Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease: A Viral Infection That Causes Serious Ailments to Kids

Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease is commonly known as HFMD and is often seen affecting children before they age 5. In the US, usually the kids are affected by HFMD during summer, spring and fall. The serious concern is that the disease is caused due to various viruses and is highly contagious. This usually occurs in kids as they have lower immunity levels but if the immunity is weak in adults this disease can also affect them.

Let’s dig the cause

Medical experts say that there is no single virus that leads to hand-foot-and-mouth disease. But in most of the cases, it has been found out that coxsackievirus A16 is responsible for the infection caused. Most likely the disease is spread through the mouth. As you see that this disease is most prevalent in infants as they are likely to put their fingers into their mouth frequently. They often undergo potty training or diaper changes when they get connected to germs that also includes these viruses. If your child has got HFMD disease make sure you keep him/her away from other children for a few weeks. Apparently, it might seem that your child is not having the symptoms anymore. But often it stays and the other baby can get contaminated.

One of the most common issues of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease is the outbreak of dehydration. Often as the virus spreads the disease can cause sores inside the mouth as well as can extend up to the throat. This makes the whole food channel painful. The process of food intake and swallowing becomes difficult as it is painful. Restricting to a liquid diet with the adequate amount of water content is suggested by doctors at this stage.

Parents say that due to the pain in the throat, the children are unable to sip in the liquids. In such cases, the dehydration might take a very serious turn. If your child in such a case is not taking the liquid for a long time, you need to consult the doctor. The doctor might recommend intravenous fluid transmission which is absolutely fine as your child needs to grow the resistant power which will be only possible when water and food supplements reach the body. With age, these diseases go away as by then the body develops a strong immune system.

What are the symptoms?

Medical experts say that usually the disease is not treated as parents take it as simple signs of rashes that are common in infants. The fact is in the usual cases, the disease recovers in 7-10 days without the intervention of medical diagnosis. But some that turn into infections can cause viral meningitis and in that case, the patient needs to be hospitalized for the treatment. Viral meningitis causes harm to the spinal cord and brain. The membranes get inflamed as the infection spreads. Around the brain and the spinal cord, a kind of fluid gets surrounded. If your child is less than a year old, there are chances of your child to suffer from the illness.

In rarer cases, it has a fatal outcome where there are more complications like a form of paralysis. Encephalitis is a possibility again if the disease is on its rarest side. The symptoms are similar to Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease as the patient suffers from a headache, fever, a stiff neck, and vomiting. It is life-threatening as it involves the inflammation of the brain due to the virus attack.

So, here’s a quick list of the basic symptoms of HFMD are as follows:

•    Red spots all over the body

•    The sores in the mouth

•    Loss of appetite

•    Fever

•    A sore throat

These symptoms do not occur all together, but as the virus starts spreading the signs show. HFMD is contagious as the source is the virus but the symptoms are not the same. The risk of spreading are most in the first week of the illness. Later the risks are less but not bleak. People who get affected have throat and nose secretions much like the way you have in a cough and cold. Blister fluids may be seen in various parts of the body. Medical practitioners thus suggest maintaining a good hygiene to reduce the chances of spreading. Poop, saliva and any other medium that could be a source of contamination should be avoided. As the disease is mostly seen in infants and children, parents are unable to avoid all these and sometimes suffer from the symptoms.

The treatment

Doctors say that there is no such diagnosis for the disease. The treatment offered by the doctors are the relief measures of the symptoms. Few over the counter drugs like painkillers and fever medications assure that the child suffers less. The suggestion is to keep the body hydrated as fluid loss is high during this time.

Source:

https://www.cdc.gov/features/handfootmouthdisease/index.html