👩⚕️ Ask The Expert: Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease 101
Join our Ask The Expert session with Dr. Lim Wan Ting, Family Physician from Doctor Anywhere. Get trusted tips and guidance on tackling Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease. 🗓️ When: 20–27 Nov 2024 💡 Get your questions answered by a trusted GP 💬 Comment your questions below and get expert answers—because your child’s health matters. Stay informed, stay prepared! 🌟
My girl contracted HFMD a few months ago, now her school has a HFMD outbreak. Is it possible to get HFDM more than once? Should I keep my girl at home instead?
Hi Dr Lim, my boy recently caught HFMD from his school and has been fussing a lot about his mouth ulcers, what can I do to reduce the pain and misery for him?
Provide cool food and drinks. Cool foods and liquids, such as juices, ice cream, or yogurt, may be easier to eat. Use oral numbing drops, gels, or sprays to coat painful oral ulcers in younger children and infants. They provide relief for painful, swollen throat and mouth ulcers.
How long does HFMD usually last, and when is it no longer contagious? Is it true that when the dots appear, it’s the end?
Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is generally a mild illness, with symptoms typically resolving within 7 to 10 days. The risk of spreading the infection is highest during the first week of illness. The skin lesions associated with HFMD usually dry up within about 10 days. The general advice is to keep your child at home until all the blisters have dried up and they have fully recovered.
How can I encourage my child to eat or drink when they are in pain from mouth ulcers?
Switching to a soft diet (e.g. porridge, pureed fruit, pudding) can help if mouth ulcer is an issue. Cold foods, such as ice cream, may help numb the pain. Administer medications as prescribed by the doctor, such as paracetamol syrup, to relieve fever and pain.
Should I disinfect my home after my son’s HFMD has recovered? How should I do it?
HFMD is spread from person to person through direct contact with nasal discharge, saliva, faces, and fluid from the rash of an infected person. Proper hygiene, such as handwashing, should be practiced. Surfaces and items, such as toys and towels, contaminated by droplets, saliva, or stool from children with HFMD should be thoroughly disinfected with a diluted solution of chlorine-containing bleach.
Can we use any mouth gels or sprays to relieve HFMD ulcers? Are they safe?
Yes, oral numbing drops, gels, or throat sprays are generally safe to relieve pain from oral ulcers, according to the advice of the product manufacturer.
What should parents do to prevent getting HFMD while caring for the child
Observing and practicing good personal hygiene at all times is essential for preventing the spread of illness. Wash your hands regularly with soap to remove germs. When coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth with a tissue and dispose of it in the bin immediately. Avoid touching your face, including your eyes, nose, and mouth, with unwashed hands after coughing or sneezing. Additionally, avoid sharing food, drinks, or eating utensils to reduce the risk of transmission. Finally, wearing a mask can help protect both yourself and others from germs.
Are there any long-term effects or complications associated with HFMD?
HFMD is usually not serious. Most people recover on their own in 7 to 10 days with minimal or no medical treatment. Serious complications of HFMD, such as neurologic or cardiovascular issues, rarely occur. These complications can include encephalitis, meningitis, flaccid paralysis, and myocarditis.
Can adults catch HFMD from children? How is it different in adults?
Yes, it can affect people of all ages, but young children are more susceptible, especially those under 5 years of age. Symptoms are generally like those in children and may include fever, sore throat, rash or small blisters on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, or buttocks, mouth ulcers, poor appetite, and lethargy. However, symptoms may vary between individuals and at different stages of the disease.
How do I differentiate HFMD from other rashes or illnesses?
Children with HFMD usually present with symptoms such as fever, sore throat, painful mouth ulcers on the tongue, gums, inside of the cheeks, or back of the throat, and a rash on the hands and feet — most found on the palms and soles. However, symptoms may vary between individuals and at different stages of the disease. The diagnosis of HFMD is usually made clinically, based on the typical appearance and location of the skin manifestations.
Family Physician at Doctor Anywhere