A friend of mine is expecting her third baby very soon and she just discovered that one of her little ones has hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD). Knowing that I have been learning about herbs for the last several years, she asked what pregnancy safe and natural things she could do to help her son get better and help reduce the risk of her or the baby contracting it. Curious about what I’ve found?
What is Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease?
No, it’s not related to the animal disease called “Hoof and Mouth”. It is a virus (most often Coxsackie A) and it’s almost never dangerous. It is, however, highly contagious and very unpleasant. Incubation is three to seven days and is followed by mild fever, sore throat and can include appetite loss and diarrhea. A day or two later, little blisters form in the mouth and a rash develops, usually on the hands and feet, but it can be other places. The rash can be sore, but is not itchy.
Symptoms last one to two weeks, but some sources say that an infected person can still spread the virus for a few weeks after they are recovered. There is no medical treatment and since this is a virus, please don’t ask your doctor for antibiotics. They won’t help and they will damage your immune system. Since a person is most contagious during the incubation period (before you even know they are sick!), it is important to treat the entire family. I don’t recommend trying to reduce the fever, since the fever is part of the immune system’s natural response to kill the virus.
Image of a little boy with Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease
Natural Remedies
One of the things I love about herbs is that there are often many options for treating problems and each herb often has many uses! Hand, foot and mouth disease is a virus, so antiviral herbs are what we want. Since hand, foot and mouth disease almost always affects children, we need herbs that taste good!
Antiviral Teas
These can be warm or cold, depending on what is more soothing for your little one’s sore mouth.
- Lemon Balm: This is sooo delicious! Dried lemon balm has a subtle lemony flavor that isn’t too strong for little ones (not fresh, though! It tastes like grass!). Brew a little and add a bit of raw honey once it’s cooled some. (Don’t use honey for babies under one year.) Buy it here.
- Peppermint: We grow chocolate mint in our herb garden and I think it makes a tea so sweet that you don’t even need honey! Don’t make this too strong, though, or most young children won’t drink it. Buy it here.
- Elderberry: Too much can cause diarrhea, but a few cups a day is delicious and wonderful for fighting viruses. Buy it here.
- Rooibos Tea: This red tea from Africa is naturally sweet and so good that I drink it often, just because I like it! It is antiviral and pairs well with the elderberry tea. Buy it here.
Antiviral Broth
Your kiddos might not have much of an appetite, so broth/stock is a good option for nutrition. Use either chicken or beef broth/stock and add the ingredients below. When reheating broth, use the stove top, not the microwave!
- Garlic: Don’t you just love garlic?! It’s antiviral, antibacterial and it tastes so good! Crush or mash the garlic and let it sit in a bowl for 15 minutes before adding it to the broth. This allows air to activate the best healing properties.
- Thyme: Fresh or dried, thyme is excellent for any virus. Toss some in toward the end of the cooking time. Buy it here.
- Sage: Along with being antiviral, sage helps to reduce inflammation, heal the sores in the mouth and sooth the upset tummy that sometimes comes with HFMD. DO NOT add sage to your own broth if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Buy it here.
- Rosemary: It is antiviral and also antibacterial, which helps to prevent secondary infections in the sores.
Soothing Antiviral Oil
Virgin coconut oil is antiviral, too! It is naturally solid at room temperature, so it can be used as a salve, or you can even put a scoop in the bathtub as a bath oil! For an extra boost, infuse it with some lemon balm and calendula. Apply as often as desired.
Natural Antiviral Hand Soap
To help prevent the virus from spreading, use a liquid hand soap and add 2 or 3 drops of tea tree oil to each bottle. If your kiddos don’t wash their hands well, you might want to temporarily use an all-natural foaming hand soap and tell them to wash their hands twice every time they use the bathroom. My four-year-old thinks the foaming soap is tons of fun, so she does a much better job than with bar or liquid soap. 😉
Antiviral Surface and Air Cleaners
Plain ol’ white vinegar with several drops of tea tree oil will do a fantastic job of killing the virus on surfaces (toilets, doorknobs, light switches, etc.) and the vinegar smell goes away once it’s dry. Adding tea tree oil to a diffuser or in a pot of steaming (not boiling!) water will help kill germs and it’s good for the people who are already sick.
If one of your little ones brings home hand, foot and mouth disease, starting your entire family on these safe antiviral herbs may help to keep the rest of you from catching it and help your kiddos recover more quickly!
Have any of your children had hand, foot and mouth disease? Did you use any natural remedies for comfort or to prevent spreading it?
