FHAM

[anjolive]

My 6 yr old daughter came down with Hand Foot and Mouth 1 week ago. She started out with sore throat, fever, then the red bumps on the fingers and toes as well as throat and mouth. Lasted for about 5 days.

5-7 days after her bout with what her doctor described as FHAM, I (45yr old male) came down with body aches, pains, soar throat and fever for the first 24 hours. The sore throat is still present with the exact same looking throat as my 6 year old but WORSE !!  I also have the red sores on the inside and tops of my fingers. Other than that I feel a little weak but am fine otherwise.  

Does this sound like HFAM as well ?  My doctor is on vacation and I dont have time to wait for "hours" at an ER...If it is possible that its HFAM is it rare for an adult to have it ?  And also how long before it should start to get better ?

Thank you,
Andrew

[ronjohnson4056]

It's rare in adults, but not impossible. As has been mentioned, just try and treat your symptoms. Your body should be able to recover on it's own. If you don't improve in a few days, you might want to see your doctor to be sure.
Ron Johnson |  http://stjosephsministries.org/services/longTermCare

[geminigirl1963]

HFAM is more often seen in children, but adults can get it also.  There are several different viruses in the group that causes HFAM.  Once you have HFAM, your are then immune to the specific virus within that group that caused your HFAM, however, you are not immune to the other viruses in that group.

Most symptoms will go away in about 7-10 days, so long as there aren't any complications - complications from HFAM are rare.  It's important to remember that the virus that has caused the HFAM can stay in the body for several weeks even after the symptoms have gone away, so it is still possible for you to pass it on to someone else even once you're feeling better.  to reduce the chance of passing it on to someone else, practice good hygiene - washing hands, etc, especially after using the bathroom or changing diapers.  The virus is passed through direct contact with the infectious virus - nasal secretions, throat/cough secretions, dirty diapers, the fluid that can come out of the blisters, etc. - or touching surfaces that have been contaminated with the virus (such as if you handled something after wiping your child's nose or dabbing their blisters)  Also avoid close contact such as kissing, hugging, sharing of utensils/food/drink, etc. for several weeks after your symptoms go away to help avoid passing the virus along.

Treatment is mainly treatment of symptoms - over the counter meds for reducing fever and pain and a numbing type spray for the throat and mouth.  Be sure and increase your fluid intake as much as possible to avoid dehydration.

I hope you both feel better real soon!