Hand-foot-and-mouth disease

Description

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is a mild, contagious viral infection common in young children. Symptoms include sores in the mouth and a rash on the hands and feet. Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is most commonly caused by a coxsackievirus.

There is no specific treatment for hand-foot-and-mouth disease. Frequent washing of hands and avoiding close contact with people who have to hand-foot-and-mouth disease may help reduce the risk of infection.

Symptoms

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease can cause all of the following symptoms or just some of them. They include:

  • Fever.
  • The sore throat.
  • Feeling of discomfort.
  • Painful, blister-like lesions on the tongue, gums and inside the cheeks.
  • A rash on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, and sometimes on the buttocks. The rash is not itchy, but sometimes you have blisters. Depending on the tone of the skin, the rash may appear red, white, gray, or only appear as small bumps.
  • Irritability in infants and young children.
  • Loss of appetite.

The usual period from initial infection to the time symptoms appear (incubation period) is 3 to 6 days. Children may have a fever and develop a sore throat. Sometimes they lose their appetite and don't feel well.

One or two days after the fever begins, painful sores may develop in the front of the mouth or throat. A rash on the hands and feet and sometimes on the buttocks may also appear.

Sores that develop on the back of the mouth and throat can suggest related with the viral disease called herpangina. Other features of herpangina, which include a sudden high fever and, in some cases, seizures. In rare cases, sores develop on the hands, feet, or other parts of the body.

When to see a doctor

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is usually a mild disease. Usually only the causes of fever and mild symptoms for a couple of days. Call your health care provider if your child is less than six months, have a weakened immune system, or have sores in the mouth or sore throat that makes it painful to drink liquids. Call your healthcare provider if your child's symptoms do not improve after 10 days.

Causes

The most common cause of hand-foot-and-mouth disease is the infection of coxsackievirus 16. This coxsackievirus belongs to a group of viruses called nonpolio enteroviruses. Other types of enteroviruses can also cause hand-foot-and-mouth disease.

The majority of people, the infection by coxsackie virus, and hand-foot-and-mouth disease through the mouth. The disease spreads from person-to-person contact with an infected person:

  • The secretions of the nose or throat download
  • Saliva
  • The fluid from the blisters
  • Stool
  • Respiratory droplets that are sprayed into the air after coughing or sneezing

Common in the child care environment

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is most common in children in child care. This is because young children need frequent diaper changes and help to use the toilet. They also tend to put their hands in their mouths.

The child is most contagious during the first week of having to hand-foot-and-mouth disease. But the virus can remain in the body for weeks after the symptoms disappear. That means your child can still infect other people.

Some people, especially adults, can transmit the virus without showing symptoms of the disease.

Outbreaks of the disease are more common in summer and early autumn in the united States. In tropical climates, outbreaks occur during the rainy season.

Different foot-and-mouth disease

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is not related to foot-and-mouth disease (sometimes called hoof and mouth disease), which is an infectious viral disease is found in the farm animals. You can't get hand-foot-and-mouth disease from pets or other animals, and may not be extended to them.

Risk factors

Age is the main risk factor for the hand-foot-and-mouth disease. The disease mainly affects children under age 5 to 7 years. Children in child care settings are particularly vulnerable due to which the infection is spread from person-to-person contact.

Hand-foot-mouth-disease usually affects young children, but anyone can have.

Older children and adults are believed to have immunity against hand-foot-and-mouth disease. Often produce antibodies after exposure to the virus that causes the disease. But teens and adults sometimes I still get hand-foot-and-mouth disease.

Complications

The most common complication of hand-foot-and-mouth disease is dehydration. The disease can cause sores in the mouth and throat, making it painful to swallow.

Encourage your child to drink fluids during the illness. If the children become too dehydrated, they may need intravenous (IV) fluids in the hospital.

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is usually a mild disease. It usually only causes of fever and mild symptoms for a couple of days. Sometimes the enterovirus that causes hand-foot-and-mouth disease enters the brain and causes serious complications:

  • Viral meningitis. This is a rare infection and inflammation of the membranes (meninges) and cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds the brain and the spinal cord.
  • Encephalitis. This serious and potentially deadly disease is inflammation of the brain. Encephalitis is rare.

