Dorothy FarrarHand Foot Mouth Disease
Hand , foot and mouth disease is one of the most common childhood diseases worldwide. But adults can also contract the insidious virus.
What is hand, foot and mouth disease?
Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a highly contagious, worldwide, and very common viral disease that affects children between the ages of 2 and 6 in most cases. Babies, older children or adults are less likely to become infected. In adults, older people and people with a weakened immune system are particularly affected. Other less commonly used terms for the disease include hand-foot-and-mouth rash and false foot-and-mouth disease , although there is no connection to true foot-and-mouth disease.
causes
Triggers for hand, foot and mouth disease are so-called enteroviruses, which can occur practically anywhere in the environment. This type of virus can spread only in the human organism, which is why people affected by the disease are the primary source of infection. The most common form of transmission and contagion is smear infection . Body fluids such as saliva, blood or mucus are transferred directly from one person to another, and the viruses also get into the organism.Further possibilities of infection are the joint use of sanitary facilities such as toilets, since faeces can also be infected by enteroviruses, or transmission through coughing and sneezing, the so-called droplet infection . An unhygienic environment and frequent contact with other children, such as in kindergarten or in toddler groups, represent the greatest risk of infection for small children.
When to the doctor?
Since hand, foot and mouth disease is a very contagious disease, a doctor must be consulted as soon as the first symptoms appear. Until the doctor visits, the risk of infection for people in the immediate vicinity must be kept as low as possible. If you have pain in your hands, feet or in the mouth, you need to see a doctor. If the symptoms spread or increase in intensity, a doctor should be consulted as soon as possible.
If the skin becomes red and swollen within a few hours, you need to see a doctor. If fever sets in, there is a reduction in performance for no apparent reason and if the affected person complains of aching limbs, a doctor should be consulted. In case of loss of appetite, unwanted weight loss or sore throat, medical examinations should be initiated.
Medical care is necessary to alleviate the symptoms. If blisters or aphthae develop on the tongue, gums or oral mucosa, a doctor should be consulted. Small ulcers or red spots on the skin or mucous membranes should be examined and treated. In hand, foot and mouth disease, the blisters spread to the hands or feet over a few hours. If this causes problems or pain when gripping objects or moving around, a doctor is needed.
symptoms and course
Typical symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease:
As the name suggests, hand, foot and mouth disease primarily affects the body regions around the hands, feet and mouth. Although this is where the obvious, and hence eponymous, symptoms of the disease appear, it begins much like the flu . Initially, fever, body aches, tiredness, sore throat and loss of appetite appear.
After about a day or two, small red dots develop in the mouth, which are very painful and vary in shape and size. The tongue, oral mucosa and gums are usually affected. More rarely, the dots also spread around the mouth. Shortly after they appear, the spots develop into small blisters or sores that can also be itchy.
Only a few hours later, the painful red spots also appear on the hands and feet, where they develop in the same way. The spots and blisters do not have to be limited to the hands, feet and mouth area and can also appear on the buttocks, elbows, knees or the genital area. According to estimates, the symptoms mentioned only occur in around 20 percent of affected small children, while the rest have no symptoms at all and are therefore often undetected. Approximately seven to ten days after the first symptoms appear, the disease is usually over and completely healed.
Diagnose
If hand, foot and mouth disease is suspected, the family doctor or pediatrician can usually make a diagnosis very quickly and reliably. A description of the medical history and a brief, superficial examination of the hands, feet and oral cavity, during which the characteristic skin rash is noticed, are usually sufficient. Blood and stool tests are only necessary if the clinical picture is not clear and there are therefore doubts about a clear diagnosis.
complications
Hand, foot and mouth disease is the main symptom of a cold or flu in the patient. The patients mainly suffer from fever and general exhaustion. The disease also causes blisters to form on the tongue and swelling throughout the mouth. Hand, foot and mouth disease often leads to a rash on the skin, which can also be associated with itching. The patient’s quality of life is significantly reduced by hand, foot and mouth disease. As a rule, those affected also suffer from reduced aesthetics and are often ashamed of the symptoms.
As the disease progresses, without treatment, paralysis or other sensory disturbances can occur. The disorders are often irreversible and can no longer be treated if damaged. Complications arise when hand, foot and mouth disease also affects the brain, which can lead to various motor and mental disorders. There are no complications with the treatment itself. The symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease can be reduced with the help of medication. Successful treatment does not reduce the patient’s life expectancy.
treatment and therapy
Since hand, foot and mouth disease is relatively harmless and harmless in most cases and heals on its own fairly quickly, treatment is not appropriate. Only the often painful and very unpleasant symptoms can be treated in a targeted manner. Painkillers are very reliable against the pain and fever .
However, care must be taken to select the right preparation, since painkillers containing acetylsalicylic acid can cause serious complications in viral infections. These painkillers include, for example, ASA or aspirin . On the other hand, products that contain paracetamol are recommended . Alternatively, natural home remedies such as calf wraps can be used to combat the fever.
prevention
Since a person affected by hand, foot and mouth disease is contagious about a week before the first symptoms appear, prevention is extremely difficult. Only when the typical symptoms such as the red dots break out are children taken out of their kindergartens to be on the safe side, although by then it is often too late and other children have become infected.If a child in the family is affected, hygiene is the top priority to protect other family members. Regular hand washing and disinfecting is just as important as cleaning doorknobs and sanitary facilities with antiviral cleaning agents. Although hand, foot and mouth disease is quite uncomfortable and painful, it is sometimes harmless. However, preventing the further spread of the disease should be a top priority as it is highly contagious.
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.