Are the signs of hand, foot and mouth disease in adults different from children?

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Hand, foot and mouth disease is an acute infectious disease caused by a virus. The disease usually occurs in children, especially children under 5 years old. However, it is still possible for adults to get the disease if you have never had hand, foot and mouth disease before or your body's immune system is unable to fight off the virus.

1. What is hand, foot and mouth disease?

Coxsackievirus A16 and enterovirus 71 are the cause of hand, foot and mouth disease. The disease is spread mainly through the gastrointestinal tract.
Hand, foot and mouth disease is a disease that often occurs in young children, especially children under 5 years old. But adults can still get the disease because the body's immune system can't fight the virus.
Hand, foot and mouth disease in adults is more likely to cause dangerous complications than in children. It usually clears up on its own within a week with proper treatment.
Hand, foot and mouth can be dangerous to the patient, even life-threatening if not treated promptly.

2. What causes hand, foot and mouth disease?

Hand, foot and mouth disease is caused by viruses, including Coxsackie, Echo and other enteric viruses. The most common viruses are enterovirus 71 and coxsackie A16. In particular, enterovirus 71 can cause serious complications for patients such as meningitis, encephalitis or damaged heart muscle.
Hand, foot and mouth disease is spread through the gastrointestinal tract through casual contact between an infected person and a healthy person such as sneezing, coughing or secretions from the blisters of an infected person. Therefore, to prevent disease, it is necessary to clean hands and feet.

3. Are the signs of hand, foot and mouth disease in adults different from children?

The signs of hand , foot and mouth disease in adults are the same as in children . However, for adults, hand, foot and mouth disease can be more severe.
The following are the symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease, including:
Cough Fever Runny nose Nausea Fatigue Vomiting Muscle aches Sore throat Feeling of loss of appetite Red spots appear on the palms and soles but does not cause itching Blisters appear in the mouth and throat and cause pain Startle Convulsions Shortness of breath Urinary retention If the disease is severe, the patient may experience vomiting, prolonged high fever or convulsions.
For pregnant women, having hand, foot and mouth disease will cause many risks to the fetus such as miscarriage, stillbirth or infection during pregnancy.

4. Treatment of hand, foot and mouth disease

Currently, there is no specific medicine to treat hand, foot and mouth disease, as well as no vaccine to prevent the disease. Usually, the disease will clear up on its own within 7-10 days, if treated properly.
When sick, the patient should note:
Follow a healthy and reasonable diet: do not eat sour, salty or spicy foods. Should avoid solid foods, make you chew a lot, it will increase the feeling of loss of appetite. Drink a lot of water, use cold, cool, soft foods. Clean your teeth after eating. Provide adequate nutrients for the body. Treat the symptoms of the disease such as reducing fever, relieving pain (sore throat, sore mouth, muscle pain). If the disease worsens, it is necessary to immediately take it to the hospital for timely treatment and treatment, to avoid complications from becoming more serious. Hand, foot and mouth disease is a highly contagious disease with no specific treatment. Therefore, the best way to prevent disease is to practice good personal hygiene, especially washing hands often with soap.
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