Ever even heard of Hand-Foot-and-Mouth-Disease? Didn’t think so. Whats worse than none of us knowing about it is that its spreading like wild fire, and its extremely destructive. Kids are the perfect vessel to catch and carry illnesses, so this warning goes out to all the parents out there.
First discovered in Asia in 2012, Hand-Foot-and-Mouth-Disease has slowly been rearing its ugly head in the USA and is though to be transported back via travellers to and from various Asian countries and being completely unaware that they have caught anything. The State of Alabama has recently issued a health warning relating to the illness becoming a growing problem in the area, with more and more cases being diagnosed every day. The disease is mostly spread through any contact with a carrier’s saliva – such as kissing, sneezing, coughing and sharing the same food or drink. Most symptoms go unnoticed and are therefore being spread quite rapidly among our population as carrier’s often do not know they have contracted anything.
- Sore throat
- Tiredness and fatigue
- Dry cough
- Sores and rashes on the hands, feet, lower legs, arms and around the mouth and face
Hand-Foot-and-Mouth-Disease is a viral infection, commonly known as a type of enterovirus. It is incredibly contagious and easily transferred and the infected should stay as quarantined as possible for around a week after first noticing the symptoms. Many of the symptoms don’t show up for the first few days so giving the virus time to identify itself properly is always the best cause of action. It cannot be treated with antibiotics so unfortunately the best thing to do is hole up and let it “run its course.”
- Stay hydrated – Drink plenty of water and eat regular meals even though you may feel like you can’t or have no appetite. Remember that old saying “Feed a fever, starve a flu?”…Well this is a situation where you should stick to those wise words.
- Get Plenty of sleep and don’t do anything strenuous that could raise your temperature.
- Eat honey either on toast or in a tea with lemon and ginger – this can help soothe the pain of the sore throat and quell the dry cough symptoms.
- Stay indoors.
- Use Turmeric and natural painkillers to treat the pain.
- Avoiding acidic foods is an excellent way to avoid any excess pain around the mouth and throat.
- Regularly change bed sheets and wash/sanitise hands and surfaces to minimise the spread and vectors of this awful illness.
For people who suffer from a weak immune system or have other viral or pain related illnesses, the symptoms can be a lot more serious and damaging. Consult your health practitioner if you or your loved one experiences back pain, high fever, vomiting and diarrhoea, stiff/ swollen neck or the loss of finger and toenails.
This is a really nasty bug and it is important that we are all informed about the risks and the remedial action that can be taken to minimise the impact of Hand-Foot-and-Mouth-Disease. There are no vaccinations for this one yet so it is crucial that we take the necessary steps in order to help ourselves and each other. Lets stay on top of this one.
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