Hand, foot and mouth disease is a common infection that causes mouth ulcers and spots on the hands and feet. Show
It's most common in young children – particularly those under 10 – but can affect older children and adults as well. Hand, foot and mouth disease can be unpleasant, but it will usually clear up by itself within 7 to 10 days. You can normally look after yourself or your child at home. The infection is not related to foot and mouth disease, which affects cattle, sheep and pigs. Symptoms of hand, foot and mouth diseaseThe symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease usually develop between 3 and 5 days after being exposed to the infection. The first symptoms may include:
Mouth ulcersAfter 1 or 2 days, red spots appear on the tongue and inside the mouth. These quickly develop into larger yellow-grey mouth ulcers with red edges. The ulcers can be painful and make eating, drinking and swallowing difficult. They should pass within a week. Spotty rash and blistersSoon after the mouth ulcers appear, you'll probably notice a rash made up of small, raised red spots on the skin. These typically develop on the fingers, the backs or palms of the hand, the soles of the feet, and occasionally on the buttocks and groin. The spots may then turn into small blisters with a grey centre. The spots and blisters can sometimes be itchy or uncomfortable and typically last up to 10 days. What to do if you or your child has hand, foot and mouth diseaseIf you have hand, foot and mouth disease, the best thing to do is to stay at home until you're feeling better. There's no cure for it, so you have to let it run its course. Hand, foot and mouth disease is a common childhood illness that can also affect adults. It usually gets better on its own in 7 to 10 days. Check if it's hand, foot and mouth diseaseThe first signs of hand, foot and mouth disease can be:
After a few days mouth ulcers and a rash will appear. Credit: Hercules Robinson / Alamy Stock Photo https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-vesicle-on-tongue-of-child-with-coxsackie-a16-virus-infection-hand-12876583.html?pv=1&stamp=2&imageid=E0442865-9287-42AE-A268-26DB0F32DA91&p=18517&n=0&orientation=0&pn=1&searchtype=0&IsFromSearch=1&srch=foo%3dbar%26st%3d0%26pn%3d1%26ps%3d100%26sortby%3d2%26resultview%3dsortbyPopular%26npgs%3d0%26qt%3dhand%2520foot%2520and%2520mouth%26qt_raw%3dhand%2520foot%2520and%2520mouth%26lic%3d3%26mr%3d0%26pr%3d0%26ot%3d0%26creative%3d%26ag%3d0%26hc%3d0%26pc%3d%26blackwhite%3d%26cutout%3d%26tbar%3d1%26et%3d0x000000000000000000000%26vp%3d0%26loc%3d0%26imgt%3d0%26dtfr%3d%26dtto%3d%26size%3d0xFF%26archive%3d1%26groupid%3d%26pseudoid%3d%26a%3d%26cdid%3d%26cdsrt%3d%26name%3d%26qn%3d%26apalib%3d%26apalic%3d%26lightbox%3d%26gname%3d%26gtype%3d%26xstx%3d0%26simid%3d%26saveQry%3d%26editorial%3d1%26nu%3d%26t%3d%26edoptin%3d%26customgeoip%3d%26cap%3d1%26cbstore%3d1%26vd%3d0%26lb%3d%26fi%3d2%26edrf%3d0%26ispremium%3d1%26flip%3d0%26pl%3d Credit: sinsy / Alamy Stock Photo https://www.alamy.com/allergic-rash-skin-of-babys-right-foot-hand-foot-and-mouth-disease-image333897813.html Credit: Scott Camazine / Alamy Stock Photo https://www.alamy.com/ulcer-in-hand-foot-and-mouth-disease-in-a-4-year-old-boy-image3361429.html?pv=1&stamp=2&imageid=8B2A7E44-B651-433D-957E-AF02E3FF727C&p=9949&n=0&orientation=0&pn=1&searchtype=0&IsFromSearch=1&srch=foo%3dbar%26st%3d0%26pn%3d1%26ps%3d100%26sortby%3d2%26resultview%3dsortbyPopular%26npgs%3d0%26qt%3dhand%2520foot%2520and%2520mouth%26qt_raw%3dhand%2520foot%2520and%2520mouth%26lic%3d3%26mr%3d0%26pr%3d0%26ot%3d0%26creative%3d%26ag%3d0%26hc%3d0%26pc%3d%26blackwhite%3d%26cutout%3d%26tbar%3d1%26et%3d0x000000000000000000000%26vp%3d0%26loc%3d0%26imgt%3d0%26dtfr%3d%26dtto%3d%26size%3d0xFF%26archive%3d1%26groupid%3d%26pseudoid%3d%26a%3d%26cdid%3d%26cdsrt%3d%26name%3d%26qn%3d%26apalib%3d%26apalic%3d%26lightbox%3d%26gname%3d%26gtype%3d%26xstx%3d0%26simid%3d%26saveQry%3d%26editorial%3d1%26nu%3d%26t%3d%26edoptin%3d%26customgeoip%3d%26cap%3d1%26cbstore%3d1%26vd%3d0%26lb%3d%26fi%3d2%26edrf%3d0%26ispremium%3d1%26flip%3d0%26pl%3d The symptoms are usually the same in adults and children, but they can be worse in babies and children under 5. It's possible to get hand, foot and mouth disease more than once. If you're not sure your child has hand, foot and mouth diseaseLook at other childhood rashes. Information: Hand, foot and mouth disease has nothing to do with foot and mouth disease that affects farm animals. How to treat hand, foot and mouth disease yourselfYou cannot take antibiotics or medicines to cure hand, foot and mouth disease. It usually gets better on its own in 7 to 10 days. To help the symptoms:
A pharmacist can help with hand, foot and mouth diseaseSpeak to a pharmacist for advice about treatments, such as mouth ulcer gels, sprays and mouthwashes, to relieve pain. They can tell you which ones are suitable for children. Find a pharmacy Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:
Hand, foot and mouth disease can be spread to other people. Check with your GP surgery before going. They may suggest a phone consultation. How to stop hand, foot and mouth disease spreadingHand, foot and mouth disease is easily passed on to other people. It's spread in coughs, sneezes, poo and the fluid in the blisters. You can start spreading it from a few days before you have any symptoms, but you're most likely to spread it to others in the first 5 days after symptoms start. To reduce the risk of spreading hand, foot and mouth disease:
Staying off school or nurseryKeep your child off school or nursery while they're feeling unwell. But as soon as they're feeling better, they can go back to school or nursery. There's no need to wait until all the blisters have healed. Keeping your child away from other children for longer is unlikely to stop the illness spreading. Hand, foot and mouth disease in pregnancyAlthough there's usually no risk to the pregnancy or baby, it's best to avoid close contact with anyone who has hand, foot and mouth disease. This is because:
Speak to a GP or your midwife if you have been in contact with someone with hand, foot and mouth disease. Can handIs it more dangerous in adults? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , HFMD is generally not serious in adults or children. The CDC notes that most people recover from HFMD in 7–10 days without medical treatment. However, children under the age of 2 years may stay sick longer.
How long does handSymptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease include fever, painful blister-like sores in the mouth, and a rash that may appear as blisters. It is usually a mild disease, and nearly all infected people recover in 7 to 10 days.
How is handMost people with hand, foot, and mouth disease get better on their own in 7 to 10 days. There is no specific medical treatment for hand, foot, and mouth disease.
Is foot mouth and hand disease contagious to adults?Your child is most contagious during the first week of having hand-foot-and-mouth disease. But the virus can remain in the body for weeks after the symptoms go away. That means your child still can infect others. Some people, especially adults, can pass the virus without showing any symptoms of the disease.
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