Best thing for hand foot and mouth rash

Q: How long does the rash from hand foot and mouth last?

Its 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.

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.

Table of Contents Show

Check if it's hand, foot and mouth disease
Mouth ulcers
Spots on the hands and feet
If you're not sure your child has hand, foot and mouth disease
How to treat hand, foot and mouth disease yourself
A pharmacist can help with hand, foot and mouth disease
Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:
How to stop hand, foot and mouth disease spreading
Staying off school or nursery
Hand, foot and mouth disease in pregnancy
Can I put anything on hand foot and mouth rash?
What helps hand foot mouth go away?
How long does the rash from hand foot and mouth last?
What medicine is best for hand foot and mouth?

Check if it's hand, foot and mouth disease

The 1st signs of hand, foot and mouth disease can be:

a sore throat
a high temperature
not wanting to eat

The 2nd stage usually starts a few days later and can include:

mouth ulcers, which can be painful
a raised rash of spots on the hands and feet, and sometimes the thighs and bottom

The rash of spots can look pink, red, or darker than the surrounding skin, depending on your skin tone.

The spots can turn into blisters, which might be grey or lighter than surrounding skin and can be painful.

The symptoms are usually the same in adults and children, but can be worse in babies and children under 5.

Mouth ulcers

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

Spots on the hands and feet

Here is an image gallery with images and detailed descriptions. Select an image tab to get the bigger version of the image and to access the description.

1: Hand, foot and mouth disease spots on white skin. 1
2: Hand, foot and mouth disease spots and patches on medium brown skin. 2
3: Hand, foot and mouth disease blister on white skin. 3

Credit:

sinsy / Alamy Stock Photo https://www.alamy.com/allergic-rash-skin-of-babys-right-foot-hand-foot-and-mouth-disease-image333897813.html

Detailed image description, image 1.

This image shows hand, foot and mouth disease spots on the wrist and hand of a baby with white skin.

There are 3 round, raised spots and several smaller, flat spots.

The large spots vary in size from around 2mm to 5mm. 1 spot is near the knuckle of the index finger, the other 2 are near the wrist. The skin around each spot is pink. The centre of each large spot is light pink or similar to the baby's skin tone. The spots look like they have fluid in them.

There are patches of pink skin on the fingers and back of the hand.

Credit:

sawatdee keawbunsong: https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/children-hand-foot-mouth-disease-usually-1366937726

Detailed image description, image 2.

This image shows hand, foot and mouth disease spots on the palms of a child with medium brown skin.

The child's palms and fingers have many pink spots and patches on them. Most spots are round, but some are an uneven shape. The centre of some spots is light pink or the same colour as the surrounding skin. Other spots are dark pink or red without a lighter centre.

Some spots on the joints of the fingers look like red scratches.

The child's hands are resting in an adult's hands. The adult's legs and a blue patterned cloth are in the background.

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

Detailed image description, image 3.

This image shows a hand, foot and mouth disease blister on the little toe of a child with white skin. The skin on the top of the toe is pink. There's a raised, round, light grey blister on the centre of the toe.

Next to the blister are two very small white blisters.

There is a blue background at the bottom of the image.

If you're not sure your child has hand, foot and mouth disease

Look 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 yourself

You 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:

drink fluids to prevent dehydration and avoid acidic drinks, such as fruit juice
eat soft foods like yoghurt and avoid hot and spicy foods
take paracetamol or ibuprofen to help ease a sore mouth or throat

A pharmacist can help with hand, foot and mouth disease

Ask 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:

your symptoms or your child's symptoms do not improve after 7 to 10 days
you or your child has a very high temperature, or feels hot and shivery
you're worried about your child's symptoms
your child is dehydrated (they're not peeing as often as usual)
you're pregnant and get hand, foot and mouth disease

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 spreading

Hand, 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 get it more than once.

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:

wash your hands often with soap and water, and children's hands too
use tissues to trap germs when you cough or sneeze
bin used tissues as quickly as possible
do not share towels or household items like cups or cutlery
wash soiled bedding and clothing on a hot wash

Staying off school or nursery

Keep 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 pregnancy

Although 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:

having a high temperature during the first 3 months of pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, although this is very rare
getting hand, foot and mouth disease shortly before giving birth can mean your baby is born with a mild version of it

Speak to a GP or your midwife if you have been in contact with someone with hand, foot and mouth disease.

Can I put anything on hand foot and mouth rash?

There is no medication or antibiotic that will cure HFMD. However you can try these home remedies to help with your child's discomfort: Ibuprofen or acetaminophen to relieve discomfort. Topical ointments, such as zinc oxide or petroleum jelly, to protect and heal blisters.

What helps hand foot mouth go away?

Most 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.

How long does the rash from hand foot and mouth last?

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.

What medicine is best for hand foot and mouth?

Treatment for hand, foot and mouth disease HFMD is a mild illness that resolves within a week. There is no specific treatment and usually none is required. Use paracetamol (not aspirin) as directed for fever and any discomfort.