Patient's question:
The child is two years old. Yesterday afternoon, he had a slight fever of 37.8 degrees. I checked his mouth and found that it was full of white blisters. He also had three or four small red spots on his hands. This morning, he wasn't feverish anymore. The hospital checked his blood and said it was hand, foot, and mouth disease. The child is crying in pain when eating. Is this symptom serious? Does he need to be given an intravenous drip?Doctor's answer:
Hand, foot, and mouth disease is caused by a viral infection and requires anti-inflammatory and antiviral treatment. The course of the disease typically lasts about 7 to 10 days before fully recovering. If the fever is not severe, oral anti-inflammatory and antiviral medications can be taken, and changes should be carefully observed for 3 to 5 days. If the fever persists, intravenous drip anti-inflammatory and antiviral medications should still be administered, as they are quite effective.When a child is affected by hand, foot, and mouth disease, family members must take the child to seek medical attention immediately to avoid various misunderstandings. Timely and symptomatic treatment is essential. For parents, it is important to closely monitor changes in their child's symptoms and do their best to help the child receive timely treatment for the disease.