Hand Foot Mouth Disease - Makes me go Insane!!

Wednesday, March 04, 2015 0 Comments A+ a-

Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common human syndrome caused by highly contagious intestinal viruses of the picornaviridae family typically characterized by a mild fever followed by a rash of flat discolored spots and bumps that may blister, involving the skin of the hands, feet, oral cavity, and occasionally buttocks and genitalia. The viruses that cause HFMD are spread through direct contact with the mucus, saliva, or feces of an infected person. HFMD often occurs in small epidemics in nursery schools or kindergartens, usually during the summer and autumn months.[3] Signs and symptoms normally appear 3-6 days after exposure to the virus.[6] The rash generally goes away on its own in about 1 week, and most cases require no treatment other than symptomatic relief.[7] No antiviral treatment or vaccine is currently available for HFMD, but development efforts are underway

Common constitutional signs and symptoms of the HFMD include fever, nausea, vomiting, feeling tired, generalized discomfort, loss of appetite, and irritability in infants and toddlers. Skin lesions frequently develop in the form of a rash of flat discolored spots and bumps which may be followed by vesicular sores with blisters on palms of the hands, soles of the feet, buttocks, and sometimes on the lips. [11] The rash is rarely itchy for children,[6] but can be extremely itchy for adults.[12] Painful facial ulcers, blisters, or lesions may also develop in or around the nose or mouth.[3][13][14] HFMD usually resolves on its own after 7–10 day. Preventive measures include avoiding direct contact with infected individuals (including keeping infected children home from school), proper cleaning of shared utensils, disinfecting contaminated surfaces, and proper hand hygiene
* Noted above taken from the website

My eldest girl had fever after the weekend outing with my sister and her son. I thought she had the fever because she was sweating a lot and goes into the air cond car when we are on the way home. The fever is slightly 37.5-38 celcius. After one day, her right hand begin to develop red rashes spot. I thought she is allergic of something or the usual fever rashes. But it was only spotted on her hand. We bring her to see doctor and he also cannot identify 100 percent what is the cause. Just give some cream to apply. Not itchy but looks scary of the red spots. I do have in mind to suspect that could be hand, foot and mouth disease. I ask my friend and colleagues how does the disease looks like and what are the symptoms to look for. It was supposed to be appear at the feet and palm area only. 

I read the articles and found few symptoms actually related to my girl. No appetite, sleep more usual and red rashes. On the third day, my second girl and my son got fever too. I thought the fever spread to them is a usual thing. Never did I know, all of them are actually infected by the Hand, Foot and Mouth disease. They rejected milk, fluids, food but relieve when I offered them cold drinks and ice creams. 

My second girl develop few dots of red purplish on her buttock only and my son have all the rashes ALL OVER HIS BODY. The images in website shown that rashes that look like bruises or broken blood vessels, or appear purple on the hand, foot and mouth ulcer. It was heartache for me to see his conditions like this with so many reddish (seems like the chicken pox) and inside the dots have water ( like blisters). 

It does look so painful and doctor give some cream to apply..there are so much of spots to apply and baby are crying painful, he was looking sad, tired and crying all the time. His mouth is full of ulcer and luckily he still want some waters. Doctor gave him mouth spray (cooling type) and I give him ice cream, yogurt, vitagen and cold fluids. It was tiring, worried and sleepless night thinking of my babies have to go through this situation.

Learning experience as a motherhood journey is never been easy..We have to really keep an eye on the hygiene and ensure the kids always wash their hand especially when they are exposed in the public area. I am still blur where she got this disease. My sister son also get infected.