Patient's question:
The day before yesterday, my friend's daughter had a slight fever and a few mouth ulcers reappeared. At the time, we thought it was a mild cold and only gave her some cold medicine. Today, we noticed that her fever and mouth ulcers not only didn't improve but became worse. We then took her to a hospital in the county for a thorough examination, and the doctor diagnosed it as hand, foot, and mouth disease. How is hand, foot, and mouth disease treated in children?Doctor's answer:
Hand, foot, and mouth disease is generally an infectious disease caused by intestinal bacteria. It is a common illness among infants and children. It manifests acutely with fever. Small, painful vesicles of rice grain size may appear on the oral mucosa. Small vesicles of rice grain size may also appear on the palms or soles; in rare cases, buttocks or knees may also be affected, though this is uncommon. The vesicles are surrounded by inflammatory erythema, with little fluid inside. Some children may also experience symptoms such as cough, runny nose, poor appetite, nausea, vomiting, and headache. Treatment is primarily symptomatic. Mild cases usually heal within about seven days with proper care. During the illness, it is important to enhance care for the child and maintain good oral hygiene. Warm water can be used to wash the face before and after defecation, and food should be soft, such as liquids or semi-liquids, to avoid irritation.