It’s yet another period of outbreak of the hand, foot and mouth disease (let’s call it HFM disease from here on) in town. A kindergarten in Miri has been shut down for 2 weeks because 3 cases of the disease have been detected there. Not only is this happening in the east, it is also rampant in the peninsular.
HFM disease is infectious and is caused by a virus called Enterovirus. It is very easy to detect this illness. You can see symptoms of this illness physically through blister-like rash on hands, feet or buttocks. You may also suffer mouth ulcers, fever, sore throat, runny nose, vomitting spells and even diarrhoea.
Treatment must be seeked, although it is not a serious disease. It can cause a lot of pain and the danger of running a high fever is unthinkable if left untreated. It usually takes about a week for recovery and there are no specific ways to treat it other than to monitor and make sure the symptoms are taken care of and under control. A patient is encouraged to take lots of fluids and to boost the immune system to promote faster recovery.
The HFM disease is common amongst children, but adults are not spared from it since it spreads about easily through direct contact with nose discharge, saliva, faeces and other bodily fluid. Parents when handling children with the disease should take extra precaution when dealing with soiled diapers and having physical contact with their children.
There are a few things that you can do to help prevent your child from being infected. During the outbreaks of the disease, try to limit your time spent outdoors at playgrounds, play gyms and even shopping malls. You never know who may have touched and left germs on the swings or even baby seats in restaurants. Schools or pre-schools are also rather dangerous grounds so if you know of anyone with this disease in your child’s school, you should avoid sending your child to school. Usually, if such a situation occurs, the school will be shut down. If it does not, you need to take your action as a responsible parent.
Regularly boost your child’s immune system through a healthy diet of nutritious food and even supplements like vitamin Cs. It is also important to stay hygenic at all times so encourage your child to wash his or her hands after play, before and after meals, etc. Don’t take small things for granted and let’s keep our children and ourselves healthy.
