Knowledge Builders

how can you tell the difference between chickenpox and hand foot and mouth

by Elisa Herzog Jr. Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
image

The causing virus: Hand foot and mouth is caused by a coxsackie virus and chicken pox is a herpes virus. The blisters in hfm are football shaped and in chicken pox there more small, red and itchy. 5.6k views Reviewed >2 years ago

With hand, foot and mouth disease, you tend to get blisters on your hands and feet, and blisters or ulcers in your mouth. With chickenpox, you'll usually get spots all over your body, face, scalp, arms and legs. The spots gradually progress to blisters – and then eventually crust over.

Full Answer

What is the best treatment for chickenpox?

What’s the Treatment for Chickenpox?

  • Use Acetaminophen (Tylenol) for Pain and Fever. If you or your child has a high fever or achiness caused by chickenpox, reach for the Tylenol. ...
  • Don’t Scratch That Itch. Yes, it’s tempting. ...
  • Keep Your Cool. Heat and sweat make you itch more. ...
  • Stay Hydrated. Drink lots of fluids to help your body rid itself of the virus faster. ...
  • Prescription Medications. ...

What is the best lotion for chickenpox?

  • Avoid scratching as much as possible.
  • Wear oven mitts or mittens to prevent damage to the skin from scratching.
  • Dab or pat a soothing lotion onto the blisters. A lotion with cocoa butter and aloe vera is ideal.
  • Dab or pat an anti-itch cream, like calamine lotion, directly onto the blisters.
  • Take a cool oatmeal bath.
  • Try an antihistamine like Benadryl.

Can I Catch Chicken Pox from person with shingles?

You can get chickenpox from someone who has shingles if you have never had chickenpox or never received the chickenpox vaccine. Shingles is caused by varicella zoster virus (VZV), the same virus that causes chickenpox. After a person recovers from chickenpox, the virus stays dormant (inactive) in their body.

Does chicken pox make you sick?

You can also get chickenpox if you touch the saliva of a person who has chickenpox. The virus enters the body by the nose or mouth and can make you sick, too. It can also be spread to you through the air if you are near someone with chickenpox who is coughing or sneezing.

image

Can Hand Foot mouth be mistaken for chickenpox?

Hand, foot and mouth disease is sometimes mistaken for other illnesses, such as chickenpox, insect bites or herpes. The telltale symptoms are: Painless, red rash on the palms of hands, soles of feet and, occasionally, the diaper area; appears flat or as small bumps or blisters.

What does chicken pox in the mouth look like?

Chickenpox sores in your mouth, however, don't look like the chickenpox blisters on your body. These sores look like raised bumps that last about a day. They then transform into ulcers that are shallow and yellow or gray in color. They also don't crust over.

What does chicken pox look like on hand?

At first, the rash looks like pinkish dots that quickly develop a small blister on top (a blister is a bump on your skin that fills up with fluid). After about 24 to 48 hours, the fluid in the blisters gets cloudy and the blisters begin to crust over. Chickenpox blisters show up in waves.

How do you rule out hand foot and mouth?

How is hand, foot and mouth disease diagnosed? Your doctor can diagnose the illness by looking at the blisters. Occasionally, a doctor tests for the virus by sending throat swab samples, or samples taken from blisters or stool, to a lab.

What can be mistaken for chickenpox?

Vesiculopapular diseases that mimic chickenpox include disseminated herpes simplex virus infection, and enterovirus disease. Dermatomal vesicular disease can be caused by herpes simplex virus and can be recurrent.

What do chicken pox look like when they first come out?

The spots are red or pink. Some appear to be raised in the centre and are beginning to form a blister, while other spots appear flat. This image shows light brown skin with stage 1 chickenpox spots.

What are the 3 stages of chickenpox?

New bumps continue to appear for several days, so you may have all three stages of the rash — bumps, blisters and scabbed lesions — at the same time. You can spread the virus to other people for up to 48 hours before the rash appears, and the virus remains contagious until all broken blisters have crusted over.

Where do chickenpox spots first appear?

