Patient's question:
My baby hasn't been eating well recently, and he also has a slight fever, mainly the high fever that makes me very worried. Accompanying symptoms include drooling and not eating hot food. In these days, I accidentally noticed many small blisters inside his mouth and realized he has hand, foot, and mouth disease.What kind of help do I need: How to prevent hand, foot, and mouth disease?
Doctor's answer:
Hand, foot, and mouth disease usually begins abruptly, with children often experiencing fever, typically ranging from 38°C to 40°C, with the fever lasting 4 to 7 days, though cases lasting more than 7 days are rare. In the early stages, some children may also have symptoms such as runny nose, sore throat, loss of appetite, vomiting, and diarrhea. Small red papules appear on the distal parts of the hands and feet, such as fingers, palms, toes, and in the mouth, which quickly transform into small vesicles, measuring 2-4 mm in diameter, resembling rice grains in size. They are round or oval-shaped with a red halo and cause significant pain. These rashes may sometimes also be seen on the buttocks and around the anus. Clinically, this disease is primarily characterized by vesicles on the hands, feet, and mouth, hence the name hand, foot, and mouth disease. Oral vesicles are commonly found on the tongue, buccal mucosa, lips, hard palate, pharynx, and tonsils, and they quickly turn into small ulcers. Children may drool excessively, experience pain while eating, and even have difficulty eating. Personal preventive measures include: