Hand, foot & mouth disease
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Symptoms
Symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease are usually mild and are the same in children and adults. They include:
- A sore throat
- A loss of appetite
- A high temperature (fever)
- Coughing
- Feeling generally unwell
After experiencing your initial symptoms, they might develop a few days later into the following:
- Mouth ulcers, which can be painful
- Raised rashes on your hands and feet. Sometimes these rashes can also be in your groin area and bottom
The rashes can look red, pink or darker than the surrounding skin. This depends on your skin tone.
The spots can turn into blisters which might be grey or lighter than the surrounding skin, and the blisters can also be painful.
You need to ask for an urgent GP appointment or speak to NHS 111 if
- Your child has hand, foot and mouth disease and they’re weeing less than they usually do, this might mean they’re becoming dehydrated
- You’re worried about yours or your child’s symptoms
- You or your child has a very high temperature
- Your child starts to have fits (seizures), feel confused, are weak or become unconscious
- Your child is under three months and they have a temperature of 38°C or above
- Your child is between three and six months old and their temperature is 39°C or above
- There’s any discharge or pus
- The skin becomes very red, swollen, hot and painful
- You’re worried about the symptoms
- You or your child can’t drink any fluids
You can call 111 or use NHS 111 online.
Causes
What causes hand, foot and mouth disease?
Hand, foot and mouth disease is caused by a virus that’s part of a group called enteroviruses. Enteroviruses are a group of viruses that cause mild infectious illnesses.
Viruses can be spread from person to person. You or your child might get hand, foot and mouth disease if you’ve had contact with an infected person’s:
- Fluid from the blisters
- Poo
- Droplets from sneezing or coughing
- Saliva
Hand, foot and mouth disease can also be spread through direct contact with unwashed hands, or a surface which has traces of the virus.
You can get hand, foot and mouth disease more than once.
Who’s at risk of getting hand, foot & mouth disease?
Young children who go to day care or school have the highest risk of getting hand, foot and mouth disease, as viruses can be easily spread in those places.
People over the age of 10 rarely get hand, foot and mouth disease. This is because children usually build up some defence to it after being exposed to enteroviruses (the group of viruses that cause it).
It’s important to know that it’s still possible for older children and adults to get hand, foot and mouth disease, especially if their immune systems are weak.
If you’re pregnant, it’s best to avoid close contact with anyone who has hand, foot and mouth disease. There’s usually no risk to the pregnancy or the baby, but if you get it shortly before birth, your baby can be born with a mild version of it.
If you’ve been in contact with someone with hand, foot and mouth disease, make sure to speak to your GP or midwife.
Treatment & prevention
There isn’t any medication you can take to cure hand, foot and mouth disease. It usually gets better on its own in 7 to 10 days.
As hand, foot and mouth disease is caused by viruses, antibiotics won’t help.
To help with your symptoms, you can try:
- Drinking cool fluids to help soothe the mouth and prevent dehydration. It’s important to avoid acidic drinks like fruit juice
- Eating soft foods like yoghurt but make sure to avoid hot, spicy and salty foods
- Taking pain relief like paracetamol or ibuprofen to help ease a sore mouth or a sore throat. If you’re giving your child pain relief, make sure it’s suitable for their age
- Resting at home
You can speak to a pharmacist about hand, foot and mouth disease. They can give you advice about what treatments are suitable for children, as well as advice on how to manage your symptoms, such as:
In some instances, you might have to speak to your GP if you have hand, foot and mouth disease. This includes:
- If yours or your child’s symptoms don’t improve after 7 to 10 days
- If you’re pregnant
As hand, foot and mouth disease is very contagious and can be easily spread, make sure to check with your GP before going in. They might suggest a phone consultation instead.
Preventing hand, foot & mouth disease
Hand, foot and mouth disease is mostly spread to others in the first five days after your symptoms start, but you can start spreading it before you have symptoms.
To help reduce the risk of getting or spreading hand, foot and mouth disease, you can:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water. Make sure to wash your children’s hands too
- Use tissues when you cough or sneeze
- Bin your used tissues as quickly as possible
- Avoid sharing towels or household items like cutlery or cups with people who are infected
- Wash any clothing or bedding that’s been soiled on a hot wash
- Stay off work or school until you’re feeling better
- Disinfect objects and surfaces often
You should keep your child at home if they’re feeling unwell. Once they feel better, they can go back to nursery or school. You don’t have to wait until all their blisters have healed.
Extending your child’s absence from nursery or school is unlikely to prevent hand, foot and mouth disease from spreading.
If you have hand, foot and mouth disease, you should stay away from work until you feel better.
Parent's guide to children's health & wellbeing
Frequently asked questions
If you have hand, foot and mouth disease, there isn’t a specific quarantine period. You should stay at home and rest until you start to feel better. You don’t have to wait until all blisters have healed.
Hand, foot and mouth disease is mostly common in children, but adults can get it too.
As hand, foot and mouth disease is very contagious, it’s important to stay at home from work while your child has symptoms. This can help with preventing the spread.
Hand, foot and mouth disease is mostly spread to others in the first five days after your symptoms start, but you can start spreading it before you have symptoms.
If your child is feeling too unwell to go to school or nursery, you can keep them off. When they feel better, they can go back to school. Keeping them isolated is unlikely to stop the disease from spreading.
Yes, you can hug your child if they have hand, foot and mouth disease, it can help to comfort them. However, it’s important to take some precautions to help to prevent the spread of the virus. We’ve covered more in the ‘Preventing hand, foot and mouth disease’ section of the page.