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Our younger 3 had it last Fall. We didn’t realize what it was until our youngest one had it. They appeared to be fever blisters and that is what we had assumed. So my older ones didn’t get anything, however the peppermint tea, lemon, or garlic wouldn’t even be possible. I had a hard time just getting them to drink water because the blisters in the mouth. I think that clove oil would have been much more effective and probably would of killed it rather fast.
I just did some epsom salt baths with tea tree oil and lavender, not at the same time. I would alternate them. This was enough for them to stay calm and kill the virus. My kids only had it for about 3-5 days total. The doc told us that usually once you get one strain of the virus you have immunity and don’t usually get the same strain more than once.
[…] […]
GRR!!! I wish I had seen this a week ago! My little guy is just getting over HFM, still has a bit of a rash but it doesn’t seem to be bothering him. Mom on the other hand is getting a little stir-crazy since we haven’t been to the park or to play with friends in a week! I am just starting to learn about natural remedies so we did end up using the Dr recommended Mylanta/Benadryl mix a few times for the mouth sores. My guy wouldn’t nurse or put anything that wasn’t frozen in his mouth for the first two days so I would definetly recommend pulling out some “fun” frozen snacks- in our case frozen blueberries and homeade popsicles!
Welcome to our Christmas….My daughter contracted HFMD from my niece, my son contracted ROTO virus from church the nursery had an outbreak, then my son had congectivitis as well that spread to my daughter, then Christmas morning I woke up to the bleary-eyed gunky gross pink eye myself. A few days later my sister actually got HFMD from my daughter blowing rasberries at her Christmas Eve when we thought she was not contagious anymore…UGHH!! We like to refer to that as the 6 plagues of Christmas 2011…
I actually did the diffuse Tea Tree in a vaporizer set on a timer to go off every 15 min and it lasted about 5 min, my daughter I gave choco-mint, I grow the herb too, I did the x-tra virgin coconut oil as a salve. The worst was the blisters on her tongue and throat, nothing seemed to sooth it except the healing broth.. I infused chicken stock w/lemongrass, parsely, rosemary, sage and garlic, that seemed to be all that soothed her.
Thankfully HFMD only affected my daughter and my younger sister, my son had enough with ROTO virus and Pink eye…he gets pink about every 2 months, his tear ducts just don’t drain well so we will be having his tear duct lanced, I tried to put it off but he just had pink last week and after I got pink on Christmas day I know how painful and irritating it can be, I don’t want to put it off any longer. I did make a eye drops from an infusion of eyebright and distilled water, to help soothe the eye, but the poor lil’ guy’s eyes just don’t drain well and all that bacteria sits in his eyes…GR8 post! I would have like to tried some of those remedies a few months ago…
[…] favorite article {that I found on Pinterest} & resource for most of these recommendations is Natural Remedies for Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease by Justyn at Modern Alternative Mama […]
[…] https://modernalternativemama.com/blog/2012/03/31/natural-remedies-for-hand-foot-and-mouth-disease/ […]
Glad to see there are some natural remedies to try… I am an adult with my SECOND case of HFMD and I am in so much pain, I can barely swallow soup. I have no sores on my hands of feet this time, just all on my throat. I am praying that my 18 month old doesn’t get it (though I probably picked it up from her daycare). I still breastfeed once a day, so maybe she is safe and protected.
Just curious if anyone knows, but can Apple Cider Vinegar or White Vinegar help to kill the virus’ ability to spread? Does it kill the existing virus?
My daughter just had hfm and so lovingly shared it with her mommy lol I used the coconut oil on her dashes/blisters and they cleared up completely in 4 days. mine on the other hand, I’ve had for 3 days and show no sign of letting up….
Thank you so much for writing this blog post! My daughter just came down with this from traveling to Korea and this was a lifesaver! The coconut oil worked like a charm! I also used the herbs you suggested in a rice and broth soup and after not wanting to eat anything she gobbled it up! Thanks again! 🙂
Thank you ladies. My two kids got it, and I was devastated, but I went right away and got all those things. and that night gave a bath for my two kids in baking soda water plus I added tea tree oil, and next morning all those soars dried up that were blisters. And the little one slept all night long did not wake up. Also for breakfast we had roubos tea, plus I did take that suggestion and used vinegar plus few drops of tea tree oil and wiped the tables, door knobs, and everything I saw kids would touch. Thank you!
Thanks for the post .You are giving such a wonderful information regarding Natural Remedies.And help people to prevent the virus. I m studied many more article regarding natural remedies but your blogs is best one.you are giving the best knowledge about herbs.
