What Fifths Disease Can Mean To You

The other name for fifths disease is actually "hand, foot, and mouth disease". It sounds rather odd but is not all that unusual in children. When kids come down with this you can usually tell because they're cheeks get so pink it looks like they have been slapped. Most children will not suffer with a fever when they have this, although stomach trouble is quite common. It goes away quickly and will usually be all done in just a few days.

One thing that people need to know about fifths disease is how very contagious it is. Kids that have it are allowed to return to school, generally because they don't have any fever. It is a mistake though because it does spread around so quickly, and others can have a more serious case of it. The disease is very different for people that are suffering from anemia. It also has a whole range of other symptoms when babies catch it.

Adults don't usually have the rosy red cheeks that goes with it. They do however have serious pain in the joints that comes from it. The pain will start in one joint and then move on to another. Most people only have to deal with this awful pain for a month or so. It can though stay around for up to 6 months and that is pretty hard to deal with. Adults don't usually have to deal with the stomach issues that kids do with this but the joint pain is much worse.

The babies can have a really hard time with this disease. It easily turns into scarlet fever with infants and toddlers. The reason behind this is because the illness is strep-based. It is a virus and will need to be treated with antibiotics when it does turn into the scarlet fever. It will produce an uncomfortable high fever and almost always has a rash that goes with it. When it gets to this point, there is always isolation suggested for a few days until it passes.

Initially it does not seem that this disease is much of anything to worry about. It is important though to understand that everyone is different and the way that they deal with the issue will vary from person to person. When someone says that you don't need to worry because it is only hand, foot, and mouth disease you need to know that it could turn into something worse for you or your kids and it is better to stay away.