How to Treat Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease

Hand, foot and mouth disease is a common minor illness. For the most part, it affects infants and small children, but adults have been known to contract the infection as well.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Treat the Fever Caused by Hand Foot and Mouth Disease

1. Use basic, over-the-counter fever reducers to control high temperatures. Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen are examples of effective fever treatments.
2. Give the patient a cool bath to bring the body temperature down. The hand, foot and mouth disease is not dangerous to a child, but a bad fever can be.
3. Make sure the patient is in a comfortable environment, not overdressed and away from extreme temperatures.

Treat the Symptoms of Hand Foot and Mouth Disease

4. Rinse the patient's mouth out with salt water to soothe the sores. Do this only if the patient is able to rinse without swallowing any of the salt water.
5. Apply soothing cream such as aloe or calendula to the rashes on the hands and feet. (Antiobiotic creams are unnecessary and should be avoided, just in case.) Keep these areas clean and the rash will disappear more quickly.
6. Keep the patient away from others as much as possible, as the disease is mildly contagious and can be contracted from bodily fluids of an infected patient.

Treat Hand Foot and Mouth Disease

7. Let the disease run its course. There is no treatment for hand, foot and mouth disease. Like the common flu, the viral infection should clear up within one week.
8. Take the patient to a doctor if the symptoms appear worse than normal or if the disease does not get better after a week. Complications are rare, but always possible.
9. Make sure the patient drinks plenty of fluids. Milk products are the best fluids in this case because they lack any acidity. Sodas and juices can cause the mouth sores to burn.
10. Keep the patient at home for the duration of the illness. Hand, foot and mouth disease is highly contagious. Treat the disease just as you would the common flu. Stay home and let it pass.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't give the patient an icy bath, as it could worsen the fever. A cool or tepid bath is recommended.
• This disease is a viral infection. It is usually caused by the coxsackievirus, although other viruses in the same family can be the culprit.
• Prevention of hand, foot and mouth disease is accomplished by keeping a clean environment. Make sure to wash your hands regularly, especially after using the restroom.
• Although this is a minor illness and does not require hospitalization, in some regions, mainly southeast Asia, hand, foot and mouth disease can be fatal during a large outbreak.
• Do not use aspirin if the child is under 12 years old. Aspirin should never be used for viral infections in children that young, as it may cause Reye's Disease.