According to city doctors, there has been a sudden outbreak of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease among children in Mumbai. They said that while patients recover in around a week to ten days, parents must be extra cautious and maintain hygiene among their children. They also emphasized the importance of keeping patients at home and not allowing them to go to schools or playgrounds due to the disease’s contagious nature.
Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD) is a highly contagious infection caused by enteroviruses, the most prevalent of which is the coxsackievirus. These viruses can be transmitted from person to person by unclean hands or feces-contaminated surfaces. Contact with a person’s saliva, feces, or respiratory secretions can potentially spread the virus.”
What is Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD)?
Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD) is an exceedingly contagious sickness. The most common cause is coxsackievirus, which belongs to the Enterovirus genus.
HFMD is characterized by mouth blisters or sores, as well as a rash on the hands and feet. The virus can affect people of any age, although it is more prevalent in children under the age of five.
It is usually a minor ailment that goes away on its own within a few days.
What are the Symptoms of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease?
Symptoms appear 3 to 6 days after the illness is contracted. The incubation period is the name given to this period. You or your child may suffer the following symptoms if symptoms do appear:
- Fever
- Sore Throat
- Decreased Appetite
- Headache
- Malaise (Feeling Unwell)
- Irritability
- Painful Red Blisters in Your Mouth
- Drooling
- A Rash on the Soles of the Feet and Palms of the Hands
The earliest signs of HFMD are usually fever and a sore throat. The blisters and rashes appear later, usually 1 or 2 days after the fever has started.
Flat red patches are the most common appearance of the rash. On darker skin tones, the spots can be tougher to see, so check the palms of your hands and the bottoms of your feet, where the condition may be more evident.
Lesions can arise on any part of your hands and feet, but this is one of the rare instances you will notice a rash on your palms and soles, which makes it easier to spot.
The majority of children with HFMD will also have painful mouth sores. Examine their tongue and throat, particularly the sides.
What are the Causes of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD)?
A strain of coxsackievirus, most often coxsackievirus A16, is the most common cause of HFMD. The coxsackievirus belongs to the enterovirus family of viruses. Other types of enteroviruses can cause HFMD in some situations.
Viruses are easily transmissible from one person to another. HFMD can be contracted by you or your kid coming into contact with individual’s
- Saliva
- Fluid from Blisters
- Feces
- Respiratory Droplets that are Sprayed into the Air After Sneezing or Coughing
Direct contact with unclean hands or a surface bearing remnants of the virus can also spread HFMD.
Who is at Risk for Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease?
Children under the age of five are at the greatest risk of contracting HFMD. If kids go to daycare or school, the risk increases because viruses can spread quickly in these settings.
Children usually develop immunity to the viruses that cause the disease after being exposed to them. That is why people above the age of ten are rarely affected.
It is still possible for older children and adults to contract the virus, especially if their immune systems are weak.
How to Diagnose Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease?
A physical examination can often be used to diagnose HFMD. They will look for blisters and rashes in your mouth and on your body. Other symptoms will be discussed with you or your child by the doctor.
To test for the virus, the doctor may take a stool sample or a throat swab. They will be able to confirm the diagnosis as a result of this.
How to Treat Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease?
In most of the situations, the infection will go away on its own in seven to ten days without treatment. However, until the disease has run its course, your doctor may offer specific therapies to assist alleviate symptoms. These can include the following:
- Ointments prescribed by the doctor.
- Painful sore throats might be relieved with medicinal syrups.
What are the Home Remedies for Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease?
HFMD symptoms can also be relieved with some home therapies. To make blisters less irritating, you can try home remedies which are mentioned below.
- Sucking on popsicles or ice chips
- Eating ice cream
- Drinking cold beverages
- Limiting citrus fruits, soda, and fruit drinks
- Limiting salty or spicy foods
