Question
As hand, foot, and mouth disease reaches its peak season again, what traditional Chinese medicine can children around three years old take for prevention? How should it be taken? Can Lianhua Qingwen Capsules be used as a preventive measure?
Answer
Lianhua Qingwen Capsules have the effects of clearing away fever and detoxifying, promoting lung ventilation and releasing heat, and are suitable for treating influenza, which manifests as fever, aversion to cold, muscle ache, nasal congestion with runny nose, cough, headache, dry throat with pain, a tongue that is slightly red, and a yellow or greasy coating. According to the Ministry of Health’s reminder, experimental evidence shows that some new traditional Chinese medicines like Lianhua Qingwen Granules have a significant inhibitory effect on the enterovirus 71 that causes hand, foot, and mouth disease and is prone to severe conditions. It is appropriate to select and take some traditional Chinese medicines for prevention. In addition to Lianhua Qingwen Capsules, you can also use honeysuckle, forsythia, scutellaria baicalensis, and isatis to decoct water for prevention.