Characteristics of hand, foot and mouth disease in adults

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Hand, foot and mouth disease caused by Enterovirus virus. Most cases occur in the summer and early fall, and the majority of cases are 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. Hand, foot and mouth disease in adults

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. However, adults can still get the disease because the body's immune system cannot fight the virus.
The disease is characterized by fever and concentrated blisters on the palms and soles, mouth ulcers, and a rash all over the body. Hand, foot and mouth disease in adults is more likely to cause serious complications than in children, the disease can be life-threatening if not treated promptly.
For adults, the subjects most vulnerable to hand, foot and mouth disease are pregnant women. Pregnant women with hand, foot and mouth disease can lead to serious complications for the fetus such as: Increased risk of miscarriage, stillbirth or infection during pregnancy...

2. Warning signs of hand, foot and mouth disease in adults

Hand, foot and mouth disease often begins with fever, cravings, sore throat, fatigue or even coma.
After a fever, sores can appear and develop in the mouth, causing pain to the patient. These sores, called herpangina, appear as spots often located deep in the oral cavity. They can also blister and become even more painful. Simultaneously with the sores or some time after they appear, a rash and itching on the palms or soles may occur. The rash can spread to the arms, legs, buttocks, genitals, abdomen, and back.
Some typical symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease in adults include:
Fever Cough Runny nose Fatigue, even lethargy Vomiting Diarrhea Sore throat Muscle aches Loss of appetite, loss of appetite Appear Blisters on the tongue, gums, and inside the cheeks are painful for the patient. Red spots appear on the palms, feet or even the buttocks, abdomen, back but do not cause itching. While children often show some symptoms of the disease in a relatively obvious way, adults often do not have symptoms.
Hand, foot and mouth disease is contagious to all ages. Regular personal hygiene is the key to a healthy life, limiting diseases in general and hand, foot and mouth disease in particular.

3. How is hand, foot and mouth disease in adults spread?

Hand, foot and mouth disease is caused by an infectious virus that can be passed from person to person through secretions from the nose and throat including: Saliva, mucus, fluid in mouth sores, or feces.
In addition, the average person can also be exposed to the virus through activities such as:
Close personal contact with an infected person Breathing air contaminated with the virus from a sneeze or cough Touching objects contaminated objects such as infected children's toys, tables, chairs, doorknobs.... Contact with contaminated water such as drinking water with an infected person or swimming in the same pool with an infected person . To treat hand, foot and mouth disease as well as prevent it from spreading, patients need to be taken to medical facilities so that doctors can provide appropriate treatment regimens, especially for children. If you have any unusual symptoms, you should immediately notify the treating doctor. It's important to stay hydrated to keep your child from becoming dehydrated and to give her some soft foods that she can easily absorb when she's sick.
Hand, foot and mouth disease can go away on its own after 7-10 days. There is no vaccine or specific treatment for the disease.

4. Complications of hand, foot and mouth disease

Although relatively rare, hand, foot and mouth disease can bring serious complications related to the nervous system such as: meningitis, spinal inflammation should follow the recommendations of doctors and experts, if you notice any Any signs of suspicion of hand, foot and mouth disease should immediately go to the nearest medical facility for examination and treatment.
In recent times, severe outbreaks of hand, foot and mouth disease worldwide have occurred due to a less common strain of Coxsackievirus than EV71 or Coxsackievirus A16. This new strain of virus, called CV A6, is capable of affecting both children and adults. The CV A6 strain was first identified in 2008 in Finland and is also characterized by perioral lesions and lesions on the palms as well as a rash on the abdomen and back.
Hand, foot and mouth disease is a highly contagious disease and there is still 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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