What Are the Early Symptoms of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease?

Question

What are the early symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease? This question is really bothering me. My baby is 17 months old, and just noticed that his heel has red blisters. Could it be hand, foot, and mouth disease?

Answer

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a common illness in children, characterized by the appearance of blisters on the hands, feet, and mouth. The condition is usually mild and short-lived. Symptoms include scattered blisters on the oral mucosa, about the size of a grain of rice, with significant pain; blisters of similar size on the palms or soles of the feet, with the buttocks or knees occasionally infected; purulent blisters with less fluid around them; and in some patients, symptoms like coughing, runny nose, decreased appetite, nausea, dry heaves, and headaches may occur. Treatment mainly involves symptomatic therapy. Antiviral medications and herbal medicine for clearing heat and detoxifying as well as vitamins B and C can be taken. In cases with complications, intramuscular injections of gamma globulin may be administered.