Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease - Symptoms, Prevention and Cure

Different types of viruses have come and gone, from SARS, swine flu to AH1N1 -- all of us were very cautious as to what to eat and where to go as we might get the virus from carriers surrounding us. Recently, another virus has been circulating not only in Manila but in other countries as well – it’s the “hand, foot and mouth disease”. A lot of people might find the name unusual but the truth is, the name of the virus is very literal.

A good friend of mine was infected with this type of disease since last week and until now, she’s still absent from school as she fears that her classmates and schoolmates might acquire the virus because of her. She was the third in their family to have HFMD and I remember her sister recalling the symptoms that were felt by each of them.


Symptoms of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease
It started with a very high fever, around thirty-eight degrees (at least). This is followed by sore throat and one will experience difficulty swallowing – which is the reason why most infected people loose their appetite for food.

After 1-2 days, fever will be gone but one will notice that there seems to be blisters developing on the palm of one’s hand, soles of the feet and sometimes surrounding the mouth. This would worsen on day 3-4 and in my friend’s case, she could barely walk as blisters have developed all over the soles of her feet.

In some cases though, like her uncle, there were more on the palms of his hand and less on the soles of his feet. They have consulted a doctor and it was confirmed that they had Hand, foot and mouth disease. There was no specific cure but she recommended them to drink vitamin B-complex for the veins and some antibiotics.


Where is the Hand, food and mouth virus now?
I did additional research and based on my findings, this type of virus is now in China and Singapore too among other countries.


Who can be infected with the hand, foot and mouth disease?
Children are usually the ones affected by this disease (probably because their immune system is weaker compared to adults). There have been cases where infants as young as 11 months have been infected as well and a few children have died because of dehydration.


What to do if a person has hand, foot and mouth disease?
It is encouraged that when a person is infected with HFMD, one should drink lots of water to keep himself hydrated. Isolation is a must as this virus can easily be transmitted from one person to another through air (like cough and colds). Utensils and personal belongings should be segregated as they are said to be infected once a person with HFMD touches them. It is encouraged that infected persons should frequently wash their hands to help lessen the spread of the virus. Anti-bacterial mouthwash like Bactidol also helps as this lessens the soreness of the throat.
 
With the many kinds of diseases that have occurred in the past few years, it is important that each of us take care of ourselves by eating the right kind of food backed with the right supplements and enough fitness is the best way to prevent viruses.


Cheftonio