Distinguish hand, foot and mouth disease from chickenpox, shingles (shingles) and Herpes simplex

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Hand, foot and mouth disease is a disease that often occurs in summer and autumn, at the same time as other skin diseases and skin lesions are blisters, so it should be distinguished from diseases caused by herpes simplex virus infection or chickenpox, shingles.

1.Distinguish hand, foot and mouth disease from chickenpox, shingles (shingles) and Herpes simplex 1.1. Hand, foot and mouth disease Hand, foot and mouth disease is caused by viruses belonging to the group of enteric viruses (poliovirus, coxsackievirus, echovirus...) The outbreak time is usually March-May and September-November. The disease usually occurs in children under 10 years of age.
When hand, foot and mouth disease, children will have oval blisters and grow in typical locations such as palms, soles, elbows, knees, buttocks. Blisters can grow in the mouth and throat, causing ulcers in the mouth and throat. However, these blisters are neither itchy nor painful.
1.2. Chickenpox Chickenpox is caused by a virus called the Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) and is contagious. The disease occurs all year round, but the peak is from February to June. The disease occurs mostly in children aged 5-11, but also many adults suffer from this disease.
When you have chickenpox, the rash will grow in many stages, starting on the trunk and then spreading to the whole body, head, face, hands and feet; old vesicles mixed with new, concave in the middle when new, clear and opaque (pus) due to bacterial superinfection; The rash develops blisters that cause itching, pain, and discomfort.

Besides blisters, young children often have a mild fever, anorexia, but in adults or older children often have high fever, headache, muscle pain, vomiting. After the disease is in remission, the rash will dry, scab, darken the skin where the blisters appear, leaving no scars if not infected.
1.3. Shingles (shingles) Shingles, also known as shingles, is caused by a virus and only occurs in people who have had chickenpox before. Shingles usually does not break out into a pandemic like chickenpox or hand, foot and mouth disease, but is common in all ages if the resistance is poor.
When infected with shingles, the patient feels a burning pain in an area of ​​​​the skin and then appears many large and small blisters in a cluster. These blisters appear only on one side of the body, rarely spreading to other skin areas. Blisters can be mild or intense, depending on the case. If there are blisters in the armpits, groin and neck, swollen lymph nodes will appear, accompanied by low-grade fever and fatigue.
1.4. Herpes simplex Herpes Simplex Virus has 2 types: HSV - 1 and HSV - 2 and recurs in episodes.
Herpes type 1: Causes sores around the mouth, lips, eyes, in some cases can lead to genital herpes. Feel a burning sensation around the mouth before the sores appear. When the blisters burst, they leave behind a slide, or a deep ulcer, scabbing or exuding, causing unsightly, in some cases, crusting or oozing. Herpes type 2: Causes sores around the genitals or rectum, mainly transmitted sexually. The common symptom in Herpes type 2 is the appearance of sores on the genitals and anus. Besides the sores can include fever, body aches and swollen lymph nodes.

2. Hand, foot and mouth treatment for chickenpox, shingles (shingles) and Herpes simplex

2.1. Treatment of hand, foot and mouth disease Currently, there is no specific treatment for hand, foot and mouth disease. The main treatment is to reduce fever, reduce pain and increase resistance.
Reduce pain and fever with Paracetamol or Acetaminophen, do not use Aspirin or drugs containing Aspirin. Body hygiene: Reduce the risk of skin infections by cleaning the body, rinsing the mouth every day, taking a warm bath, washing gently, avoiding breaking water bubbles or scratching the skin, changing clean clothes daily . Keep fingernails short and wear baby gloves to reduce skin damage. Nutrition: Children should eat nutritious food, eat thin, cool foods; keep warm and give plenty of water. Take your child to a medical facility immediately when there are signs of a more serious illness such as high fever, confusion, convulsions, pus-filled blisters, blood. 2.2. Treatment of Chickenpox Chickenpox is a mild disease. However, without proper care, the disease can cause dangerous complications and another complication of chickenpox is shingles, also known as shingles. To support the treatment of symptoms and prevent dangerous complications, the treatment of chickenpox requires:
Use of drugs: Antipyretic drugs, vitamins, topical drugs to reduce itching but need to be prescribed by a doctor. Cleanliness: Wash and clean regularly to avoid bacteria accumulating on the skin causing infection, do not rub and break the blisters. Nutrition: When you have chickenpox, you should avoid fatty foods, butter, milk, cheese, etc., limit your intake of hot spicy foods, acidic foods such as oranges and lemons. Limit going to windy places, keep the body warm to avoid other opportunistic diseases, but the patient needs to be in a cool, not secretive place, when it is hot, the fan must be turned on to avoid sweating a lot.
2.3. Treatment of shingles (shingles) There is currently no cure for shingles, but your doctor can prescribe medication to control the infection, shorten the healing time, fight inflammation, and relieve pain. Regularly wash your hands with soap, both before and after using the toilet, to avoid scratching and scratching the skin. Apply antiseptic and prevent superinfection with methylene blue. Wash the body with warm water, gently wipe to avoid breaking the bubbles.

2.4. Herpes simplex treatment The treatment of Herpes simplex is mainly against superinfection, anti-viral and counseling the possibility of disease recurrence, complications and avoiding infecting others. Specifically:
Medication: Antiviral drugs to relieve systemic symptoms. If there is superinfection, use broad-spectrum antibiotics. Nutrition: Enhance health with a diet rich in protein, vitamins and proper rest. Body hygiene: Clean the body, do not share personal items with others.

3. Prevention of hand, foot and mouth disease with chickenpox, shingles (shingles) and Herpes simplex

3.1. Prevention of hand , foot and mouth disease Currently there is no vaccine or specific method to prevent hand , foot and mouth disease . The main methods of disease prevention include:
Regularly washing hands with soap under strong running water Ensure cooked food and drink; Use clean water to ensure hygiene. Do not give food to children and especially do not let children eat, suck, suck on toys; Let children use their own personal items. Keep the house clean and well ventilated. Using hygienic latrines When a child shows signs of illness, parents need to take the child to a doctor or notify the nearest medical facility. 3.2. Chickenpox Prevention The best way to prevent chickenpox is to get the chickenpox vaccine, which helps the body make antibodies against the chickenpox virus. The protective effects of the chickenpox vaccine can be long-lasting. At the same time, wash and change often, clean the body, house, and personal items every day. Do not go to places where there is an outbreak of disease. 3.3. Shingles prevention Regularly wash hands, clean the house, personal items daily. Eat, rest, live in moderation, avoid body fatigue and stress.

3.4. Herpes simplex room Do not share personal items with others. Practice safe, healthy sex and use vaccines to prevent sexually transmitted diseases. Limit some intimate actions such as hugging, kissing, holding hands, contact with open wounds. Clean and properly clean the genitals. Vinmec International General Hospital is a high-quality medical facility in Vietnam with a team of highly qualified medical professionals, well-trained, domestic and foreign, and experienced.
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