I’m so glad to read theses suggestions. My 15 mo. old daughter is just about over a very mild case of herpangina (similar to hfmd), but not I’ve got it, and what I have is definitely more severe. I’ve got a least 2 dozen sores in my mouth, from the back of my throat to just inside my lip. I will be begging my mother to hit the store for me tomorrow (I’ve been so lethargic and out of it that I haven’t tried driving)! Thanks
Thank you so much for your post. I am in Seattle at the moment about to board a plane for home (Kentucky).
We are visiting relatives, and in the last couple of days my 5.5 year old son started showing signs of HFMD.
We didn’t know it at the time. Headache. Sore throat. Fever and malaise. And now the worst symptoms for him
are the tiny red spots on his feet. They are soooo painful for him and it breaks my heart.
When he first developed the initial symptoms we didn’t think overly much of it. Headache – ok allergies. Sore throat – ok part of the allergies. Fever and malaise – ? wasn’t sure, but he began to feel better and the fever went down. BUT the itchy red spots – the worst pain. During the first – major episode we put anti-itch (herbal) cream on, bc at that point there was only one red spot and we thought it was a bug bite. He eventually got distracted bc we were headed to the beach for a few hours. The second episode with many red spots – Nothing helped. The first thing I suggested though was rubbing garlic on the bottom of his feet. It seemed to help, if not distract him. I started doing more research as my husband was rubbing the garlic on his feet. We are at a relatives house, so herb-stuff is limited to regular household items. THEN, I remembered I had Young Living Hand Sanitizer, which has Clove Oil in it. So I rubbed that on his feet, which helped. My husband is on his way to the grocery now (at 11:30pm – we have to leave for Sea-Tac at 3am!) Anyway, he is going to pick up some coconut oil (of which I have at my own home, but not here). I hope this helps soothe his feet, for our cross country trip. The only other thing I thought to do was to cut up garlic and put in his socks at night to sleep. The garlic will then soak up through his skin. As soon as I get home though I am going to use Theives Essential Oil on the bottom of his feet, by Young Living Essential Oils. I have faith in that powerful blend of oils! Next time I shall not travel without it!!
Again thank you so much for having this post!! Saving us and my son a bunch of pain and discomfort.
http://www.youngliving.com/thieves-essential-oil/Thieves-Oil
I was so glad to find this website, both my boys came down with it over the weekend my youngest son joshua doesnt seem to be to affected by my older son ezekiel has the sores in his mouth there is very little i can get him to drink he will drink the tea when he goes down for a nap and i have the elder berry in it. i tried making the broth i only had minced garlic and i didnt have sage im not sure if i didnt do it right but when he drank it he kept saying ow, im not sure if it really did or if he’s just used to saying it now.. any other suggestions for the mouth sores???
actually, i have a big pimple type something on my center finger, it is getting big… it is paining too much. in the bigning it was not so big and its color was adjust with my skin. but now it is become big and its color is yellow.. what should i do plz tell me… i hope you have understood… sorry, my english is not so good
Hi!:)
I found your info on natural remedies for HFMD and am so thankful! My 2 year old has somehow come in contact with it and is just breaking out with the sores all over her mouth, hands, feet and bottom. By any chance do you know if colloidal silver is something that would also help? I can get it locally at a natural pharmacy and was hoping it would lessen the redness and beginning healing the sores…some of them are breaking open and she sucks her fingers to soothe to sleep and I think that is increasing the disease around her mouth area. I would so appreciate any help! Thank you!!
Charity
My 11 month old has seem to come down with a mild case of this from daycare…..From what she’s let me see, I don’t think there are any in her mouth, but a few on her face around the mouth, hands, and a few on the feet. They don’t seem to bother her terribly, but I don’t want them getting worse. I noticed you said calendula salve would help with the healing but all I can find at our Walgreens is Kiss My Face: Honey Calendula Ultra Moisturizer…… Will this do the same or do I need an actual salve? Young one are also supposed to stay away from honey for a while due to possible allergies…..is there something else you’d recommend that I could find at a Walgreens or CVS? Thanks!!!
Actually, the rash can be itchy. Very itchy. My boys just got over this and their feet itched like crazy. I have read a lot about this illness and it seems about half the websites will tell you that it does not itch, but the other half acknowledge that it does. I’m not sure why there is such a discrepancy, but I just thought I’d throw that out there.
My 14 and 16 year old daughters brought this home from camp last week. They both had hfmd when they were young, but it was mostly contained to the severely painful mouth/throat blisters. This has been so much worse. First daughter had blisters on face and nose, feet, hands, and mouth and throat. She started healing after about five days. Second daughter has 15-25 in mouth, throat., nose, feet, knees, elbows, hands, and recently on her labia. She is in horrible pain and no pain relievers really seem to help. It is painful to urinate, sit, and walk. I’m going to have her soak and an oatmeal bath and add some coconut oil. I have tea tree balm and coconut oil, as well as some campanula salve. Any thoughts on what might ease her pain in her private parts? She is on fifth day. Poor thing!
