BLISTERS, AND FEVER, AND PAIN! OH MY!
We here at HealthCARE Express know how important it is to keep your kids happy and healthy, but sometimes against your best efforts your child somehow ends up sick anyway. Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD) is a virus that most commonly affects children 5 years old or younger, though it isn’t impossible for older children, or even adults, to contract the virus as well. Though HFMD isn’t dangerous, it is still important to know the symptoms so that they can be treated. Besides, no one wants to see their toddler or baby sick or unhappy.
It is possible your child has HFMD if they are experiencing:
- Fever
- Poor appetite
- Lack of energy
- Sore throat
- Headache
- Irritability
- Blisters in the mouth
- Rash on the hands and bottoms of feet
While there is no direct treatment for HFMD, there are over the counter medications that can be given to your child to help alleviate some of their symptoms. HealthCARE Express can also provide you with items or medications that can help. For example, we carry a tetracaine sucker that you can give your child in place of ice cream and popsicles to help with the pain in their mouths. It numbs the mouth so the pain is not so significant, and it’s even reusable!
HFMD is spread quite easily, as it’s carried in the hands and mouth. The best way to prevent the spread of the disease is by washing your hands regularly, and by cleaning your child’s toys after they play with them. Children love to put things in their mouths, whether it’s their hand or a toy, so it is best to make sure both are as clean as possible to help avoid infection. And even though the idea may seem impossible, it is best to avoid hugging or kissing your child as much as possible if they are carrying HFMD.
If your child is experiencing any of these symptoms and needs medical attention, your friends here at HealthCARE Express will do all we can to get your family healthy again.
Stay healthy,
Tim Reynolds, M.D.
