How do you treat hand, foot, and mouth disease?
Last updated September 3, 2026.
HFM is a virus with no cure - it clears on its own in 7 to 10 days. Care: cool fluids (no acidic juice - it stings the ulcers), soft foods like yoghurt, child-dosed paracetamol or ibuprofen for the sore mouth, and pharmacy mouth-ulcer gel. The two real jobs: keep fluids going (mouth pain makes kids refuse drinks, and dehydration is the main reason they need care), and contain it - HFM spreads via saliva, blister fluid, and poo, so meticulous hand-washing, no shared towels or cups, and no nursery while feverish. See a doctor for a child not drinking at all, dehydration signs (few wet nappies, no tears, dry mouth), fever past a few days, worsening, or any baby under 6 months. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, and can help you judge the sores.
What to do
- Push cool fluids: water and milk, little and often - dehydration is the real risk.
- Serve soft and bland: yoghurt, no hot, salty, spicy, or acidic food.
- Dose the pain: paracetamol or ibuprofen makes drinking possible.
- Wash hands like it is norovirus: nappies and blisters spread it.
Related questions
- When should you worry about a child's rash?
- How do you treat diaper rash?
- What helps a child's ear infection?
- Can kids get mono?