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Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD)
The order of rash development in hand, foot, and mouth disease.
At the initial stage of hand, foot, and mouth disease, children may experience symptoms such as fever, coughing, runny nose, and drooling, which are similar to those of an upper respiratory infection. Some children may also experience nausea and vomiting. Subsequently, oval or spindle-shaped blisters appear on the hands, feet, and even the back. These blisters are surrounded by a red halo, and the fluid inside the blisters is clear. The long axis of the blister aligns with the skin lines. Then, the centers of the blisters turn yellow, become concave, dry out, and begin to peel. Additionally, there are scattered, fairly hard, pale red papules or vesicles at the fingertips, and similar lesions can also appear in the mouth, such as on the lips, tongue, oral mucosa, and gums. However, the oral blisters quickly rupture, forming gray-white spots or a gray-white film surrounded by a red halo. Underneath the gray-white film, punctate or patchy erosive surfaces can be seen. These symptoms are generally quite obvious, and it is recommended to seek medical treatment promptly if observed.
How is hand, foot and mouth disease transmitted?
Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a viral infection caused by an enterovirus infection, mainly manifesting as exanthematous disease with maculopapular and vesicular rashes on the hands, feet, mouth, and buttocks. It is a contagious disease with relatively strong transmissibility, mainly spread through the respiratory tract, digestive tract, and close contact. Therefore, once a child is diagnosed with hand, foot, and mouth disease, isolation measures must be taken, and the child should not attend kindergarten or school to avoid infecting other healthy children. Additionally, to prevent the occurrence of hand, foot, and mouth disease, it is crucial to ensure proper ventilation by opening windows during the epidemic period to avoid causing an outbreak of the disease.
How is hand, foot, and mouth disease treated?
Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a common pediatric condition caused by an intestinal viral infection. It is a febrile rash disease and classified as an infectious disease with relatively strong infectivity. Therefore, when diagnosed with hand, foot, and mouth disease, it is important to isolate the affected child. Children who attend daycare or school should stay at home and must not go to school. Secondly, active treatment is necessary. Since hand, foot, and mouth disease is caused by a viral infection, antiviral medications should be administered to the child. If the body temperature exceeds 38.5°C, antipyretic medications such as ibuprofen suspension should be taken. At the same time, care for the mouth and skin should be maintained. The oral area is relevant because of the potential for herpetic pharyngitis, which can make swallowing painful and uncomfortable for the child, affecting their eating. Therefore, local throat relief sprays may be used. Additionally, skin care is important as the rash and occasionally blisters appear on the skin, thus skin care should be conducted to prevent infections. (The use of medications should be under the guidance of a professional doctor.)
Symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease
Hand, foot, and mouth disease is caused by an intestinal virus infection. It primarily manifests as a disseminated rash of maculopapules or vesicular papules on the hands, feet, mouth, and buttocks. The main symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease start with a fever in children, accompanied by a sore throat, reluctance to eat, and some children may have mild cough and runny nose. During a physical examination, small vesicles can be found on the oral mucosa, or they may have already ulcerated into shallow ulcers. Subsequently, rashes appear on the hands and feet, starting as maculopapules and slowly transforming into vesicular papules, about 3 to 7mm in size, with a firm base. The skin of the vesicle is slightly thicker, surrounded by erythema, and the rash is mostly located at the extremities. Sometimes, it can extend to the arms, legs, buttocks, and perineum, showing a centrifugal distribution. The number of rashes is relatively small, typically ranging from a few to several dozen. Most of them resolve on their own in 2 to 3 days without scaling, scarring, or pigmentation. Vesicles or ulcers in the mouth mostly heal within a week. Most cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease have a short duration and mild condition, with generally good prognosis.
Symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease
Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a common infectious disease during childhood, characterized by rashes on the hands, feet, and around the mouth as described by its clinical symptoms. Concurrently, with the red rashes, there are symptoms such as fever. In children, vesicles in the throat can cause severe sore throat. These are the common symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease. Since hand, foot, and mouth disease is caused by a viral infection, some children may experience myocarditis-like symptoms such as chest tightness, fatigue, and shortness of breath due to the virus affecting the myocardium, or present symptoms of myocardial damage. These are common clinical symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease.
Symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease in children
Hand, foot, and mouth disease is an acute febrile illness caused by an intestinal virus infection. It is primarily characterized by vesicles or papulovesicular rashes on the hands, feet, mouth, and buttocks. There are over 20 types of intestinal viruses that can cause the disease, with the most common being Coxsackievirus A16 and Enterovirus 71. The main symptoms include recurrent fever, although some cases may not present with fever. There may also be symptoms such as drooling, and vesicles or papulovesicular rashes on the hands, feet, mouth, and buttocks. Additionally, some patients may exhibit lethargy, limb tremors, startle reactions, and vomiting. In severe cases, symptoms can include shortness of breath and coughing up pink frothy sputum, among others.
Hand, foot and mouth disease characteristics
Hand, foot, and mouth disease is an infectious disease caused by enterovirus, primarily characterized by scattered maculopapular or vesicular rashes on the hands, feet, mouth, and buttocks. These rashes are quite distinctive; initially, there is a fever, followed by rashes on hands and feet. These are commonly found between the fingers, starting as maculopapular rashes and gradually turning into vesicular rashes. The rashes, measuring three to seven millimeters, have a firm base with slightly thickened skin over the blisters and are surrounded by erythema. They occur mainly on the extremities but can sometimes spread to the arms, legs, buttocks, or perineal area. The distribution of the rash is centrifugal, ranging from a few to dozens in number. Generally, the rashes absorb on their own within two to three days without scaling, scarring, or pigmentation, and oral blisters or ulcers usually heal within a week.
How many days does hand, foot and mouth disease have a fever?
Hand, foot, and mouth disease is caused by an intestinal virus infection and is characterized by acute fever and vesicles or papules on the hands, feet, mouth, buttocks, and other areas. There are more than 20 types of enteroviruses that cause this disease, with the most common being Enterovirus 71 and Coxsackievirus A16. In typical cases, the fever may last about two to three days, but there are also cases with mild symptoms where no fever appears, or only a low fever occurs, lasting one to two days. In severe cases, the fever may last longer, from three to five days or even more. Therefore, it can only be said that in most cases, the fever in typical cases may last about two to three days.
Causes of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease
Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a rash illness characterized by scattered papules and vesicles on the hands, feet, mouth, and buttocks, caused by an enterovirus infection. It is a contagious disease caused by a viral infection, specifically by Coxsackievirus A16 and Enterovirus 71, which are part of the enterovirus group. Other Coxsackie enteroviruses can also cause hand, foot, and mouth disease. Common enterovirus infections can also lead to hand, foot, and mouth disease. This means that children who have had hand, foot, and mouth disease can potentially get it again, and this is important knowledge for everyone to understand.
Is hand, foot, and mouth disease dangerous?
Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a common pediatric disease caused by an intestinal viral infection, characterized by fever and rash, with severities ranging from mild to severe. If caused by a typical enterovirus infection, hand, foot, and mouth disease generally recovers quickly with antiviral treatment and proper care of the mouth and skin. However, if caused by an EV71 virus infection, it poses certain risks. This is because the EV71 virus can affect the central nervous system, leading to symptoms such as increased intracranial pressure and respiratory and circulatory dysfunction. These complications can result in respiratory failure and cardiac failure, which are severe manifestations. Therefore, hand, foot, and mouth disease caused by the EV71 virus carries certain risks. Thus, it is important to administer a vaccine made from the EV71 virus to children to prevent severe hand, foot, and mouth disease.