stomatology
· A common children's virus that causes sores in the mouth and a rash on the hands and feet.
· Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is usually a mild illness young children get.
· A virus known as Coxsackievirus is the main cause.
· It is contagious. The infection spreads by person-to-person contact and is common in child care settings.
· Frequent hand-washing and avoiding close contact with people who have hand-foot-and-mouth disease may help lower your child's risk of infection.
· Signs and Symptoms:
Painful, blister-like lesions on the tongue, gums and inside of the cheeks.
A rash on the palms, soles and sometimes the buttocks. The rash is not itchy, but sometimes it has blisters. Depending on skin tone, the rash may appear red, white, gray, or only show as tiny bumps.
Fever.
Sore throat.
Feeling sick.
Fussiness in infants and toddlers.
Loss of appetite.
Symptoms usually appear 3 to 6 days after being in contact with the virus.
· Treatment:
There's no treatment for hand-foot-and-mouth disease. The virus usually clears up within 7 to10 days. Pain medicines bought without a prescription other than aspirin can help relieve symptoms.
Prevention:
Wash hands often. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds. Be sure to wash your hands after using the toilet or changing a diaper. Also, wash your hands before preparing or eating food and after blowing your nose, sneezing or coughing. When soap and water aren't available, use hand sanitizer.
Teach good hygiene. Show your children how to wash their hands and help them do it often. Show them how to practice overall good hygiene. Explain to them why it's best not to put their fingers, hands or any other objects in their mouths.
Disinfect common areas. Clean high-traffic areas and surfaces first with soap and water. Next, clean with a diluted solution of chlorine bleach and water. If you're in a child care setting, follow a strict schedule of cleaning and disinfecting. The virus can live for days on surfaces in common areas, including on door knobs, and on shared items such as toys.
Avoid close contact. Because hand-foot-and-mouth disease is highly contagious, people with the illness should limit their exposure to others while they have symptoms. Keep children with hand-foot-and-mouth disease out of their child care setting or school until fever is gone and mouth sores have healed. If you have the illness, stay home from work.