Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is a viral infection that commonly affects young children. It is manifested as blisters on the mouth and rashes on the hands, feet, and buttocks, followed by fever. The symptoms usually last for 7-10 days. It is an infectious disease and is highly contagious during the first week of infection. Children aged under five are usually susceptible to hand-foot-and-mouth syndrome. The causes, symptoms, and treatment for this condition are discussed here.

Warning signs and symptoms
Any one or a combination of the following symptoms could be indicative of hand-foot-and-mouth disease.

• Fever and flu-like symptoms- Three to five days after contracting the virus, children frequently experience a fever and other flu-like symptoms. Some warning signs are eating or drinking less, a sore tongue, and a general feeling of discomfort.
• Mouth sores- Your kid may develop uncomfortable mouth sores. These blisters usually begin as tiny red patches and frequently appear on the tongue and inside of the mouth. Children may experience pain when swallowing food. As a result, they will not like to eat anything or only prefer to have cold beverages. Drooling more than usual is another indicator of the condition.
• Skin rashes- The tips of your child’s hands and the bottoms of their feet may develop rashes. It can also manifest on the arms, legs, and buttocks. The rash does not usually cause itchiness and appears as flat or barely raised red spots, occasionally with blisters with redness at the base. The virus that triggers hand-foot-and-mouth syndrome can be found in the fluid in the blister and the scab that develops when it cures.

Causes & risk factors
The coxsackievirus A16, coxsackievirus A6, and enterovirus 71, which belong to the enterovirus family, are the common causes of hand-foot-and-mouth disease. The disease gets transmitted through contact with an infected person’s saliva, blister fluid, stool, nasal secretions, throat discharge, or respiratory droplets in the air from a cough or sneeze. Since the infection spreads through direct touch, children in childcare facilities are particularly at risk.

Complications

• Dehydration– It is the most common complication of the condition. A person may experience pain while drinking water due to sores in the mouth and throat.
• Viral meningitis– A rare infection and inflammation of the meninges and cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord is called viral meningitis.
• Encephalitis– This rare, severe, and possibly life-threatening condition involves inflammation of the brain.

Treatment

• A topical oral anesthetic can reduce the discomfort caused by mouth sores.
• Give kids soft foods like yogurt, pasta, pudding, smoothies, and ice pop to avoid pain and for nourishment.
• Offer your child different fluids but remember that if they don’t eat, water alone won’t give the body the energy it needs or the salt it requires to maintain normal blood pressure levels.

It is important to consult a healthcare professional if your child is showing symptoms such as not eating enough since it can affect their general health. If untreated, the condition can lead to complications such as viral meningitis and Encephalitis.

Prevention
As children always mingle with each other in school or childcare centers, their close contact can increase the risk of the disease spreading from an infected kid to others. Therefore, it is better not to send kids to school if they are showing symptoms of hand-foot-and-mouth disease. One can use the measures listed below to prevent the spread or risk of contracting this illness.

• Handwashing– Wash the hands thoroughly with soap and water or sanitizer. Clean the arms after using the toilet, blowing the nose, covering the mouth while coughing or sneezing, and before and after taking care of someone suffering from the disease. Also, wash hands before preparing or eating food.
• Follow excellent hygiene habits– Teach your kids the importance of cleaning their hands and help them maintain the habit. Tell them about the health benefits of not putting their hands, fingers, or other things in their mouths.
• Clean up the common spaces– First, use soap and water to clean surfaces and areas that usually get touched. After that, sanitize with water and bleach solution that has been diluted. Maintain a strict cleaning and disinfection plan if you work in a childcare facility. The virus can survive for days on surfaces in public spaces, on doorknobs, and shared objects like toys.
• To prevent the virus from spreading through the child’s mucus, spit, and stool, parents should wash their hands and their children’s, particularly after changing a diaper or wiping a runny nose.