Hand Foot and Mouth Disease

The infection known as hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is very contagious. The coxsackievirus, which is most frequently responsible for this disease, belongs to the Enterovirus genus. These viruses can be transmitted directly from one person to another by touching unclean hands or faeces-contaminated surfaces. Additionally, exposure to an individual's saliva, faeces, or respiratory droplets might spread it. Fissures or ulcers in the lips and tongue and rashes on the feet and hands are symptoms of HFMD.

The rash that looks like blisters and develops on the hands, feet, and mouth gives rise to the moniker "hand, foot, and mouth sickness." You can find these blisters all over the body, like on the legs, extremities, genitalia, and bottoms. A virus brings on this severe illness. Children at daycare centres and schools frequently contract it quickly. Most people who contract hand, foot, and mouth disease are babies and kids under five. However, older kids and even adults can contract it. The virus can be contracted more than once and needs to be treated when found to stop the spread of the disease.

Knowing the different stages of a disease is always useful to a person trying to find out more about the disease. This is especially true for viral diseases, so you can know when the patient stops being contagious. It is not only a concern for yourself but a general health concern. We will be talking more about the hand, foot and mouth disease stages so you can know what to look forward to and what you need to look out for. Once you know these things, you can decide how you want to go ahead with your care or the care of a child or loved one.

The different hand, foot and mouth disease stages are given below.

• Fever, decreased appetite, a dry mouth, and a sleepy sensation are frequently the first symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease.

• It's possible for unpleasant mouth sores to appear after getting a fever. Herpangina are spots that typically occur in the rear of the mouth. These places may develop blisters and hurt.

• An uncomfortable skin rash may form mostly on surfaces of the palms and the foot soles simultaneously or immediately after the blisters do. The rash may spread to the back, tummy, genitalia, buttocks, and arms.

• When you notice the physical signs of the disease waning, that is about when you could also expect the disease to stop being contagious.

The enterovirus family of viruses are the cause of hand, foot and mouth disease. The coxsackie virus variant is typically to blame. The illness is extremely contagious and spreads via

• Whenever an infected individual coughs or sneezes, dispersed particles are released. When a healthy person comes in contact with these particles, they can also fall sick

• Having contact with excrement from an infected individual and then rubbing your lips, eyes, or nose.

• Direct touch with the blisters of an infected person.

• Embracing or kissing a virus carrier.

• Swapping cups, blankets, clothing, and dining utensils.

• Rubbing your eyes, mouth, or nose after coming into contact with contaminated toys, floors, door handles, or other objects.

These are some of the direct hand, foot and mouth disease causes. Barring these, some risk factors may make you or your child vulnerable to contracting the disease. If you know these risk factors, you can keep yourself and your child safe as far as possible.

• The majority of cases of hand, foot, and mouth diseases affect children in daycare. That's because toddlers require assistance using the restroom and regular diaper changes. Additionally, they frequently place their fingers in their eyes and mouths.

• You could easily catch it from someone who doesn't know they have the sickness because hand, foot and mouth disease in adults can often show up without any accompanying symptoms.

• The primary risk determinant for hand, foot, and mouth disease remains age. Most of the disease's victims are children under five to seven years old. Because the virus spreads through direct touch, children in schools and Crèches are more at risk than those who stay home.

However, you must remember that these risk factors do not mean that you or your child will get the disease in these circumstances. All daycare centres and schools are aware of this disease, and if they see even one child has the virus, they will shut down the organisation for a few days and clean the palace thoroughly. You can keep your child in daycare or send them to school without worrying about this disease.

The earliest signs of HFMD are typically a temperature and sore throat. The recognisable rashes and blisters appear later, typically a couple of days after the temperature starts. Then comes the rashes. Deeper skin tones can make the spots difficult to discern, so it's better to inspect the bottoms of the legs and the palms, where the problem might be more obvious. Although lesions can develop on any part of your hands or feet, this is among the few instances where you notice a sore on both palms and soles, making it simple to spot. The majority of kids with HFMD also experience uncomfortable mouth sores. Examine their neck and tongue, particularly the sides.

