Does hand, foot and mouth disease hurt?

Written by Yan Xin Liang

Pediatrics

Updated on September 26, 2024

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Hand, foot, and mouth disease is caused by an intestinal virus, mainly manifested in children as blisters on the hands, feet, mouth, and buttocks. Some cases may involve fever, while others may have no fever or only mild, low-grade fever. Oral and pharyngeal blisters are quite common, causing oral pain and discomfort. Many children who contract hand, foot, and mouth disease experience a decrease in appetite, which is related to oral and pharyngeal blisters causing pain that affects swallowing and eating.

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Written by Feng Hai Tao

Pediatrics

1min 43sec

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Symptoms of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease in Children

The symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease in children primarily result from viral infections of the intestine, a common communicable disease particularly prevalent among children under five, especially those under three years of age. The symptoms can be categorized into typical cases where most children experience a sudden onset of illness, often accompanied by upper respiratory tract infection symptoms such as fever, nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting. Some may also experience headaches. Additionally, rashes or vesicles may appear on the hands, feet, mouth, and buttocks, typically surrounded by inflammatory red skin with little fluid inside the vesicles. These lesions are characterized by being painless, non-itchy, non-crusted, and non-scarring. It is important to note that not all children will have simultaneous rashes on their hands, feet, and mouth areas. In severe cases, while most children experience only mild symptoms and can be isolated at home, some may develop complications involving the nervous system and impairment of respiratory and circulatory functions. This can manifest as muscle spasms, encephalitis, acute flaccid paralysis, cardiopulmonary failure, and neurogenic pulmonary edema. Therefore, once a severe case is identified, hospitalization is recommended to prevent potential fatalities or long-term sequelae.

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Written by Yao Li Qin

Pediatrics

1min 16sec

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Is hand, foot, and mouth disease dangerous?

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a common pediatric disease caused by an intestinal viral infection, characterized by fever and rash, with severities ranging from mild to severe. If caused by a typical enterovirus infection, hand, foot, and mouth disease generally recovers quickly with antiviral treatment and proper care of the mouth and skin. However, if caused by an EV71 virus infection, it poses certain risks. This is because the EV71 virus can affect the central nervous system, leading to symptoms such as increased intracranial pressure and respiratory and circulatory dysfunction. These complications can result in respiratory failure and cardiac failure, which are severe manifestations. Therefore, hand, foot, and mouth disease caused by the EV71 virus carries certain risks. Thus, it is important to administer a vaccine made from the EV71 virus to children to prevent severe hand, foot, and mouth disease.

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Written by Yan Xin Liang

Pediatrics

56sec

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Symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a disease caused by enterovirus that results in sores on the hands, feet, mouth, and buttocks, accompanied by symptoms such as fever. It is generally caused by Enterovirus 71 or Coxsackievirus A16. Most cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease are typical and may involve fever, low fever, or no fever at all. However, common symptoms include sores in the mouth and on the pharynx, as well as on the hands, feet, and buttocks. The general course of the disease lasts five to seven days, but severe cases may last longer. Severe cases may present with symptoms such as listlessness, irritability, vomiting, and trembling limbs. More serious conditions can include microcirculatory disorders, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, neurogenic edema, and bleeding, among others.

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Written by Yan Xin Liang

Pediatrics

40sec

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How long should hand, foot, and mouth disease be isolated?

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is an infectious disease caused by enterovirus infection. There are more than 20 common types of enteroviruses, with Coxsackievirus A16 and Enterovirus 71 being the most common. The main clinical symptoms include fever, mouth pain, loss of appetite, and small blisters or ulcers on the hands, feet, and mouth. Most affected children can heal on their own in about a week, so ordinary cases can be isolated for about a week until all the rashes have crusted over and disappeared. However, for severe cases, the isolation period should be extended appropriately, possibly lasting 10-14 days, or even longer.

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Written by Li Jiao Yan

Neonatology

52sec

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Initial symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a contagious disease caused by viral infection, which is common in infants and toddlers, especially those under the age of three. The main symptoms include fever, accompanied by maculopapular rashes or vesicles on the hands, feet, mouth, and buttocks. Some initial symptoms are similar to having a cough, runny nose, headache, mouth pain, or sore throat. Sometimes there may be drooling; consequently, babies might drink less milk, and there can be nausea and vomiting. Additionally, some children may experience nausea and diarrhea along with other gastrointestinal symptoms. Another major sign is the presence of vesicles in the hands, feet, and mouth, or maculopapular rashes on the buttocks.