Microbe-laden diseases are highly contagious and mainly spread through the exposed area of your body. Hand, foot and mouth disease is one of those infectious illnesses.

This disease is significantly common in toddlers and young teens as they are less conscious about hygiene.

Keep reading to learn about this disease and its symptoms, causes, treatment, and other details.

HFMD or hand, foot and mouth disease is a highly infectious disease. A virus from the Enterovirus genus, commonly known as Coxsackievirus, causes this disease.

It can spread from one individual to another through direct contact with unclean hands and any contaminated surface. Other than that, it transmits through flies from a person’s infected wastes.

You will find red flat or raised spots, blisters or rash in your mouth, on hands and feet, along with soreness.

The symptoms usually appear 3 to 6 days after your infection, known as the incubation period. 

Your child may experience the following symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease -

• Mild to high fever
• Headache
• Sore throat
• Ill-temper
• Malaise
• Sore red blisters in the mouth
• Salivation
• Red rashes on their hands and feet’s sole

Primarily, the hand, foot and mouth disease is caused by a breed of a virus named Coxsackievirus. This virus transmit from person to person quite quickly through the following elements -

• Contaminated droplets of cough and sneeze in the air
• Saliva or waste material of the infected person
• Fluid from an infected blister

Children are at most risk of this disease, significantly when they attain school or daycare. Younger children start building up immunity to this disease after getting infected by the virus.

However, you still can notice hand, foot and mouth disease in adults and older children too.

Most doctors may only conduct a physical checkup or look at your child’s symptoms. They diagnose the rashes and blisters on their body and mouth and ask about other symptoms.

Your doctors, at most, ask for a swab or stool test for the virus to confirm their diagnosis.

In most cases, children can fight this infection with their innate immune system. The disease disappears within 7 to 10 days without any treatment. However, doctors prescribe some treatments for hand, foot and mouth disease to soothe your symptoms during the infection.

• Ointments to ease the irritation of your blisters and rashes
• Medicines for fever, pain or headache
• Pills or syrups to relax your sore throat

The best way to prevent this disease is to maintain good hygiene. You must wash your hands and feet after coming home from outside and clean your palm before eating.

Most of the time, children put an unwashed hand or random objects in their mouth. Teach your child not to put their hands or other things into their mouth. Also, teach them to practice washing hands frequently and cover their mouth in a crowd to avoid this infection.

Hand, foot and mouth disease must completely disappear after 7 to 10 days. You and your kids generally develop an immune system to defend against this virus. Therefore, not often does this virus cause a medical emergency.

However, consult a medical expert if your symptoms do not fade away or get even worse after 10 days. You may find these possible complications mentioned below:

• Loss of fingernails and toenails
• Dehydration
• Encephalitis
• Viral meningitis
• Paralysis