Hand-foot-mouth disease is a common skin disease. It is a contagious disease caused by enterovirus, mostly occurring in infants and young children. It can cause blisters on hands, feet, and oral cavity, with acute onset and fever; scattered blisters appear on the oral mucosa, about the size of a grain of rice, with obvious pain; blisters of similar size appear on the palms or soles, and the buttocks or knees may occasionally be affected. The blisters are surrounded by inflammatory red halos, and there is little fluid inside the blisters. Some children may experience symptoms such as coughing, runny nose, poor appetite, nausea, vomiting, headache, etc. This disease is self-limiting, with most cases having a good prognosis without leaving any sequelae. However, a very small number of children may develop serious complications such as meningitis, encephalitis, myocarditis, flaccid paralysis, pulmonary edema, etc.
Symptoms:
1. Most children suddenly fall ill, first showing high fever with body temperature often above 38 degrees Celsius, accompanied by headache, cough, runny nose, etc. The fever persists without subsiding, and the higher the temperature, the longer the course of the disease, and the more severe the condition.
2. While the child has a fever or 1-2 days after the fever starts, blisters can be seen on the oral mucosa and inside the lips. After the blisters rupture, they form ulcers, causing significant pain. Children often show signs of irritability, crying, drooling, and refusing to eat due to discomfort.
3. 1-2 days after the appearance of oral blisters, maculopapular rashes can be seen on the child's palms, soles, and buttocks, with the soles being the most affected. The blisters are round or oval-shaped, flat, ranging from the size of a grain of rice to that of a pea, relatively hard, with cloudy liquid inside. The rashes are surrounded by a red halo.
4. The rash of hand-foot-mouth disease in children rarely appears on the trunk and face, generally subsiding in about 7 days without leaving scars or marks.
5. Hand-foot-mouth disease in children is a mild self-healing disease, with most children having a good prognosis. A few severely affected children may develop complications such as myocarditis or encephalitis, but this possibility is very small.
6. The entire course of the disease usually ends within about a week, generally not leading to any serious consequences. With proper care, no pigmentation marks or scars will be left on the skin.