Hand, Foot, Mouth Disease

As per the HSE website Hand, foot and mouth disease (or HFMD) is a common childhood illness that can also affect adults. Most adults are immune. It is highly contagious. It usually clears up by itself in 7 to 10 days.

Hand, foot and mouth disease is not the same as foot and mouth disease. Foot and mouth disease affects farm animals such as cattle, sheep and pigs.

You cannot catch hand, foot and mouth disease from animals.

There's an incubation period of 3-5 days.

Most of the time you can treat your child at home.

The first symptoms can be:

a sore throat
a high temperature (fever), above 38 degrees Celsius
not wanting to take milk feeds or eat

After a few days, mouth ulcers and a rash around hands, feet and mouth will appear. The mouth ulcers can be painful and make eating or drinking difficult and unpleasant.
Red spots, which develop into blisters, usually appear on the hands and feet. The spots can look pink, red, or darker than surrounding skin, depending on your skin tone. The blisters are grey in the centre and can be painful.

What else can be done?

rest
drink fluids often to prevent dehydration – avoid acidic drinks such as fruit juice
eat soft foods like soup, mashed potatoes and vegetables, smoothies and ice cream
avoid hot or spicy foods
avoid acidic fruits like tomatoes and citrus fruits
rinse your mouth with warm, salty water and spit it out. Only give this to your child if they are old enough to spit it out

You cannot take antibiotics or medicines to cure hand, foot and mouth disease.

Suitable homeopathic remedies for HMFD:

Merc Sol:
is the #1 homeopathic remedy to help with the symptoms.

Eruptions will be large and easily infected.

Child very sensitive to temperature changes.

Very sore aphthae in mouth, with red edges.

Worse at nighttime.

Sweating during sleep

Offensive (sweetish) breath

Increased saliva with great thirst

Pulsatilla:

Child needs a lot of attention and comfort, “velcro child”

Itching is worse from warmth

Better in fresh air

Not thirsty, even when very warm, or feverish

Borax:

Best for managing sores in the mouth

Mucous membrane in mouth is red

Bleeding may happen before and after eating

Rhus Tox:

Intense itching - worse scratching and better for heat.

Physical and mental restlessness.

Skin sensitive to cold air, it’s dry, hot and burning

Check out how often to take the remedy and how to take the remedy.

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Tree of Life Homeopathy