Have you been diagnosed with hand, foot, and mouth disease? This condition is most common among children, although adults can get it too. There are several hand foot and mouth disease home remedies you can use. Some include cod liver oil, coconut water, and apple cider vinegar (ACV). You can pick among many home/folk remedies that have been used for hundreds/thousands of years. These holistic (whole-body) remedies don’t contain strong chemicals like prescription drugs. So they’re less likely to cause unwanted side-effects. This makes them practical options to treat the disease with less risk of making a bad situation worse.
Besides treating this condition you can also take various steps to help prevent getting it. As the old saying goes, ‘Prevention is better than cure.” Washing your hands, not touching your face, and disinfecting doorknobs are some of the most basic steps you can take to prevent getting the disease. Unfortunately, nothing in life is 100%. That said, taking some basic steps can reduce the chance you’ll experience sores and rashes, which is always a plus. While there are various home remedies available it’s better to avoid needing them from the get-go whenever possible.
What Is Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease?
This is a common health condition that people of any age can get. It is a viral condition most common among young children. It can be passed on to other people, and symptoms include rashes on hands and feet and sores in the mouth.
HFMD is often caused by a particular virus. The bad news is there isn’t any specific treatment you can use for this disease. There are various steps you can take to help prevent the condition. They include washing hands frequently and avoiding close contact with people infected with HFMD.
Symptoms
After being infected the symptoms usually happen within 3-6 days. The first sign of HFMD infection is usually fever. A sore throat usually follows, and low energy or poor appetite might follow.
Signs and symptoms include:
- Red rash
- Sore throat
- Loss of appetite
- Red blisters on tongue, gums, and cheeks
- Feeling of illness
- Fever
Then 1-2 days following the start of the fever there might be sores in the front of the mouth/throat. There also might be rash on the hands/feet and maybe in other areas. These symptoms might follow 1-2 days later.
If a child has infections located on the back of mouth/throat this might be a sign of a different illness. Other symptoms of this condition include high fever and sometimes seizures. However, it’s rare for sores to show up on the hands, feet, etc. This is one of the main differences between HFMD.
In most situations, this condition is a mild illness. In most cases, there’s just some mild fever and few signs/symptoms. It’s important to contact a doctor of the patient is unable to drink fluids due to the mouth/throat sores.
It’s also important to contact the doctor if the signs/symptoms get worse after a couple of days. This could be a sign that the patient has a more serious condition.
Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease: Home Remedies
Lavender Oil
This essential oil is used for its relaxing/calming effects. It’s also a good option for fighting viruses. The relaxing/calling properties can help the patient to sleep better.
Another option is to add some lavender oil to a diffuser. It fills the room with a mist that contains the essential oil. It is especially helpful at night since the patient can breathe in the essential oil while sleeping.
Cod Liver Oil
In recent years fish, oil, and krill oil have been trending as dietary supplements high in healthy fatty acids. Cod liver oil is another option. It is loaded with nutrients like Vitamins A/D/E. It boosts the immune system and fights microbes. It comes in gel capsules that you can take orally, or mix the oil in yogurt or juice.
Coconut Water
Make sure to go with tender coconut water. This superfood helps to cool down the body. It’s also a mild treatment for the stomach. You get lots of nutrients from coconut water including vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and electrolytes (salt, etc.)
There’s also something called lauric acid in the coconut water. It can provide benefits like keeping the patient hydrated and reducing the mouth pain. Another option is to freeze coconut water to make frozen cubes to relieve mouth sores.
Lemon Essential Oil
Here’s another remedy that works as a disinfectant. Just add a couple of drops of the essential oil to the patient’s body wash. It will help to nourish skin and fight viruses.
Another option is to mix some drops of the essential oil with a carrier oil like olive or coconut oil. Then you can apply the blend directly to your rashes.
Top Tips to Help Prevent HFMD
1. Avoid close contact with HFMD patients
One way that the virus can be transmitted is through cough and sneeze. Make sure to avoid getting close to someone who has the condition already. That will help to minimize your chance of getting infected.
2. Disinfect toys, doorknobs, counters, etc.
To stop the spread of the, make sure to disinfect them often for the best results.
3. Hand washing
You can get HFMD after touching surfaces like doorknobs. Avoid touching your face, nose, eyes, and mouth without proper handwashing and disinfecting. Washing hands for at least 20 seconds can help reduce your risk of getting the disease. Use warm water and wash your hands up to the wrist.