How is hand, foot, and mouth disease treated?

Written by Yao Li Qin
Pediatrics
Updated on June 25, 2025
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Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a common pediatric condition caused by an intestinal viral infection. It is a febrile rash disease and classified as an infectious disease with relatively strong infectivity. Therefore, when diagnosed with hand, foot, and mouth disease, it is important to isolate the affected child. Children who attend daycare or school should stay at home and must not go to school. Secondly, active treatment is necessary. Since hand, foot, and mouth disease is caused by a viral infection, antiviral medications should be administered to the child. If the body temperature exceeds 38.5°C, antipyretic medications such as ibuprofen suspension should be taken. At the same time, care for the mouth and skin should be maintained. The oral area is relevant because of the potential for herpetic pharyngitis, which can make swallowing painful and uncomfortable for the child, affecting their eating. Therefore, local throat relief sprays may be used. Additionally, skin care is important as the rash and occasionally blisters appear on the skin, thus skin care should be conducted to prevent infections. (The use of medications should be under the guidance of a professional doctor.)

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Written by Yao Li Qin
Pediatrics
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Symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is caused by an intestinal virus infection. It primarily manifests as a disseminated rash of maculopapules or vesicular papules on the hands, feet, mouth, and buttocks. The main symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease start with a fever in children, accompanied by a sore throat, reluctance to eat, and some children may have mild cough and runny nose. During a physical examination, small vesicles can be found on the oral mucosa, or they may have already ulcerated into shallow ulcers. Subsequently, rashes appear on the hands and feet, starting as maculopapules and slowly transforming into vesicular papules, about 3 to 7mm in size, with a firm base. The skin of the vesicle is slightly thicker, surrounded by erythema, and the rash is mostly located at the extremities. Sometimes, it can extend to the arms, legs, buttocks, and perineum, showing a centrifugal distribution. The number of rashes is relatively small, typically ranging from a few to several dozen. Most of them resolve on their own in 2 to 3 days without scaling, scarring, or pigmentation. Vesicles or ulcers in the mouth mostly heal within a week. Most cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease have a short duration and mild condition, with generally good prognosis.

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Written by Yao Li Qin
Pediatrics
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Causes of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a rash illness characterized by scattered papules and vesicles on the hands, feet, mouth, and buttocks, caused by an enterovirus infection. It is a contagious disease caused by a viral infection, specifically by Coxsackievirus A16 and Enterovirus 71, which are part of the enterovirus group. Other Coxsackie enteroviruses can also cause hand, foot, and mouth disease. Common enterovirus infections can also lead to hand, foot, and mouth disease. This means that children who have had hand, foot, and mouth disease can potentially get it again, and this is important knowledge for everyone to understand.

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Written by Li Jiao Yan
Neonatology
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Initial symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a contagious disease caused by viral infection, which is common in infants and toddlers, especially those under the age of three. The main symptoms include fever, accompanied by maculopapular rashes or vesicles on the hands, feet, mouth, and buttocks. Some initial symptoms are similar to having a cough, runny nose, headache, mouth pain, or sore throat. Sometimes there may be drooling; consequently, babies might drink less milk, and there can be nausea and vomiting. Additionally, some children may experience nausea and diarrhea along with other gastrointestinal symptoms. Another major sign is the presence of vesicles in the hands, feet, and mouth, or maculopapular rashes on the buttocks.

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Written by Yao Li Qin
Pediatrics
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Initial symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a common pediatric exanthematous disease caused by an enterovirus infection, primarily manifesting on the hands, feet, mouth, and buttocks with scattered vesicular and pustular rashes. The incubation period for hand, foot, and mouth disease generally ranges from three to five days. The initial stage of the illness may include fever and sore mouth, or discomfort in the throat, leading to reluctance in children to eat. Accompanying symptoms might include mild coughing, runny nose, and throat discomfort. During a physical examination, a doctor may observe scattered small vesicles in the mouth mucosa, or shallow ulcers that have already erupted. These are mainly found on the lingual and buccal mucosa, as well as the mucosa on the inner side of the lips and upper palate. Subsequently, rashes appear on the hands and feet, generally starting as maculopapular rashes that slowly turn into vesicular rashes. These rashes are distributed eccentrically and typically resolve on their own within two to three days without scaling, scarring, or pigmentation. The oral vesicles usually heal on their own within a week. Some children with milder cases may only exhibit rashes or vesicular pharyngitis.

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Written by Yao Li Qin
Pediatrics
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What should I do about hand, foot, and mouth disease?

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a common exanthematous infectious disease in children caused by enterovirus infections. Most cases are mild to moderate and can be treated at home with oral medication. Doctors generally prescribe antiviral medications, and if the child's temperature exceeds 38.5 degrees Celsius, antipyretic medications are also required. If there is discomfort in the throat, some medications can be sprayed to relieve local discomfort. For severe cases, such as those caused by EV71 virus infection, it is crucial to be vigilant. This type of infection can lead to symptoms involving the nervous system and may rapidly progress to severe conditions. Therefore, if it is confirmed that the hand, foot, and mouth disease is caused by EV71 infection and the child's condition is serious, hospitalization should be promptly sought. Additionally, for children under three years old, it's important to actively vaccinate against hand, foot, and mouth disease to prevent illness caused by EV71 virus infection.