Hand Foot and Mouth - the symptoms

We went to Dr Tan's Clinic last night...Airell was spotting sores on his feet and hands, and as Jane suspected it was the symptoms of Hand Foot and Mouth Desease (HFMD). Poor boy ....

Airell has sensitive skin - up to the extent that he can only uses Eubos cleansing gel for his bath. He's allergic to Johnson & Johnson products! and my GOD, the Eubos brand is so expensive ...anyway, when we saw that he has a few spots on his leg on Saturday, we didn't think much of it ...until yesterday afternoon. Jane saw that spots are turning into sores/ blisters ...and can be seen on the soles of his feet. and a few hours later, the spots started to appear on the palm of his hands ....the doctor confirmed Jane's suspicions...


But thank God, the doctor said that Airell is showing the symptoms of spotting those sores ..and that they are only on his foot and hands ...his mouth was ok last night, and he is still very active, had no fever, and  very vocal! But we can't help being scared, my mum especially, when we heard about this - coz we have a toddler in the house and we all know that HFMD is a contagious desease ...with no particular cure - it  just has to run its course! By the way, we were told that Airell could have got it through contact with a person who has HFMD. Then we remembered the incident in Spring Shopping Mall a week ago when a spotty (and sick) looking toddler came over and touched Airell, and none of us were fast enough to stop him! ...both Jane and I were wondering what made the boy's face spotty at the time! Now we suspected that the boy was the culprit! Plus the doctor said the incubation period of the virus is between 3-7 days ..and that is about the right time frame of the incident!

spots on his feet

the blisters

I googled the HFMD - to look for guidelines, as well as warning signs etc when I got home last night. Apparently it is a common disease affecting infants and children (under 10 years old), and in most cases can recover in 7-10 days. One website explains that, and I quote:

"HFMD is moderately contagious. Infection is spread from person to person by direct contact with nose and throat discharges, saliva, fluid from blisters, or the stool of infected persons. A person is most contagious during the first week of the illness. HFMD is not transmitted to or from pets or other animals"

Another thing to remember about HFMD is that the virus can remain in the body well after the symptoms have gone away - meaning still contagious weeks after the symptoms are gone!

Like i mentioned before, there is no specific medication for HFMD - we were given an antivirus last night - and that is just to stop the virus from spreading further (i think!). However, these are some of the common good hygiene practices that parents and caregiver can apply ..

1. washing hands frequently - especially after changing diapers and so on - and must wash correctly (not just with water!)
2. avoid close contact with persons with HFMD - this includes kissing, hugging etc.
   

Symptoms of HFMD (source: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/revb/enterovirus/hfmd-qa.htm#1) includes "fever, sores in the mouth, and a skin rash. Often begins with a mild fever, poor appetite, malaise (feeling vaguely unwell), and often a sore throat. One or 2 days after the fever begins, painful sores develop in the mouth. They begin as small red spots that blister and then often become ulcers. The sores are usually located on the tongue, gums, and inside of the cheeks. The skin rash develops over 1 to 2 days, with flat or raised red spots and sometimes with blisters. The skin rash does not itch and is usually on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. It may also appear on the buttocks or genitalia. A person with HFMD may have only the rash or only the mouth sores".


I hope my dear Airell will get better soon - and in the meantime, we are told not to have any visitors at the house ....preventive measures and all that ...