My 2 1/2 year old just woke up with a nasty case of HFMD this morning. He’s had it before and we just waited it out and he mostly jut ate frozen blue berries, peas, and waffles. This time I’m freaking out because I just had a baby 11 days ago. I’m praying she doesn’t catch it! I’m trying to keep them as seprate as possible but I’m pretty much by myself all day cause my husband is at work. My 2 yr old just wants me to snuggle him to make him feel better and my 11 day old wants to nurse every hour. I know that the time when he’s most contagious was for the past few days when he wasn’t showing any signs which worries me even more because he’s very affectionet towards me and his baby sister. Is there anything j can do to prevent the baby from getting it?
My 14 month old daughter I think has it! I noticed the rash on her bottom to start with. and then last night she had a fever of 103. she wasn’t eating and was miserable. overnight her fever went down but today I noticed more and more blisters. on her mouth, few on her feet and one on her hand. and then the fever came back! I know she is teething (getting her molars ) so at first I thought the fever was from that. but I am pretty convinced otherwise now. I am willing to try some of these ideas. thank you for posting! I am pregnant and I am hoping I don’t get it. and that I can help my little girl too!!
So thankful I just found this article and your entire blog! My 26 month old daughter broke out with HFMD blisters today. I feel terrible for her. Brewing tea and making broth as soon as I publish this comment! Again, THANK YOU!
I am soooooooo glad I google searched natural remedies for HFMD!! My son was diagnosed today w/ HFMD & the doc wrote a scrip for a mouthwash of some sort. I’m leery of stuff like pharmaceuticals so I needed to find something less toxic. My son is just turned 2 and he only has sores in his mouth. I will do the tea or broth. Thank you so much! 🙂
My 3 year old boy was recovering from a cold and ear infections and was on an antibiotic this past week. I took him to the doctor yesterday because he had a fever and was complaining his mouth hurt and pointing to the back of his throat. The doctor said he has a sinus infection, ear infections, and possible strep. He didn’t eat much yesterday and today we could barely get him to eat a thing. He just holds his mouth and cries. I have been Lysoling my house for the past few days/week he has been sick. I just called the doctor again this evening because he has tiny sores on the sides of his feet and his fingers. I wondered if it was Hand, Foot, and Mouth because it is going around like wildfire in our school system and I am a teacher. His babysitter’s kids were treated this week for strep so we at first thought that’s what he had. He has eczema and it was very severe on his bottom this week starting Thursday, when his fever started. I am hoping we are on the end of the virus and that he will start to recoup soon. I have a 7 1/2 month old that I am concerned is coming down with it. She has had a fever the past couple of days. I am still nursing, so I am hoping that she can avoid it. My husband is undergoing chemotherapy for Hodgkins Lymphoma so I have been cleaning like crazy in order to prevent him from getting it. What do I need to clean? I gave the toys a bleach bath, scrubbed door knobs, light switches, washed sheets, pillows, banister for the stairs, tv remotes, cell phones, iPad, etc. Do I need to worry about re-infection or anything? I am so worried my little one will get it, too. I am afraid she will end up in the hospital if she refuses to eat or drink like her brother is. I know it’s a lot of ranting, but suggestions for cleaning??? Help!
My DH (dear husband) came down with a terrible fever, headache, malaise and then mouth blisters. I work in a daycare 2 of my 3 kids have been sick with one virus or another. But… I thought he had strep. So after spending over $215 this month (not to mention loss of work time) I just thought he had strep and started giving him anti-biotics, I just happened to have on hand from a previous bout with what turned out to be a virus. This was all pre-mouth blisters, I might add. Now its fully apparent that he must have HFMD, bc the mouth blisters and rash that is starting on the back of his hands and palms of hands and bottoms of feet.
I already had him doing the “magic mouthwash”, and oil pulling with organic virgin coconut oil. Also have had him taking ganoderma spores, an excellent detox herb and collodial silver. Has anyone else used these to fight HFMD?
[…] for it. When a friend of mine asked for some natural ideas, I hunted through all my herbal books and got some ideas compiled. In this post you’ll also find the link to my easy and crazy-popular recipe for a salve, […]
Thank you for posting this! My lil guy is suffering with this right now and I was at a loss on how to best help him. Grateful mama here.
I need help please. I’m 16 and I’ve had HFMD since Tuesday. (It’s Friday the day Im posting this.)This is the worst it has been and I’m far from a crier when it comes to pain and I’ve been crying because the pain is too harsh. I don’t know what to do!.