The rash may first show up on the chest, back, and face, and then spread over the entire body, including inside the mouth, eyelids, or genital area. It usually takes about one week for all of the blisters to become scabs. Other typical symptoms that may begin to appear one to two days before rash include: fever.

What rash looks like chickenpox but isn t?

Shingles (herpes zoster) is a painful rash caused by the varicella-zoster virus — the same virus that causes chickenpox.

What is the quarantine period for hand-foot-and-mouth?

Most often, this takes 2 to 3 days. Children with widespread blisters may need to stay home until the blisters dry up. That takes about 7 days.

Should I go to work if my child has hand-foot-and-mouth?

Avoid close contact. Keep children with hand-foot-and-mouth disease out of their child care setting or school until fever is gone and mouth sores have healed. If you have the illness, stay home from work.

Do you need to go to doctor for hand-foot-and-mouth?

When to see a doctor. Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is usually a minor illness. It typically only causes fever and mild symptoms for a few days. Call your health care provider if your child is younger than six months, has a weakened immune system, or has mouth sores or a sore throat that makes it painful to drink fluids.

What does hand foot and mouth look like?

What does hand, food and mouth disease look like? The rash manifests as tiny red bumps or blisters on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, fingers and toes. In the mouth, the rash appears as painful sores or ulcers mainly clustered in the back of the throat.

What are the 3 stages of chickenpox?

New bumps continue to appear for several days, so you may have all three stages of the rash — bumps, blisters and scabbed lesions — at the same time. You can spread the virus to other people for up to 48 hours before the rash appears, and the virus remains contagious until all broken blisters have crusted over.

Can chickenpox affect the throat?

What are the symptoms? The first symptoms of chickenpox usually develop about 14 to 16 days after contact with a person infected with the virus. Most people feel sick and have a fever, a decreased appetite, a headache, a cough, and a sore throat.

Can you get internal chicken pox?

Sometimes chickenpox can be more severe, with internal organs like the lungs and liver affected. An individual can only ever have one episode of chickenpox in their lifetime; once they've recovered, they have life-long immunity.

What is the Difference Between Chickenpox and Hand Foot and Mouth Disease?

Moreover, the incubation period of chickenpox is 14-21 days, while the incubation period of hand foot and mouth disease is 10 days. In chickenpox, lesions appear mostly in the trunk, but in hand foot mouth disease, they appear on palmoplantar surfaces of the hands and feet, with associated mouth lesions that ulcerate rapidly. This is another important difference between chickenpox and hand foot and mouth disease.

What is Chickenpox?

Varicella zoster, which belongs to the herpes virus family, is responsible for this disease. It is a DNA virus and has the ability to cause latent infections. The disease transmission is by respiratory droplets and direct contact with the lesions. It is highly infectious and more severe in adults, pregnant women, and immune-compromised people. Immunity following the disease is lifelong.

How long does it take for a rash to appear on the palmoplantar surface of the hands and feet?

It mostly affects children and rarely adults. Following an incubation period of 10 days, mild illness of fever and lymphadenopathy occur. After 2-3 days, a vesicular rash appears on palmoplantar surfaces of the hands and feet with associated mouth lesions that ulcerate rapidly.

Where are the lesions on the hands and feet?

In chickenpox, lesions appear mostly in the trunk, but in hand foot mouth disease, they appear on palmoplantar surfaces of the hands and feet, with associated mouth lesions that ulcerate rapidly. This is another important difference between chickenpox and hand foot and mouth disease. Although chickenpox needs to be treated with acyclovir, ...

What is the most common complication of a punctured pock?

The pocks are more superficial, and the vesicles collapse on puncture. Figure 1: Varicella-zoster Virus. Furthermore, the lesions are itchy, and scratching can lead to secondary bacterial infection, which is the most common complication.

Is chickenpox self limiting?

Although chickenpox needs to be treated with acyclovir, hand foot mouth disease is self-limiting. Moreover, an effective vaccine is available against chickenpox, but there is no need for vaccines in hand foot mouth disease. Finally, chickenpox is highly infectious, but hand foot mouth disease is moderately infectious.

