What is Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease?
Hand, foot and mouth disease is a highly contagious viral disease that is more common especially in children under 5 years old. Sometimes it can cause various outbreaks in older children and adults as well. The disease usually begins with non-specific flu-like symptoms such as fever (38 degrees and above), loss of appetite, sore throat, restlessness, and malaise. 1-2 days after the onset of fever, painful aphtha-like water-filled sores (herpangina) occur in and around the mouth. These sores usually appear as small red spots at the back of the mouth, turn into painful blisters filled with water over time, and then their crusts burst and go into the healing process. 1-2 days after the formation of these blisters, skin rashes in the form of red dots appear on the soles of the feet, palms of the hands, sometimes on the knees, wrists, elbows, hips or genital areas, and after a while, water begins to collect in these rashes. These rashes, which are usually painless and itchy, may peel off over time. Some children, especially babies under the age of 1, develop difficulty in swallowing due to painful lesions in the mouth, and because they cannot take enough fluid, their body's water content decreases and they become exhausted. These patients should be hospitalized and taken to appropriate fluid and mineral support.
How is Hand and Foot Disease Transmitted?
Viruses that cause hand foot and mouth disease are found in the nasal and throat secretions of infected people (saliva, saliva, sputum, nasal mucus secretion) ), is found in the fluids inside the blisters of their rash and in their feces.
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In cases of close contact with infected people such as hugging, shaking hands, kissing,
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Airway in coughing and sneezing situations of infected persons
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In cases where the feces of infected children are contacted after changing diapers and the necessary hygiene measures are not taken (such as rubbing the hands from eye to nose without washing with soapy water after contact with faeces),
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Do not touch objects whose surface is infected with hand, foot and mouth disease virus. In cases where the necessary hygiene measures are not taken after the massage (such as rubbing the hands from eye to mouth without washing with soapy water after contact with objects such as infected cabinets, toys, door handles),
hand, foot and mouth disease infection is likely to occur.
In cases where the water in swimming pools or water parks is swallowed, the risk of encountering the causative virus is possible, albeit low. Ingestion of puddles contaminated with feces of persons infected with hand-foot-mouth disease and inadequately chlorinated increases this risk.
How to Diagnose Hand and Foot Disease?
Diagnosis of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease; It is established by taking a detailed anamnesis (history of the disease) and detecting characteristic rashes in the mouth, around, hands, feet and other accompanying areas (such as knees, elbows, hips, genital areas) in the physical examination. Since it is a virus-related disease, additional laboratory tests are generally not required.
Detailed physical examination and anamnesis by an experienced clinician are often sufficient to establish the diagnosis.
What is the Treatment of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease?
There is no known specific treatment for hand, foot and mouth disease. However, the following measures can be taken to reduce symptoms:
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Painkillers containing paracetamol or ibuprofen and antipyretics can be used in children with pain or fever. (Care should be taken not to use "aspirin" for this purpose. Because the use of aspirin in diseases caused by viruses causes a serious disease called "Reye's Syndrome", where liver and brain functions are adversely affected, and which has a high life-threatening risk as a result of the failure of these organs.)
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For painful wounds in the mouth, mouth sprays, mouthwashes, various oral care solutions can be used.
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Drinking plenty of water to prevent loss of body water and minerals, as swallowing difficulties are common in children with painful mouth sores. It is recommended that they be fed with soft foods such as yogurt, pudding and warm soup. If mouth sores are extremely painful and their nutrition is impaired due to difficulty in swallowing, it is beneficial for these children to be hospitalized and to receive intravenous fluid and mineral supplements.
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If the rashes on the body are itchy, anti-itch lotions can be used under the supervision of a doctor. There is no harm in washing with warm soapy water.
What Should Be Done to Prevent Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease?
From Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease There is no specific vaccine developed to protect it. Avoiding contact with sick children and paying attention to simple hygiene rules such as hand washing are the basis of protection from this disease.
Hands should be washed with plenty of soapy water after going to the toilet, after changing diapers, before preparing and eating food. Care should be taken not to apply it to the eyes, mouth and nose without washing the hands thoroughly.
Care should be taken to clean the infected surfaces (frequently touched surfaces, common toys, door handles, etc.) in the playgrounds of young children with soapy water and bleach.
Hand foot and mouth disease continues to be contagious 3 days before the rash appears and 5 days after the rash fades and the fever subsides. It is very important to avoid close contact with sick children (such as kissing, hugging, shaking hands) and the common use of personal items such as plates, glasses, forks, spoons, towels, especially during this time, to prevent the transmission of the disease.
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