Patient's question:
My little baby at home has been sick with a cold recently, experiencing fever, runny nose, and drooling symptoms. Sometimes, nausea also occurs. Additionally, blisters appear on the fingertips, which grow larger over time. When I returned to the hospital for a thorough examination, the doctor informed me that these are early symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease and advised us to understand that hospitalization and treatment are necessary.What are the early symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease?
Doctor's answer:
Hand, foot, and mouth disease typically presents with acute onset and fever. It is characterized by scattered vesicles on the oral mucosa, which are rice-sized and cause significant pain. Rice-sized vesicles may also appear on the palms or soles, and occasionally on the buttocks or knees. The vesicles are surrounded by inflammatory erythema with minimal fluid inside. Some children may also experience symptoms such as cough, runny nose, poor appetite, nausea, vomiting, and headache.This disease is self-limiting, and most cases have a good prognosis. The majority of patients recover within one week without leaving any long-term sequelae. However, a small number of children may develop severe complications such as meningitis, encephalitis, myocarditis, flaccid paralysis, or pulmonary edema. Currently, there is no specific treatment for this disease, and symptomatic treatment is generally administered.