What is the difference between chickenpox and coxsackie?

The varicella-zoster virus (VZV) causes chickenpox, while the Coxsackievirus typically causes HFMD. Symptoms and signs of chickenpox and hand, foot, and mouth disease that are similar include rashes that often form blisters, feeling unwell (malaise), and fever. A difference is the chickenpox rash starts on the torso and spreads outward over ...

What are the complications of chickenpox?

Complications of chickenpox also include skin infection, pneumonia, neurologic problems, and Reye's syndrome if a child takes aspirin to treat the symptoms. A complication of HFMD also includes viral meningitis.

What is the name of the disease that causes blisters on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet?

Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease. Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a viral illness that is common in children. Symptoms and signs include fever and a blister-like rash on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet and blisters in the mouth. Treatment focuses on alleviating the symptoms of the infection.

Can chickenpox be treated?

There are no medical treatments that can cure chickenpox or hand, foot, and mouth disease. In healthy children, these infections typically go away on their own without treatment.

What is the difference between hand, foot, mouth disease and chickenpox?

The rash is also different, being vesicles with fluid and very itchy . Hand foot mouth is caused most commonly by the coxsackie a virus. It also causes mouth sores and rash, but it is seldomly itchy and it is seen more in palms and soles.

What is the cause of hand foot and mouth?

The causing virus: Hand foot and mouth is caused by a coxsackie virus and chicken pox is a herpes virus. The blisters in hfm are football shaped and in chicken pox there more small, red and itchy.

What to do if I have hand foot and mouth disease and I need help!?

See your doctor.: Disease usually goes away on its own. If you need help you can see a doctor. He will help with any bothersome symptoms .

What is the name of the disease that causes blisters in the mouth?

A viral infection: Hand-foot-mouth disease is a viral infection that causes fever, blister -like spots in the mouth, and/or a skin rash. Hand-foot-mouth disease is not the foot-and-mouth (or hoof-and-mouth) disease of cattle, sheep, and pigs. The two diseases are not related. They are caused by different viruses. Humans do not get the animal disease, and animals do not get the human disease.

Can you get HFMD from a dog?

Hand Foot and mouth: Hand-foot-and-mouth disease ( hfmd) is most commonly caused by coxsackievirus a16, a member of the enterovirus family. The disease is not spread from pets, but it can be spread by person to person. You may catch it if you come into direct contact with nose and throat discharges, saliva, fluid from blisters, or the stools of an infected person. You are most contagious the first week you have the d.

Does Coxsackie go away on its own?

Coxsackie virus: Its a virus that can cause blisters in the mouth, on hands and feet. Will go away on its own. Might cause a high temp as well.

Can foot and mouth be contagious?

Yes: Hand, foot and mouth disease is very contagious and can spread easily by direct contact. Wash your hands frequently and avoid direct contact until the bumps begin to resolve.

How long does it take for Zak to clear his mouth?

There is no treatment for hand foot and mouth, but it clears within a week. Zak couldt eat much as rash was inside his mouth, so we had him on baby rice and pureed fruit, and ice cream with pureed fruit in it as well. In answer to. Darina P (2)

Do you have to cover chickenpox spots?

With mild chickenpox, they don't NEED to be covered in the spots. But I wouldn't think a mild case of it would make LO have a raging temp. I have no experience with hand, foot and mouth. I'd go back to the doctor today, probably. Or call for advice.

What is the name of the disease that causes blisters on the hands and feet?

First, consider the Coxsackievirus. Although its name may not be immediately familiar, you've probably heard of the condition it causes. Hand, foot, and mouth disease is an infection caused by the Coxsackievirus, as explained by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH). Most commonly affecting children under the age of 10, hand, foot, and mouth disease is often characterized by the blister-like rash it causes to appear on the skin, as further explained by the NYSDOH. The rash associated with Coxsackievirus tends to appear on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, and inside the mouth, according to Medicine Net.

What does it mean when your hands are itchy?

In general, all-over itchy marks may point toward chickenpox, whereas a painful rash limited to the hands, feet, and mouth could be Coxsackievirus. That said, it's a great idea to visit your pediatrician immediately if your kid is experiencing any rash and other illness symptoms.