Can you use the coconut oil mixed in with tea or milk to soothe/treat the sores? Are those teas safe for an almost two year old? And, what part of the store do you usually find tea tree and lavender oil?
I don’t think anyone mentioned this, but I use a homeopathic called Borax. (DO NOT USE REAL BORAX!!!POISON!!) They are made from a company called Boiron, and found in just about any health store. Little blue vials. Tip upside down, turn the lid 4 or 5 times to disperse tiny “sugar” pellets (kids LOVE them and they disintegrate). Do not touch them but put directly in mouth. I usually do 6 doses the first and second day then 3 doses as they improve. IF this is started immediately, you are looking at 2-3 days like my nephew vs. 2 weeks like the other kids in his daycare. If you start it well into the blisters it still helps the healing time. Also homeopathic Virus drops work GREAT!!! Virus Combination by Deseret Biologicals is by far the best for this. Hope this helps.
Hi there, I’ve had HFMD for about 3 weeks now( Im 29), Everyone at home got it but it only lasted for 1 to 2 weeks, I wasn’t the worst my sister had it even on her face. I only have it on my hands and its driving me crazy, what do you think will be my best option for this. I just found new little blisters yesterday, Im not getting any better. HELP!!!
Thank you, thank you! I am on day 4 of this painful journey and was so thankful to have found your blog. There is not much out there for support and my doctor didn’t have much advice. The coconut oil mixed with tea tree oil is wonderful, both on the lips and the hands. My poor lips look like a botox treatment gone bad. Ice chips were wonderful one night when nothing else could soothe the inside of my mouth. Everything you suggested has helped me make it through this with the knowledge that there is an end in sight. One other thing I did was wear gloves around the house, esp while cooking for my family. I hope it has helped, I would hate for one of them to go through this! Thanks again!!!
My son got Hand Foot and Mouth disease last year when he was about 1 1/2. Unfortunately this could have been my fault 🙁 I am a Nutritional Therapist, and I use energy work with whole food supplements to treat my clients. About a week prior to my son breaking out, I had a whole family come in (mom and 6 kids) who had an outbreak. I must have brought it home to him! Anyways, I used Hyland’s brand Arnica to treat him and he cleared up within a matter of days. He also has a little friend he would play with, she also started to break out shortly after him. At the first sign we started treating her with the Arnica, and it stopped it immediatly! 🙂
Thanks for posting this. Our youngest two were sick with viruses and then both got a ‘rash’ on their faces around the mouth. I *think* it could be HFAM, and if it is then we’ve got a mild dose of it. Nothing on the hands or feet. Only my boy got any sores on his mouth. I appreciate all the comments. I decided to do a little research when I noticed the spots on both their faces.
Thanks so much for these amazing tips!! My 3 year old has 2 dots on his lips. And turns out his friend that came over a week ago now has full blown HFAM. So – my question is – is there anything I can do to stop HFAM progressing in my son?? I’m willing to try anything
side not – I have a broken foot ( basically bedrest) and am a single mom so totally not ideal that my son becomes ill!
Appreciate your response. Thank you!
Thanks for this. It’s going around here and my son woke up from his nap with a fever and says his neck hurts (pointing to his throat) so I think we got it. Nursing my 6 month old and praying he is spared, and just told my 5 year old she has to wash her hands really good ALL the time. 🙂 Also doing the tea’s and broth. My hubby is headed out of town tomorrow for a week long conference and I was really hoping we could spend the week at the pool but looks like we’ll be finding something else to occupy our time. I’m going to run to the store tonight for a few items and hope I can find lemon balm oil somewhere. Thanks again!
My daughter just got this virus 2 days ago. What I used for the last 2 days was Arnica baths. It’s the best home remedy out there. It’s the second time I have used this herbal remedy and it dried my babys white bumps on her hand and feet in just 2 baths.It prevented the spreading of these white hurtful bumps. I was worried they would get worse but thanks to this herb Arnica it saved my baby a lot of pain. She did get sores inside her mouth but I would also get a cotton ball and clean her sores with Arnica. I recommend this over anything else. Stoped the bumps from multiplying and dried them in nst 2 uses. Works wonders.
I wouldn’t recommend garlic for this, I realize garlic is great, but I am having trouble swallowing plain tea, anything salty or the slightest bit spicy is a killer. The blisters in my mouth have burst in a couple of areas and any food contact is miserable.
I also want to add that my hands and feet are itchy where the blisters are starting to form. Once they form fully the itching stops, but since I have literally hundreds of tiny blisters on my hands and feet the itching is pretty constant. I am LOSING MY MIND HERE over the itching and being housebound.
