Question
A few days ago, my friend’s daughter had a fever and a few ulcers in her mouth. Initially, we thought it was just a mild cold and gave her some cold medicine. However, today we found that her fever and mouth ulcers not only haven’t improved but have worsened. We took her to a hospital in the county for a check-up, and the doctor diagnosed it as Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease. How should Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease be treated?
Answer
Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease is typically an infectious disease caused by enteroviruses and is common in infants and children. It usually presents acutely with fever. There are scattered vesicles on the oral mucosa, about the size of a grain of rice, which are quite painful. Similar vesicles may appear on the palms or soles of the feet, but vesicles on the buttocks or knees are less common. The vesicles have inflammatory erythema around them with minimal fluid inside. Some patients may also experience symptoms such as coughing, runny nose, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and headache. Treatment mainly focuses on symptomatic relief. Mild cases only require attention to care and typically recover within about a week. During the illness, it’s important to enhance the child’s care and maintain good oral hygiene. Before and after defecation, warm water can be used for cleaning. Foods should be fluid or semi-liquid and non-irritating.