Question
My child is 18 months old and has been experiencing a fever along with a small amount of rash on the head for 3 to 4 days. Treatments taken and their effects include taking fever-reducing medicine and blood tests yesterday, and receiving an injection today. To further determine if the child has Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease, is it fever first or rashes first?
Answer
The symptoms of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease do not always follow a fixed sequence. Some patients may first have a fever followed by the appearance of rashes, while others may first develop rashes and then experience fever. There may also be instances where both symptoms appear simultaneously. When diagnosing Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease, specific clinical symptoms are typically required, such as red rashes on the hands and feet, with some children possibly experiencing tremors in their limbs. Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease is an infectious disease caused by enterovirus infection. Initially, it often presents with a fever, followed by symptoms like vesicles on the hands and feet, oral ulcers, and perianal rashes. The disease usually has a self-limiting course lasting 5-7 days, with treatment mainly focusing on symptomatic relief.