Thank you for sharing this! I am a mother of a two year old boy and I am worried he might get HFMD. His playmate has HFMD and I am just worried he’ll have it too. I am now aware of the symptoms to look out for and the things to do to cure it, thanks to you and your blog 🙂
Glad I found these posts. My 15 month old is just greeting over HFAM I suspect he got it from kids at swimming lessons as he doesn’t attend daycare or anything. I started bathing him in Himalayan salt as my massage therapist suggested. Anyway I myself have been unwell for 2 weeks & have been very stressed & run down. I finished 2 courses of anti biopics & was well for one day then I started getting headaches & aching all over by night time I was chilled to the bone. Spent a night in hospital on fluids, meningitis was ruled out but was told I was severely dehydrated & had tonsillitis. Spent another full day in bed with my throat getting worse. The following day tiny blisters appear all over the palms of my hands & my feet are so sore I can hardly walk & also discover blisters in my mouth so I am putting it down to HFAM. Think my body is trying to tell me something. I am still breast feeding my 15 mo boy. He is well & truly on the mend. Tomorrow we are going to try salt therapy as my massage therapist has had a lot of children through there & had great success. I had no idea how painful & uncomfortable HFAM was, I now know & can now understand why my poor little man was so unsettled & off his food & was drinking booby properly. He has never been sick before & HFAM really brought him unstuck. Thanks for some of the tips shared on this blog.
Don’t bathe with your child! My little 15 mo girl was diagnosed with it and her throat was hurting. I thought I’d bathe with her and I the next day I got it on my hands. Then, I chalked it up to being w/her 24/7 and so took another bath. Now I’m showing signs/feeling symptoms on my feet. I’m worried about the pain b/c my hands are feel like pins and needles, are sometimes itchy, painful and feel swollen. I won’t even be able to floss tonight. Yeeouch! Now heat hurts my hands so cold water hand washes for me! Hopefully, the arnica and coconut oil will ease our HMF symptoms. Good luck to you too!
Honorable/Dishonorable mention: I had a scab fall off from a small fall I had and it was basically healed when I caught HFM. However, due to bath time, I think it penetrated the healed skin (that was still in the process of fully healing) and gave me 2 blisters underneath. Itchy and painful. Thought I’d mention it. However, I just tried the tea tree oil/coconut oil a few hours ago and I can use my hands again! Itchy w/more spots on day 3 but at least I can peel a clove of garlic now. I also took my first dose of Arnica and have switched to a no grain/dairy diet to see if this expedites HFM clearing up for me and baby. Wish us luck and Good luck to you too!
Your article says that the rash is not itchy which is not correct. My 3 kids had HFMD last fall and my 4 year old has it again this fall and both times extremely itchy feet. Hands weren’t so bad. Mouth sores were extremely painful. The feet though were extremely itchy.
Hi Justyn.
I seem to have caught this from my kids, all three of them had it and they seem to have gotten better after 2 days. I got it, right after recovering from strep throat about 4 days ago. Symtoms in throat are surprisingly similar so I thought the strep came back even though I am still on antibiotics. (Yes, they sent a culture to confirm it was strep). The hand and foot blisters only started yesterday, but are minimal.
After searching for treatments, and only finding references to kids and tylenol/advil (which 4 days later only took the edge off the pain, but didn’t really work so well) as well as a special mouthwash the dr gave me to numb the mouth (which also barely does much), I decided to look for natural treatments and found your blog. Most items I don’t have, so I decided to try what I do have, peppermint tea and ground cloves. I took about half a teaspoon of ground cloves and put it into the tea, which I’m drinking now for the first time. Within minutes of drinking/gargling, the discomfort in my mouth is ALMOST COMPLETELY GONE! Very impressive considering doctors couldn’t even begin to suggest anything.
G-d willing, the hands won’t become a problem and will get better soon (although there are a few annoying blisters that have gotten bigger), but at least I have a quick fix for my throat now.
Thank you!
has any one tried rooibos tea my son is 9 months and i want something natural
I will be praying for all of you!! My grandson got HFM last week, we were scheduled to go see family for Thanksgiving but had to cancel everything because of fear of contagious effect on all the children we would be gathering with. My heart goes out to all of you with children and parents. We did not get it yet! But I will tell you after a week, our grandson is a lot better but feet still has dead skin on feet. He brought Purell to school
and uses it before snack, lunch and anytime food goes in his mouth. Horrible disease!
Prayers are for healing. God bless you all. Happy Thanksgiving! First time in 40 years
that we are not spending Thanksgiving with our families! There is light at the end of the rainbow, just takes time and alot of prayer!
