Question
My son is two years old. Yesterday afternoon, he had a slight fever of 37.8 degrees. I checked his mouth and it was full of white blisters. There are also three or four red spots on his hands. This morning, he is no longer feverish, and we went to the hospital where they checked his blood and said he has hand, foot, and mouth disease. Every time he eats, he cries in pain. Is this condition severe? Do we need to administer an intravenous drip?
Answer
Hand, foot, and mouth disease is caused by a viral infection and requires anti-inflammatory and antiviral treatment. The course of the disease typically takes about 7 to 10 days to completely recover. If the fever is not severe, oral anti-inflammatory and antiviral medications can be taken, with changes observed over 3 to 5 days. If the fever persists, it is still advisable to administer intravenous drip anti-inflammatory and antiviral medications as they tend to be more effective. Since the child is troubled by hand, foot, and mouth disease, it is crucial for family members to take the child for immediate medical treatment to avoid various misconceptions. It is important to treat symptoms promptly, and for parents, it is essential to observe their child’s symptom changes closely to help treat the disease as soon as possible.