Hand, foot and mouth disease

Hand, foot and mouth disease

 

Hand, foot and mouth disease is a viral infection affecting the kids more

Hand, foot and mouth disease is common among the kids. The viral disease gets spread easily via sneezing and coughing. It usually affects, hands, feet, buttocks, legs and in or on the mouth. The infection goes away within seven days.

Hand, foot and mouth disease is an illness that causes sores on the hands, feet and in or on the mouth. The sores can also affect the legs and buttocks of the patient and they are really painful. The disease doesn’t last for a week or so and is usually common in children, but adults suffer as well. Usually, it occurs during the summer or the fall, but can attack anyone anytime of the year.

The symptoms or the signs usually start showing up only after three to seven days of the initial infection. They are:

• Sore throat

• Fever

• Headache

• Poor appetite

• Red blisters in the mouth, which are painful

• Red rash on hands and feet

• Irritation

Fever and sore throat among the children are the first two signs and the other symptoms show up later on.

A virus known as the Enterovirus causes this disease. The virus is known to get spread very easily via sneezing and coughing. Moreover, hand, foot and mouth disease also get spread through stool. This is evident even more when you change diapers or when your baby gets stool all over his/her hands and then touches others items or on other kids and eventually the kids put their hand on mouths.

The treatment recommended by the doctor includes:

• Pain killers like ibuprofen and acetaminophen to eliminate headaches

• Medical syrups to relieve the sore throats that are painful

• Topical ointments to ease the rashes and blisters