How to tell of HFM or chicken pox?

[december2020]

DS has got the classic HFM symptoms of the spots on his hands, feet and nappy area and the blisters in his mouth.

No fever or loss of appetite before or now.

It looks like the rash is spreading and nursery wanted him to get checked out and make sure it wasn't chickenpox.

I called the GP to ask if someone could take a look and confirm if it's HFM or chickenpox, who said they don't do that and it's not in their remit and advised us to get him checked out by a pharmacist.

Pharmacist said she thinks it's HFM.
So we're going with their advice.

But are there any clear obvious symptoms that tell the two apart? They seem so similar based on all the online health resources.

Are there any spots on his torso area? Chicken pox isn't usually on palms of hand/soles of feet and would be on the torso

None yet, it just had spread so quickly this morning that I wasn't sure if would progress to his torso as well. .

At the moment it's inside the mouth, hands, feet, groin and knees.

Sounds like typical HFM then

You're probably absolutely right!

The online resources definitely threw me off with their wording like "usually appears" and "isn't always but can be".

So I was wondering if my thick self was missing something obvious here.

I agree with @dementedpixie, it sounds more like HFM. Chicken pox, if I remember correctly, tends to start on the torso and doesn't affect the hands or feet.

I think HFM is more of a blotchy red rash. In chicken pox you get individual spots that turn into fluid filled blisters (lovely!) after a few days, and the itching is unreal.

We had this and our GP did see us. She looked for spots on the scalp as only chicken pox crosses the hairline. She said she was leaning HFM but that if it was chicken pox she'd be covered all over in spots within 24 hours. If the spots stayed put (mainly just hands and face if I remember correctly) then HFM.

Yes as others have said - chickenpox will start on the trunk area and spread outwards.
Sounds like HFM. We (including myself) had it in october - it was awful. Hope it passes quickly x

Thank you all!!

He's found the ones around the groin a bit itchy but otherwise the rest has been ok.

We had a full body inspection this evening before bed and it hasn't spread yet to his torso or anywhere else.

I'll do it again tomorrow morning before he gets dressed and hopefully if it hasn't spread still, then it's definitely HFM.

You've all been so helpful!

My DD had HFM and it was more like red bumps under the skin on her feet & hands. I don't actually remember her getting them near the mouth but anyway DH at the time caught it from her.

She had chicken pox a couple of years later and they were like little blisters on the skin.