this phenomenon. Vaccine development for lentivirus infections in general, and for HIV/AIDS in particular, has been little successful. Certain experimental lentiviral vaccines even proved to be counterproductive: they rendered vaccinated subjects more susceptible to infection rather than protecting them. For vaccine-induced enhanced susceptibility to infection with certain viruses like feline coronavirus, Dengue virus, and feline immunodeficiency virus, it has been shown that antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) plays an important role. Other mechanisms may, either in the absence of or in combination with ADE, be involved. Consequently, vaccine-induced enhancement has been a major stumble block in the development of certain flavi-, corona-, paramyxo-, and lentivirus vaccines. Also recent failures in the development of a vaccine against HIV may at least in part be attributed to induction of enhanced susceptibility to infection. There may well be a delicate balance between the induction of protective immunity on the one hand and the induction of enhanced susceptibility on the other.
Immune responses to pathogens involve many cells and proteins of the immune system. Early during an infection, these responses are non-specific, meaning that although they are directed at the pathogen, they are not specific to it. This is called innate immunity. Within a few days, adaptive immunity takes over; this immunity is specific to the invading pathogen. Adaptive immune responses include antibodies. A major goal of antibodies is to bind to the pathogen and prevent it from infecting, or entering, a cell. Antibodies that prevent entry into cells are called neutralizing antibodies. Many vaccines work by inducing neutralizing antibodies. However, not all antibody responses are created equal. Sometimes antibodies do not prevent cell entry and, on rare occasions, they may actually increase the ability of a virus to enter cells and cause a worsening of disease through a mechanism called antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE).
ADE occurs when the antibodies generated during an immune response recognize and bind to a pathogen, but they are unable to prevent infection. Instead, these antibodies act as a “Trojan horse,” allowing the pathogen to get into cells and exacerbate the immune response.