Hydration Is Key To Treat Hand, Foot And Mouth Disease, Doctor Says

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — A childhood disease is spreading around the country, it is a virus referred to as hand, foot and mouth disease.

It is common in young children, but adults can get it too.

"Hand foot and mouth disease is a really common summertime illness," Dr. Lee Fireman with Medstar Franklin Square said. "It is caused by a virus and it will cause blisters in the mouth, the hands, and on the feet."

It is ordinarily not serious but blisters in the mouth can be very painful and make it hard to keep hydrated.

"You want to make sure you're doing lots of good pain control to keep drinking." Fireman said. "If you don't drink well you'll get dehydrated and that can really harm you with this illness, so as long as the kids are drinking well you'll be able to treat this at home and not have to go to the doctor."

Hand foot mouth disease can cause all or just some of these symptoms: fever, sore throat, feeling unwell, blisters and rash.

"The first three days there might be a fever, don't panic over the fever, fever is your body's friend and it will help you fight off the illness better," Fireman said. "Use pain control with ibuprofen or acetaminophen and control the pain so kids can keep drinking."

"There isn't any medicine to treat hands foot mouth. This will run its own course, your body will get over it in 7 to 10 days." Fireman said.

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