[…] different people responded right away by telling me to take the advice in this post from Modern Alternative Mama., which is where I got the majority of the remedies in this post. I have had a lot of success with […]
[…] Modern Alternative Mama: Natural Remedies for Hand, Foot & Mouth […]
Hi,
I am mother of a two year old daughter and I am really worry about my daughter. She is very active and naughty too. She had 1-2 injuries every week. Your home remedies is really useful in my case.
[…] eating well and sleeping well will give your body the tools it needs to fight it. And you can try these suggestions from Modern Alternative Mama as well. Since it is generally a children’s disease, I also […]
Great to know, good thinking on the broth. I’m growing elderberry here in Florida, however the tree hasn’t produced anything yet, so I guess I’ll have to order mine 🙁
I didn’t realized Rooibos is an antiviral.
The other thing is the fever, my daughters got up to 104.5 last night, we dipped her into the tub, which helped, but calcium is good. Apple cider vinegar on the feet is good, allegedly.
In any case, thank you for the nice post.
Great information! However I ended up getting Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease as an adult and I can say it is VERY itchy. That is how I cam across this, I am looking for remedies. It is 6AM and I have yet to be to sleep because of the discomfort. The fact that it isn’t itchy is a misconception
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I can’t use vinegar. The smell makes me very ill and the cat was peeing every place I used it ( rescue cat) but I found that you can use vodka, yep cheap stuff was great, spray it around, dunk stuff in it and wash stuff with it. I was using other harsher stuff after the vinegar wasn’t doing it for us. I would use vinegar first always a winner with cleaning.
PLEASE HELP!!! My 8 month old is completely miserable. He is inconsolable at the moment and we r trying to comfort him as much as we possibly can. We got his fever down after it being 104 for 2 days straight. He is taking Tylenol and Motrin around the clock. Will barely drink and will not eat, has blisters all over him, and a rash on his entire body. This is day three day abd we have gone to the doctors twice and the ER once. We have been giving him the magic mouthwash (antacids and benadryl). But we r desperate for help to soothe him. Its almost impossible to get him to sleep and Stay asleep, and he is EXHAUSTED!!! I can not take hearing my baby cry for these long periods. (30 or more minutes) Please someone help recommend a home remedy that will be safe for his age (almost 8 months).
– Ana, one desperate frightened worried young new mother
Sorry to hear about your baby Ana! We just read your post. Not sure if it’s too late, but what works is a cold towel to sooth large infected parts with bad itching. Might make the baby cry louder at first, but will help in the long run. We have a 6 year old who just had a breakout of this. However, our oldest (now 11) had this as an infant. For itchy spots, try putting ice on the itchy part to soothe/numb the pain. That has been working for us.
All due respect…
Both my sons got HFMD…and then **I** got it.
Itching ulcers…YES!!!
They are like HOT glass shards/porcupine prickers dipped in itching powder, lemon juice, and rubbing alcohol that CONSTANTLY itch!!!
Of the places I got them on my face, feet, buttocks, and hands…the hands are THE WORSE!!!
Had to clear that up. I keep seeing that they don’t itch and that is a sad, sad wish at this point on day 4!
Hello! My children got hand foot and mouth from school. I used the coconut oil on their spots on their hands and feet and the next morning they were lighter red and less itchy. I’m making the broth now. Thank you for posting these! They’ve been a life saver!
I think I have HFM, but the information on adults with HFM is very little, so I don’t know if it really is HFM. My children had HFM a few months ago and got over it really fast. Last week I was around my nieces who had it and a few days later I got a really bad sore throat and a bad sore in my mouth. I didn’t think it was anything then 2 days later I woke up extremely itchy. My entire body itches, but my hands and feet are the things that itch the most. And they get severely itchy when I am close to heat or if I get warm. Which makes cooking or even going outside with my kids very painful. I have to keep my house cold and wear light clothes, I also have to sleep with ice packs on my feet so they don’t itch all night and keep me awake.
I haven’t had any blisters until yesterday ( day 4 of the itching ) I found 2 blisters on my feet. I have some blister like sores on my face, my scalp, knee, hips and buttocks.
I’m just wondering if anyone else has felt completely itchy all over? Or if this is just something else that just so happens to be somewhat like HFM. I’m trying to not go insane over here.
My 2yo son picked HFM up last week, had a fever, a few bumps here and there, and was over it. Then -I- got it. Bad. No fever or mouth ulcers, but bumps everywhere. Then I woke up to my hands covered in a rash of blisters, making it hard to do anything from the pain. Today more blisters are appearing on the other side of my hands, and my feet. This is supposed to last a WEEK? Ugh I can hardly function. 🙁
My husband is suffering from this on his hands and feet – anyone know if an Epsom Salt bath might work?
