Before looking at the best hand foot and mouth disease treatment, let’s look at what it is. I guess the name gives it away, as it’s a rash that occurs mainly on the hands, feet and in and around the mouth. It also occurs on the knees, elbows, buttocks and throat.
In reality, it’s a mild disease, a virus, that is normally limited to about two weeks or less. However, the discomfort especially, from the throat, can make people seek treatment. Swallowing can be painful. There can be fever. Digestion can be compromised with nausea and vomiting.
It’s an infectious viral disease and is most common in preschool children, although adults can get it, too. Summer and autumn are often when the main outbreaks occur, or year round in the tropics.
Despite the name, there is no connection with the foot and mouth disease found in farm animals. Its official name is coxsackievirus.
Symptoms start usually with a fever, then comes the sore throat and malaise, often with a poor appetite. The rash can become like blisters. Because it’s a mild disease, it’s rare to need treatment. However if the throat is so sore as to prevent drinking, especially in a young child, then help may be needed. Dehydration is the area that needs to be carefully watched. Adults can cope with a day or two of limited liquid intake, but small children can’t so easily.
Childhood diseases help a child develop a strong immune system. It is common for a child to have a growth spurt after recovery. This can be physical, emotional or both. So it’s best to leave it alone rather than to suppress the symptoms.
This means that the only important hand foot and mouth disease treatment, in most cases, is to deal with the sore throat.
Since this is a virus, antibiotic treatment is a waste of time. Steroidal treatment is far too draconian to contemplate in a mild disease such as this, unless severe complications have set in, which is rare.
Good homeopathic treatment can help deal with a sore throat. The treatment doesn’t suppress the symptoms. If it is not helpful, neither is it harmful.
There are no specific homeopathic remedies for a sore throat. It depends entirely on the symptoms of the individual. This may be hard to elicit in a young child. They wouldn’t be able to tell you the characteristics or modalities of the pain. But you can observe what they are naturally doing to alleviate the pain. And the times of the day when it is at its worst.
For example, lying down may make the pain worse. It could be more painful at night or in the afternoon. The pain may extend to the ear, indicated by the child reaching for the ear.
The sore throat may accompany other symptoms. For example, scanty urine (before the onset of the lack of drinking). There may be swollen glands. Speaking may be difficult. Bath time may aggravate the pain.
The child may be more clingy during this time, or more irritable.
These symptoms are easier for a professional homeopath to prescribe on than a novice home prescriber. But any observations on your part will go a long way to help getting the right remedy.
So don’t consider hand foot and mouth disease treatment for this mild virus. Sit it out, but keep an eye on a sore throat that impedes drinking totally, that may lead to dehydration. If the child is sipping, then you don’t need to worry. And sipping on freshly squeezed fruit and/or vegetable juice will ensure some nutrients, in an easily digestible form, are getting absorbed.
If you are worried, seek the help of a professional homeopath.