Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease - Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention

Hand, Foot and Mouth disease (HFMD) is a mild and brief illness, more common among younger children less than 10 years. This disease has no connection with animals. This is an infectious disease that spreads through coughing and sneezing. It can also be passed on if one comes in contact with the fluid in blisters. Such outbreaks could occur in schools.  It manifests as an infection resulting in high fever initially.

Signs would include typical rash, sore throat and small spots inside the mouth. Spots in the form of small lumps may appear on the lips and around the mouth as well causing mouth ulcer. They may also appear on the skin, hand, feet and buttocks. This should not be mistaken for chickenpox.

HFMD may last up to a week or 10 days. One needs to wait until the illness goes away on its own as there is no treatment to kill the virus. Medication on doctor’s advice could be given to bring the temperature caused by fever down and ease the symptoms to make the patient feel comfortable as ulcers could be painful and sore throat can make children and even adults feel miserable.

Prevention and treatment:

• Keep the environment cool. Wear minimal clothing while at home. It is not advisable to cold-sponge a child who has fever.
• Consume lots of fluids to avoid dehydration. Have ice-cream. If the child is still being breastfed, then breast-feed the child more as that is the best medicine for an infant.
• Avoid salty and spicy food and keep away from acidic and citrus fruits.
• Mouthwash with warm salty water only if your child is old enough to spit it out and not swallow it.
• Maintain good hygiene such as washing hands after going to the toilet.
• Always keep your mouth and nose covered while coughing or sneezing. Use disposable tissues instead of a handkerchief.
• Adults must wash their hands thoroughly with soap after handling nappies and tissues of children.
• Use the hot cycle in the washing machine to wash soiled clothes and towels.
• Avoid sharing cups and utensils with others as they could pass on the infection.
• The rash on hands and feet may peel once the disease subsides; do not scratch or pinch the blisters as the fluid is infectious.
• It is better not to send your child to school when they are suffering from HFMD
• Apply coconut oil on rashes and blisters for faster recovery.

Even adults are prone to HFMD without any symptoms, which may not be severe most of the time. Conditions usually improve over time without any treatment as it is self-healing. Always consult a doctor for medical advice to relieve pain. Good hand hygiene can prevent the disease to a large extent. Generally, a person is more contagious during the first week of illness with hand, foot, and mouth disease. Most people may be contagious even after symptoms go away for a few days or weeks. It is highly recommended to always maintain good hygiene in order to minimise the chance of spreading the virus and getting infected.

Dr. Mohit Singhal
MBBS, MD, (Paediatrics), DNB
Consultant Neonatology and Paediatrics
Apollo Cradle, Brookefield
Bengaluru