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Hand-Fuss-Mund-Krankheit
A harmless childhood illness — unpleasant in the mouth but over after a week.
Also known as: HFMD · coxsackie
Open in the tool — with search and all the links →This compilation is for information and replaces neither medical diagnosis nor treatment. If you have symptoms, see a doctor.
Hand, foot and mouth disease is a common, usually harmless viral infection that mainly affects young children (adults rarely). Typical are small blisters and red spots on the hands, feet and in the mouth, often with mild fever and a general feeling of illness. The painful mouth blisters in particular can make children reluctant to eat and drink. The illness is contagious, spread via droplets, saliva, blister fluid and stool; it usually heals on its own within about a week without consequences. Treatment is symptomatic — above all making it easier for the child to drink. The key point to watch is adequate drinking: if a child barely drinks because of the mouth blisters and shows signs of dehydration (very little wetting, very tired, dry mouth), it should be seen by a doctor.
Cool, mild drinks and soft, non-acidic foods soothe the mouth blisters.
Proven remedies help with pain/fever; otherwise rest.
Wash hands, don’t share dishes/towels.
With poor drinking, dehydration, a very unwell child or uncertainty.
There is no drug against the virus. What counts is drinking: the blisters in the mouth hurt on swallowing, so children drink too little — cold drinks, ice cream and yoghurt go down better than warm. Painkillers are given before the meal, not after. The rash heals in seven to ten days. Nails can come loose four to eight weeks later; that is harmless and grows back.
From infection to the first signs, three to six days pass. The first week is the most infectious; the virus is then still shed in the stool for up to four weeks — so keeping the child at home longer achieves nothing once the fever is gone and the blisters have dried. Mostly children under five are affected. Nails can come loose four to eight weeks later and grow back completely.
Mostly young children; usually heals in ~1 week without consequences.
Red spots and blisters, often with mild fever.
Via saliva, blisters and stool — good hand hygiene slows it.
If the child barely drinks from mouth pain and dries out → doctor.
Fever, sweating and faster breathing clearly raise the need. Drinking enough keeps the mucus thin and the circulation steady — in children and older people it is the most important point of all.
With low levels airway infections occur somewhat more often; correcting a deficiency makes sense, a high single dose during the infection does not act on it.
Needed by the defence cells. For lozenges at the start of a cold there are hints of a slightly shortened duration; at a high dose over months zinc lowers copper.
Antibodies and defence cells are protein. After several days with little appetite it is worth at least keeping the protein up — soup with egg, quark, yoghurt, lentils.
Clearly worthwhile and well studied when deficient; fewer data for the wider uses. Fat-soluble — check blood levels at high doses.
The real danger in children is not the blisters but the drinking: the sore places in the mouth hurt on swallowing. The amount of urine is the most honest measure here — cold and soft things help more than any remedy.
Four to eight weeks later finger and toe nails can come loose. It looks alarming, does not hurt and grows back completely — the nail needs months for that.
The blisters in the mouth make drinking painful — dehydration is the most common complication in small children. Cool, mild food without acidity is accepted best; citrus and salty things sting.
Chamomile tea as a mouth rinse eases the painful blisters. In small children what counts most is that drinking happens at all — dehydration is the most common complication.