Friday, August 1, 2014

Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease

Signs and Symptoms
1. Small, tender, canker-like sores on the tongue and inside of the cheeks.
2. An itchy reddish rash or small blister on the hands and feet, between the fingers and toes, and sometimes appearing on the buttocks.
3. Low fever up to 102 degrees.
4. Tiredness.

What to do now
1. Be sure your child drinks plenty of fluids.
2. If the rash is itchy, apply an anti-itch cream.
3. Avoid citrus fruits, spicy foods, and other foods that might irritate your child’s sore mouth. Try serving nutritious liquids, such as chicken or vegetable soup, and soft foods, such as mashed banana, if solid foods are too painful to chew.
4. To help relieve pain or reduce your child’s fever, give acetaminophen. (Never give aspirin to a child under 12 who has hand, foot, and mouth disease, chicken pox, flu, or any other illness you suspect of being caused by a virus).

When to call a doctor
Call for an immediate appointment:
1. If your child have extreme difficulty swallowing.
2. Whenever your child gets a rash. Hand, foot, and mouth disease is not serious, but it can be confused with a rash.

How to prevent it
1. Make sure children don’t share glasses, silverware, or toys that have been in other children’s mouths.
2. Ensure that your children wash their hands after using the toilet.

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