Every
parents worries about the infectious childhood illness that sweep through
classrooms and after-school programs this time of year.
Most
kids get their inoculations early on to avoid old-fashioned diseases like mumps
and rubella that used to effect huge swathes of children every year.
Even
better, there’s now an annual flu shot for tackling one of the winter’s most
contagious illnesses — even Ellen knows how important it is to get your flu
shot!
Still,
some diseases are proving harder to tackle than others. One of the most
resistant is hand-foot-and-mouth disease, which still affects about 200,000
Americans in the USA every year.
This
year, experts at the West Central Health District in Georgia warn that it could
be a record-breaking year for the disease, which is already causing outbreaks
among school kids and college students.
Scroll
through below to learn more about the disease, and what you can do to head it
off.
Hnad-foot-and-mouth
disease — or HFMD for short — is an incredibly common ailment that affects
hundred of thousands of people every single year.
Part
of the reason it’s so very common? It’s highly contagious, and can spread
easily from contact with saliva or mucus.
In
other words, you can’t get it from simply being in the same room as someone
with the infection, but you can get it from a sneeze, a kiss, or a handshake.
That’s
part of the reason it runs rampant in kindergartens and preschools, where the
kids tend to be grabby with one another, and are usually a little bit covered
in spit and snot.
It
also spread quickly on college campuses, where food and drinks are shared
frequently, and students tend to be overtired and not at peak physical health.
Senior
citizens or folks with weakened immune systems are also vulnerable, especially
if they live communally, like in a nursing home.
Of
course, even a perfectly healthy adult in the prime of life can get this
disease; it all depends on what germs you’re exposed to.
Fortunately,
the symptoms are unpleasant, but usually mild and not life-threatening.
They
include flu-like symptoms, like fever and sore throat, but HFMD is most
characterized by the itchy red spots that appear on — you guessed it — your
hands, feet, and mouth.
Sores
may sometimes also appear on the legs and genitals.
The
virus looks alarming, especially if you’re sporting spots, but fortunately it
usually clears up on its own within a week or two.
Still,
if you suspect you or another member of your family has the disease, go to the
doctor straight away.
Because
it’s so contagious, this illness usually requires you to stay home until the
virus is fully out of your system, to keep it from spreading to other folks in
your community.
Though
the symptoms of the virus are usually mild, there can be serious side effects,
especially in people with weakened immune systems from another illness or from
age.
In
some rare cases, HFMD can lead to serious brain infections like meningitis and
encephalitis.
More
commonly, kids who don’t shake the symptoms for a few weeks may lose some of
their fingernails or toenails.
According
to the CDC, outbreaks of HFMD are not common in the USA, but that might be
changing this year.
A
large outbreak has been sweeping through Georgia, and may affect the wider
South Eastern US, and could even spread to other regions of the country.
If
you happen to live in an area affected by this year’s HFMD outbreak, it’s
important to be extremely vigilant about hygiene practices.
To
keep this illness away from your family, make sure everyone is washing their
hands after leaving the bathroom, and before touching any food.
If
you suspect HFMD, make sure to keep your kiddos home from school until they
have been cleared by a doctor.
If
you or someone you know does contract the illness, the best treatment is rest
and plenty of fluids, even if the sores make swallowing a little painful.
Watch
the video below to learn more about hand-foot-and-mouth disease, and don’t
forget to SHARE to help prevent the spread of disease this year!
Source : littlethings.com