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I’m so grateful to have come across this site. My husband was diagnosed with Hand foot & mouth on Saturday after being told he had a sinus infection by one dr and the flu by a second on Friday. Now it’s Sunday night and he is in such excruciating pain on his hands I’m desperate to find something to help. We’ve tried a paste of cornstarch and water- which didn’t help. Now he’s rubbed his hands with coconut oil. It’s helping a little, but not enough for him to be able to rest. This is the only site that even says HF&M can cause pain. I hope that the little ones don’t feel like he does when they get it! If anyone has any other suggestions, I’d love to hear them! Or even if someone can tell me how long these painful blisters last.
Thanks!!
My kids came down with this, then I got it. We all started out with a fever and sore throat, but then symptoms of rash and blisters varied–my 6yo daughter was up all night with itchy feet before we realized it was HFMD, and oatmeal baths seemed to help the second night.
I have had it the worst. I type this at 4am because my hands are covered in itchy painful blisters and NONE of these remedies have done anything in the 8 hours since I took them. I was asleep and the itch WOKE ME UP. Can I remove my hands and buy another pair?
Seriously, I remain skeptical that any of the remedies posted here do much except quickly part me from my money.
But to be specific and objective, I have tried:
1) hydrocortizone
2) benadryll cream
3) coconut oil w/ tea tree oil salve
4) elderberry juice (drank a dose)
5) lemon balm tea (drank)
6) oatmeal/baking soda/tea tree oil bath
I have now tried soaking my hands in ice water for about 20 mins, and they’ve calmed down enough that I’ll probably be able to get back to sleep.
These treatments may have marginal benefit to boost immune function, but thus far, have not proven effective in treating the itchy rash AT ALL. I’ll check back and give another report.
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My daughters caught HFMD from day care. I want to make a tea type mixture of Sage, Rosemary, Tumeric, Coconut, Thyme, Raw Honey, Garlic and Local Bee Pollen. Would this be a safe mixture?
My 9 year old has no fever, no sores in his mouth, no sore throat but terrible blistery type bumps all over his hands. Some on the soles of his feet but this is day 3 on his hands and it is UNBEARABLE! It flames up and he can hardly bear it! I am beside myself and don’t know how to help him. He’s carried an icepack for three days straight and sleeps with it even. Is it even HFMD? The blisters don’t look pop-able yet, they are so deep but they are large and cover most of his hands. They have now moved between his fingers. He cannot squeeze anything because his hands are so swollen. Could this be anything else?
Thanks for the research and for posting some options for everyone! Out of four kids and MANY illnesses, this one by FAR is the plays the dirtiest! My 15 month old daughter who has the personality and Disposition of a ball of sunshine as spent the last 24 hours crying and clinging to me like a baby orangutan! She can’t sleep or really eat and her fevers have been high enough at points where I had to put her in a tepid bath to bring it down… You advised not giving any fever reducers. I know exactly what and why you made that suggestion but someone who stumbles here and reads that may get the wrong idea that’s it’s okay to skip fever reducers even when your child (or anyone for that matter) has a temp greater then 101.1. 101.1 is what I was taught in school to be the cutoff for a healthy fever. Anything higher and our brains are literally cooking. Has this ideology changed? Anyway, great Job and thanks for sharing this, for what is the worst childhood illness I’ve dealt with so far. Even the name is horrid!!!
I just found out I got herpes 1 on my lip and I began to have two blisters underneath my bottom lip then I began to have a fever and my throat hurt which I read are some of the symptoms I went to the doctor after five days and she prescribed some medication for me but there was know way out the symptoms was just getting worst each an every day and I have read that the virus will forever stay in my body, i have search a way out to get rid of this herpes and spend a lot in hospital. i wanted to visit my aunt in Canada because of this virus i was ashamed to visit, so i have to open up for her about the herpes i was surprised to hear that she was affected years back when she was still in USA but at the end she was able to it it out and she was free from herpes.i was happy to share my problem with her because problem share is problem solve, she gave me an email of a man called DR PETER who was able to help me flush out the herpes virus from my body system totally, ever since then i never had any symptom or cold sore because of the HERBAL NATIVE MEDICINE he prepared and was send across to the address i gave him. you can contact him if you have any problem Email: peterherpescurehome@gmail.com
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I’m not sure why your post says that the sores aren’t itchy, because even though I had a very mild case of HFMD, my sores were extremely itchy on the 2nd day. My daughter however had a lot more sores/rash & didn’t seem itchy at all. Yogurt along with oils really helped the itch & Epsom salt baths!
Just FYI that HFMD DOES itch….it itches like hell!!
Can take a bath a 1 yr old baby with foot and mouth disease..?