“Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease: Symptoms, Prevention, and Treatment”

There are many childhood diseases in which children suffer from spots and / or blisters. Does your child have spots and blisters on the hands, feet and in and around the mouth? Then it probably has hand-foot-mouth disease. You can read more about this virus below.

Hand-foot-mouth disease is a contagious virus. It is accompanied by small blisters on the palms, under the feet and in and around the mouth. Both adults and children can get the virus. However, the virus usually occurs in children under the age of ten. The virus is usually harmless and harmless, even for pregnant women.

How do you get hand foot mouth disease?

There are several viruses that can cause hand-foot-mouth disease, for example the coxsackievirus A16 and the enterovirus type 71. These viruses are extremely contagious. For example, the virus can be passed on through the air by coughing. It can also be passed on through the fluid from the vesicles and through the faeces. It can also be passed on through toys, telephones, tablets, clothes, towels and bedding.

What are the symptoms?

Hand-foot-mouth disease often starts with a low-grade fever. In addition, your child may get a sore throat, cough and runny nose. Within 36 hours, small red blisters and spots can be seen in the mouth. Soon after, this will spread to the area around the mouth, on the palms of the hands and on the bottoms of the feet. It can cause a lot of discomfort: it is not only painful, but it can also become itchy or even inflamed. The blisters often heal within a week.

When is a child contagious?

With this virus, children can infect other children before they have symptoms themselves. The contagious period starts 3 to 7 days before it can be seen. In addition, children also infect each other when they are sick and can still infect others even a few weeks after recovery.

How can you prevent hand-foot-mouth disease?

Because the virus is so contagious, hand-foot-mouth disease cannot be prevented. However, you can reduce the risk of this virus by cleaning a lot. Make sure your house is well ventilated, clean toys regularly and don’t forget to teach your children to wash their hands well after a visit to the toilet.

Painful blisters: what to do?

If your child suffers a lot from the blisters, you can do a number of things. For example, if you have painful blisters in the mouth, you can give your child cold water or let them suck on an ice cream cone. In any case, do not give your child sour or spicy to eat and drink. If your child is in a lot of pain, you can give them paracetamol to reduce the pain. There is no medication against this virus, but you can apply a cooling lotion to the blisters on the hands, feet and around the mouth. As a result, they will dry up the blisters more quickly and your child will suffer from it for less time.

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