Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease

Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease

Having a child in daycare can be very helpful to a working family. Children grow, learn, and socialize. They meet friends, learn a routine and benefit all the way around. Unfortunately, daycare can come with a price. Illness and viruses are very common. One very common disease your child can contract is Hand, foot and mouth disease. This disease is most common in children in child care settings because of frequent diaper changes and toilet training, and because little children often put their hands in their mouths.

Hand, foot and mouth disease is a mild, contagious viral infection. It is characterized by sores in the mouth and a rash on the hands and feet. Hand, foot and mouth disease is most commonly caused by a coxsackievirus.

Your child is most contagious with hand, foot and mouth disease during the first week of the illness. The virus can remain in the body for weeks after the signs and symptoms are gone. This means that even weeks later other children can contract the virus.

There's no treatment for hand, foot and mouth disease. Podiatrists recommend frequent hand-washing to help to prevent the disease. 

Symptoms:

  • A red rash on the feet, hands and sometimes the buttocks
  • Fever
  • Sore throat
  • Painful, red, blister-like lesions in the mouth
  • Irritability
  • Loss of appetite

The usual period from initial infection to the onset of signs and symptoms is three to six days. A fever is frequently the first sign of hand, foot, and mouth disease, followed by a sore throat and sometimes a poor appetite.

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 possibly on the buttocks can follow within one or two days. These rashes can be painful and look like dots.

The disease spreads by contact with an infected person's:

  • Nasal mucus
  • Saliva
  • Fluid from blisters
  • Stool
  • Remnants of a cough or sneeze

Adults are also able to contract the disease. Although it is not usually as severe, it can be uncomfortable. Adults usually only have a sore throat and rashes on their feet and hands. Sometimes, more severe cases cause full blown symptoms of the disease.

 

Sometimes it can be hard to decipher whether or not you or a loved one has hand, foot, and mouth disease. If you are having a hard time deciding whether it is this disease or another foot problem such as a rash, blister, or lesion, call Joseph Stuto, DPM of Brooklyn, New York. There Dr. Joseph A. Stuto and Joseph C. Stuto will use their vast knowledge and experience to give you a diagnosis in no time. Call 718-624-7537and make an appointment today. We strive to keep you and your feet in tip top shape.

 

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