Prevention

You can reduce your child's risk of hand-foot-and-mouth disease in many ways:

  • Wash your hands often. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds. Be sure to wash your hands after using the bathroom or changing a diaper. Also, wash your hands before preparing or eating food and after blowing your nose, sneezing or coughing. When soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer.
  • Teach good hygiene habits. Teach your children how to wash their hands and help them do it often. Show how the general practice of good hygiene. Explain why it is better not to put your fingers, hands or other objects in their mouths.
  • Disinfect the common areas. Clean high-traffic areas and surfaces first with soap and water. Then, wipe clean with a diluted solution of bleach and water. If you are in a child care setting, follow a strict cleaning and disinfection program. The virus can live for days on surfaces in the common areas, like the doorknobs, and shared items, such as toys.
  • Avoid close contact. Because the hand-foot-and-mouth disease is highly contagious, people with the disease should limit their exposure to others while they have symptoms. Keep children with hand-foot-and-mouth disease out of your environment child care or school until the fever subsides, and mouth sores have healed. If you have the disease, stay home from work.

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease

Diagnosis

Your child's health care provider is likely to decide if your child has hand-foot-and-mouth disease or other types of viral infections by the evaluation of:

  • The age of your child
  • The symptoms of his son
  • What your child rashes or sores look like

Your child's health care provider may take a throat swab or stool specimen. Your provider will send the sample to the laboratory to determine the type of virus that causes the disease.

Treatment

There is no specific treatment for hand-foot-and-mouth disease. The symptoms of hand-foot-and-mouth disease in general heal in 7 to 10 days.

A topical oral anesthetic may help relieve the pain of mouth sores. Over-the-counter pain medications other than aspirin, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) may help relieve general discomfort.

Self-care

Some foods and drinks can irritate the blisters on the tongue or in the mouth or in the throat. Try these tips to help make the blister pain less painful for your child. These tips may also make it easier to eat and drink.

  • Suck on ice pops or ice chips.
  • Eat an ice cream or sorbet.
  • Sip cold drinks, such as water.
  • Sip hot drinks, such as tea.
  • Avoid acidic foods and drinks, such as citrus fruits, fruit drinks, and soft drinks.
  • Eat soft foods that do not need much chewing.

If your child can rinse without swallowing, swishing with warm salt water can be very soothing. Have your child rinse several times a day to relieve the pain and inflammation of the mouth and throat sores.

Preparing for your appointment

You can start by taking your child to your doctor.

Here's some information to help you prepare for your appointment.

What you can do

When you make the appointment, ask if there is something that you need to do in advance, such as fasting before a specific test. Make a list of:

  • Your child's symptoms, including any that seem unrelated to the reason for your appointment
  • Key personal information, including major stresses, recent life changes, and the medical history of the family
  • All the medications, vitamins, or supplements your child takes, including the dose
  • Questions to ask your child's doctor

Have a friend or family member, if possible, to help you remember the information they give you.

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease, some basic questions to ask your provider include:

  • What is most likely to cause the symptoms of my son?
  • Other that the most likely cause, what are other possible causes of the symptoms of my son?
  • What evidence does my child need?
  • What is the best course of action?
  • My child has other health conditions. How can I best manage them together?
  • What can I do at home to make my child more comfortable?
  • Are there restrictions I need to follow for my child?
  • Are there brochures or other printed material I can have? What sites do you recommend?

What to expect from your doctor

Your provider is likely to ask several questions, such as:

  • When his son did symptoms begin?
  • Have your child's symptoms been continuous or occasional?
  • How severe are the symptoms of your child?
  • Has your child recently been exposed to anyone who was sick?
  • You've heard of the disease, your child's school or child care?
  • What, if anything, seems to improve the symptoms of your child?
  • What, if anything, appears to worsen the symptoms of your child?

What you can do in the meantime

Avoid doing anything that seems to worsen the symptoms of your child.

To help reduce your child's discomfort, the providers usually recommend these tips:

  • Rest.
  • Drink plenty of liquids to avoid dehydration
  • Avoid cigarette smoke, including second-hand smoke, and other things that can irritate the mouth and throat
Symptoms and treatment of Hand-foot-and-mouth disease