Why is my chicken rash red?

Caused by the varicella-zoster virus, chickenpox is a contagious infection that produces a red rash all over the skin, as noted in WebMD. The chickenpox rash is notoriously itchy, red, and blistered in appearance, according to Medicine Net. Once you've encountered this nasty rash, it's something you'll never forget.

How long does it take for a coxsackie to go away?

Although the symptoms and rash may alarm parents, the coxsackievirus infection is generally not problematic and often resolves within about a week, as noted in the Mayo Clinic.

Does chickenpox get worse with age?

Basically, chickenpox gets worse with age. If you have to get a case of it, then it's better to deal with when you're young. Because both of these viral infections can result in skin rashes, fatigue, and general feelings of illness, it's difficult to tell the difference between chickenpox and Coxsackievirus by sight alone.

Is it scary to have a kid with chickenpox?

Any time your kid gets sick can be scary, especially when red skin rashes are involved. So knowing how to tell the subtle differences between coxsackievirus and chickenpox is important info for all parents. They are different viral infections that have similar looking symptoms, which can get super confusing and concerning.

image

1.Chickenpox vs. Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease

Url:https://www.emedicinehealth.com/chickenpox_vs_hand_foot_and_mouth_disease/article_em.htm

1 hours ago Both diseases are characterized by the symptoms and signs of rash formation, malaise and fever; however, the chickenpox rash starts on the body’s torso and spreads over the next 7 to 10 days outward towards the head, arms, and legs but the HFMD rash develops mainly in the …

2.Symptoms and Signs of Chickenpox vs. Hand, Foot, and …

Url:https://www.emedicinehealth.com/chickenpox_vs_hand_foot_and_mouth_disease/symptom.htm

34 hours ago  · Symptoms and signs of chickenpox and hand, foot, and mouth disease that are similar include: rashes that often form blisters, feeling unwell (malaise), and ; fever. A …

3.Difference Between Chickenpox and Hand Foot and …

Url:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ntdlr_EBub0

12 hours ago  · The causing virus: Hand foot and mouth is caused by a coxsackie virus and chicken pox is a herpes virus. The blisters in hfm are football shaped and in chicken pox …

4.What is the difference between hand, foot, mouth …

Url:https://www.healthtap.com/questions/246316-what-is-the-difference-between-hand-foot-mouth-disease-and-chickenpox/

26 hours ago “Even before the rashes appear, the child can pass on the infection and may have already done so. Hence, we are seeing a huge number of cases. The present virus that we are seeing does …

5.Don’t mistake hand, foot and mouth disease for chicken pox

Url:https://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai/don-t-mistake-hand-foot-and-mouth-disease-for-chicken-pox/story-CaEviE2q1W1C0CniJpCs9M.html

33 hours ago Difference between chickenpox and hand foot and mouth can be identified from the lesions.hand, foot and mouth dise. The key difference between chickenpox and hand foot …

6.chickenpox or hand foot and mouth? - Netmums

Url:https://www.netmums.com/coffeehouse/drop-clinic-984/baby-child-health-989/673369-chickenpox-hand-foot-mouth.html

34 hours ago  · 14/11/2011 at 8:01 am. With mild chickenpox, they don't NEED to be covered in the spots. But I wouldn't think a mild case of it would make LO have a raging temp. I have no …

7.How to tell hand, foot and mouth disease apart from …

Url:https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/hand-foot-and-mouth-disease-kids-parents-monkeypox-194115001.html

34 hours ago  · The classic sign is the development of mouth sores, most commonly on the tongue and on the inside lining of the cheek. These start out as small, flat red spots which …

8.The Differences Between Coxsackievirus & Chickenpox, …

Url:https://www.romper.com/p/the-differences-between-coxsackievirus-chickenpox-to-get-your-kid-proper-care-9872034

7 hours ago  · In general, all-over itchy marks may point toward chickenpox, whereas a painful rash limited to the hands, feet, and mouth could be Coxsackievirus.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9