These are some of the more common hand, foot and mouth symptoms, but this is not all there is to the symptoms of the disease. The thing with illnesses in children is they all show and react to illnesses differently. Some children cannot tolerate even the slightest temperature, while others will be active and play around while burning up. It depends on the resistance of the child. This is why it becomes even more important to understand what to look for when diagnosing hand, foot and mouth disease.

Some other less common symptoms include:

• Swelling in the mouth and tongue.

• Feeling of discomfort leading to crankiness.

• Sore throat.

• Bleeding from the gums.

• Fussing.

• Loss of appetite.

• Drooling.

• Sores inside the mouth.

• Headache.

• Pain while sitting because of the sores on the bottoms.

• Trouble sleeping.

The blisters might help your doctor determine the ailment. On rare occasions, a doctor will order a lab test to check for the virus using samples from blisters, faeces, or throat swabs. Lab testing will often be needed if the illness has persisted for over 10 days, the patient is still showing symptoms, or their general health is degenerating. It may also happen that your doctor may ask for blood or stool tests to rule out other illnesses that may make the disease's symptoms worse. You may also be asked for more lab tests if your child is under 6 months and does not have a fully functioning immune system.

Before booking an appointment with your doctor, let them know whether you or your kid have recently been in contact with someone you know who has the virus. Your doctor might suggest remedies via the telephone or a computer during a "virtual" telemedicine consultation to safeguard other patients' safety. Do not go in without informing your doctor of the situation, as you may lead other children and adults to fall sick. Being mindful of the general well-being of people is very important in such situations.

There is no prescribed treatment for hand, foot and mouth disease, nor does it have any vaccines. Antibiotics do not help as the disease is caused by a virus. In the interim, you can do the following to make the patient feel better but do not take these to be hand, foot and mouth disease treatment:

• Painkillers sold over-the-counter, such as ibuprofen, paracetamol or numbing mouthwash. Aspirin shouldn't be used because it can make children very sick.

• Smoothies, yoghurt, and other cold snacks might help to ease a sore throat. Avoid soda and juice because they contain acids that could exacerbate sores.

• Calamine-like anti-itch cream for rashes, especially ones that can cool the area and rid the itchiness if only for a few moments.

• Sores on the feet or hands of children should be kept clean and unprotected. Use tepid water and soap to clean the skin, then pat it dry. If a blister breaks, apply a small amount of antibacterial ointment to minimise the chances of an infection, then wrap it up in a clean cloth so that the child does not pick on it.

• To keep hydrated, ensure your child consumes enough water or other fluids. Beating the disease demands the consumption of fluids. So encourage your child to keep consuming small amounts of fluid throughout the day.

• If your child has a persistent temperature, you can give them an over-the-counter fever medicine.

While there is no way to treat hand, foot and mouth disease, there are ways in which you may be able to prevent your child or yourself from getting the disease. However, you need to remember that while these tips effectively keep the disease at bay, they are in no way fool-proof. There may be cases where even if you are as careful as can be, the disease still takes you by surprise.

• Hands should be washed frequently. Spend no less than 20 seconds washing your hands. After using the bathroom or removing a diaper, make sure to clean your hands thoroughly to ensure that no spot remains dirty. Additionally, wash your hands after wiping your nose, coughing, or sneezing as well as before cooking or eating a meal. Utilise hand sanitiser without soap and water., and rub the solution between your hands very thoroughly. If you leave your child in daycare, ensure you choose a facility known for its hygienic standards.

• Clean up the common spaces. First, use soap and water to clean floors and places with high activity. After that, wipe with water and the bleaching solution that has been diluted. Maintain a stringent hygiene regimen if you work in a childcare facility. The virus can survive for weeks on surfaces in communal spaces, like door handles and shared objects like toys.

• Promote good personal hygiene. Teach your kids to clean their hands and assist them frequently. Show them the fundamentals of proper hygiene. Let them know why putting things in their mouth is bad for them and be firm about it. If you see them forming a habit of putting things into their mouths, check them from the get-go and do not let the habit form.

• Prevent immediate contact. Due to the high contagiousness of hand, foot, and mouth disease, infected individuals should restrict their contact with others when experiencing symptoms. Avoid sending your children who have HFM to daycare or school till their fever is gone and the mouth ulcers have recovered. Do not go to work if you are experiencing symptoms of the disease.

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