Patient's question:
The kindergarten my baby attends has had a child absent today due to hand, foot, and mouth disease. Because that child always plays with my baby, it has led to my baby contracting hand, foot, and mouth disease. Is this kind of hand, foot, and mouth disease the same as chickenpox, which is a disease you only get once and then won't get again?Doctor's answer:
There are dozens of viruses that can cause hand, foot, and mouth disease. If you contract hand, foot, and mouth disease, you will only develop immunity to the specific virus that infected you and will have no resistance to other viruses, which may lead to reinfection. It is essential to avoid patients and minimize children's visits to crowded places. If hand, foot, and mouth disease occurs, antiviral medication should be used for symptomatic treatment. If fever develops, fever-reducing medication should also be administered.