Is hand, foot, and mouth disease serious?

Written by Yao Li Qin
Pediatrics
Updated on September 19, 2024
00:00
00:00

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a contagious viral infection primarily characterized by scattered vesicular or papular rashes on the hands, feet, mouth, and buttocks. It is generally a mild condition, and typical symptoms include fever and rash. It can be treated with oral medications and by taking care of oral and skin hygiene, usually healing quickly. Severe cases caused by the EV71 virus can lead to varying degrees of intracranial pressure. In such serious cases, prompt treatment with mannitol and furosemide to reduce intracranial pressure is necessary; corticosteroids may also be needed if required. For children with severe hypoxia, timely correction of oxygen deficiency is crucial, along with intravenous fluids to maintain stable blood pressure, respiration, heart rate, and microcirculation. (Please consult a professional physician for medication guidance and do not self-medicate.)

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yao Li Qin
Pediatrics
1min 16sec home-news-image

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.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yan Xin Liang
Pediatrics
45sec home-news-image

Does hand, foot and mouth disease itch?

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a condition caused by an intestinal virus, primarily characterized by herpes on the hands, feet, oral cavity, and buttocks. Some affected individuals may experience fever, ranging from low to moderate, while others may have high fever, and still others may not have any fever at all. The herpes is neither painful nor itchy, so there is no need for special treatment or handling of the herpes, just symptomatic treatment and timely fever reduction when necessary. For common cases, it is appropriate to orally administer some antiviral medications, and at the same time, take some traditional Chinese medicine that clears heat and detoxifies, while maintaining clean and hygienic skin.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yao Li Qin
Pediatrics
1min 25sec home-news-image

Initial symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a common pediatric exanthematous disease caused by an enterovirus infection, primarily manifesting on the hands, feet, mouth, and buttocks with scattered vesicular and pustular rashes. The incubation period for hand, foot, and mouth disease generally ranges from three to five days. The initial stage of the illness may include fever and sore mouth, or discomfort in the throat, leading to reluctance in children to eat. Accompanying symptoms might include mild coughing, runny nose, and throat discomfort. During a physical examination, a doctor may observe scattered small vesicles in the mouth mucosa, or shallow ulcers that have already erupted. These are mainly found on the lingual and buccal mucosa, as well as the mucosa on the inner side of the lips and upper palate. Subsequently, rashes appear on the hands and feet, generally starting as maculopapular rashes that slowly turn into vesicular rashes. These rashes are distributed eccentrically and typically resolve on their own within two to three days without scaling, scarring, or pigmentation. The oral vesicles usually heal on their own within a week. Some children with milder cases may only exhibit rashes or vesicular pharyngitis.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yan Xin Liang
Pediatrics
51sec home-news-image

How is hand, foot, and mouth disease transmitted?

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is an infectious disease caused by enteroviral infections. There are more than 20 types of enteroviruses that can cause hand, foot, and mouth disease, but the most common are Coxsackievirus A16 and Enterovirus 71. The main clinical symptoms include pain in the mouth, anorexia, low fever, and the appearance of small vesicles or ulcers on the hands, feet, mouth, and other areas. Most children can recover in about a week, but a few may develop serious complications such as myocarditis, pulmonary edema, and aseptic meningitis. The general transmission routes are through the digestive tract, respiratory tract, and close contact, such as through droplets, sharing utensils, and hand-to-mouth contact, etc.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yao Li Qin
Pediatrics
51sec home-news-image

Causes of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a rash illness characterized by scattered papules and vesicles on the hands, feet, mouth, and buttocks, caused by an enterovirus infection. It is a contagious disease caused by a viral infection, specifically by Coxsackievirus A16 and Enterovirus 71, which are part of the enterovirus group. Other Coxsackie enteroviruses can also cause hand, foot, and mouth disease. Common enterovirus infections can also lead to hand, foot, and mouth disease. This means that children who have had hand, foot, and mouth disease can potentially get it again, and this is important knowledge for everyone to understand.