Hand-Foot-and-Mouth; Diagnosis and Treatment

Imagine that your child becomes less active and begins to complain of tiredness. Then a short time later he develops a sore throat and maybe even a fever in the range of one hundred one to one hundred three degrees Fahrenheit. A couple days pass and you notice that your little one has sores on and around his mouth, on his feet and hands and a few on his legs as well as other parts of the body. At this point, you remember a rash that you had noticed on his skin a day or so earlier.

Given these symptoms, do you think you could arrive at a reasonable diagnosis? If you find yourself stumped then a trip to the doctor may be in order. When you describe the changes you have noticed and the doctor takes a look at the sores he will probably be able to make a diagnosis. For many children that diagnosis will be hand-foot-and-mouth disease.

Once a cause is determined, it is time to treat the side-effects stemming from the virus (enterovirus). Actually, in most cases, the condition does not require treatment and will go away in seven to ten days. However, before they disappear, the sores may open and then crust over, creating an unattractive sight.

While the illness will take care of itself, you can help by making sure your child gets plenty of cold liquids, and Popsicles and ice cream will also go a long way in helping him feel better. Not only do most kids love these frozen treats, but they are easy to swallow and less painful than some foods to the affected areas of the mouth. On the other side of the coin, you should avoid spicy foods and acidic drinks that could cause a burning sensation when they make contact with the lesions.

Virtually all children make a healthy recovery. As parent, your job is to make your child’s bout with hand-foot-and-mouth as less discomforting as possible.