Patient's question:
Recently, I heard from a friend that their six-year-old son has contracted hand, foot, and mouth disease. I'm not very familiar with the origin and treatment methods for this disease. Could you please share some information about what causes this illness and how it should be treated? I would greatly appreciate your response. Thank you.Doctor's answer:
Hand, foot, and mouth disease is an acute fever and rash caused by enteroviruses, commonly seen in children. Hand, foot, and mouth disease is usually spread through respiratory secretions or saliva, or via contaminated items. It can cause fever, cough, runny nose, loss of appetite, and rashes or blisters on the hands, feet, buttocks, and other parts of the body. Patients with hand, foot, and mouth disease should be isolated, given oral antiviral medication, provided with fever-reducing drugs for high fever, and encouraged to drink boiled water. Eating more fruits and vegetables and reducing food intake can help, and the disease typically resolves within about a week.