Is hand, foot and mouth disease serious in children
Hand, foot and mouth disease is an infectious disease caused by enteroviruses that usually occurs in summer and autumn. It is most common in infants and young children and is easily spread through direct contact or droplets. So, is hand, foot and mouth disease serious in children? Let’s elaborate on it from different aspects.
Severity of illness
For hand, foot and mouth disease, most people will only feel mild discomfort, and it has a strong ability to heal itself, and generally there will be no sequelae. However, for younger children, especially those between 1 and 2 years old, hand, foot and mouth disease may cause more serious complications, such as meningitis, pneumonia, myocarditis, etc. At the peak of the disease, some severe cases may even cause death.
Preventive measures
Since there is currently no effective drug to treat hand, foot and mouth disease, prevention is very important. Here are some things you can do to help prevent hand, foot and mouth disease:
1. Maintain hand hygiene: To avoid exposing children to germs, parents should pay attention to making children wash their hands frequently.
2. Maintain environmental hygiene: Frequently disinfect items and surfaces that children frequently touch, such as toys, door handles, etc.
3. Provide healthy diet: Children eating healthy and fresh food can enhance the body\’s immunity and prevent infection.
Treatment methods
Even if a child is infected with hand, foot and mouth disease, parents do not need to worry too much, because under normal circumstances, hand, foot and mouth disease will heal on its own within 1-2 weeks. In this process, some of the following measures can be taken:
1. Control your child’s pain: When herpes appears, your child may feel pain, and painkillers can be used to relieve the pain.
2. Provide moisture: Because hand, foot and mouth disease may cause oral ulcers, children may not want to eat or drink water. In this case, parents can provide abundant liquids, such as water, juice, chicken soup, etc., to help children maintain adequate water intake.
3. Avoid infection: Children are very easy to be infected with hand, foot and mouth disease. Therefore, when the epidemic is high, it is best not to let children go to public places to avoid contact with viruses that can harm other people.
Summary
Overall, hand, foot and mouth disease in children can be a very serious infectious disease. When children are young, special attention must be paid to preventive measures to protect them from the dangers of viruses. At the same time, if a child is indeed infected with hand, foot and mouth disease, parents do not need to worry too much. Taking timely measures can help children overcome difficulties.
