Sick kids!

I have sick kids.
I think it never ends!

Now, my son has a sinus infection. I didn't know toddlers could get those!

Meanwhile, my baby has Herpangina.
I feel so bad for her!
She started running a high fever on Friday night.
It continued through Saturday.
I took her to urgent care and the doctor diagnosed her.
He said it's very common in the Summer!
Now, she's coughing and slowly getting over it.

Here's some more information from Dr. Greene's website.

Herpangina
Related concepts:
Mouth blisters
Introduction:
A mouth filled with painful blisters…This common infection can make kids miserable for the better part of a week.

What is it?
Herpangina is the name of a painful mouth infection, usually with a fever. Even though the name sounds like herpes, almost all of the many viruses that cause it are coxsackieviruses or other enteroviruses—not herpesvirus.

Who gets it?
Herpangina is most common among young children but can occur at any age. Once people have had a specific strain of coxsackievirus, they are generally immune, but they could become sick with one of the other strains. Most infections occur in the summer or early fall, with a peak from August to October in the northern hemisphere.

What are the symptoms?
This illness starts abruptly, usually with a fever. Often the fever is high (103–104°F). Occasionally, children lose their sparkle (and appetite) a few hours before the fever begins. The mouth sores usually begin at the same time as the fever or shortly afterward. Children average about five blisters in the mouth. These blisters are surrounded by red rings and can occur in the back of the throat, on the roof of the mouth, on the tonsils, on the uvula, inside the cheeks, or on the tongue. The blisters may start as small red bumps and may go on to become ulcers after the blister stage. The illness usually lasts 3 to 6 days.

Almost all children with herpangina have a decreased appetite. Other symptoms might include headache, backache, runny nose, drooling, vomiting, or diarrhea. Children first become ill 4 to 6 days after being exposed.

How is it diagnosed?
Usually the diagnosis is made based on the history and physical exam. Because the syndrome is so specific, the diagnosis can be quite clear. Herpangina should be distinguished from other causes of mouth and throat infections, including strep throat and adenovirus. Season of the year, exposures in the community, incubation period, and specific symptoms can all be important clues. Lab tests are available for the coxsackieviruses and other enteroviruses, but they are not usually necessary.

How is it treated?
Antibiotics do not help with herpangina. The important issues are getting children plenty of fluids, relieving their pain, and treating their other symptoms as appropriate.

How can it be prevented?
Coxsackieviruses and other enteroviruses are present both in the stool and in the respiratory secretions. They can spread by fecal–oral transmission, droplet transmission, contact transmission, and by means of fomites. school or daycare for the first several days of the illness, but it is not clear this prevents others from becoming infected. Other children in the class are probably contagious even though they will never develop symptoms.

Related A-to-Z Information:
Contact Transmission, Coxsackievirus, Droplet Transmission, Enteroviruses, Fecal-Oral Transmission, Fomites, Human Herpesvirus Alan Greene MD FAAP

Destry Jetton
Host, Arizona Midday
Weekdays 1:00pm on Channel 12