Doctors generally do not prescribe hand, foot and mouth disease treatment because the symptoms almost always go away without it. There are, however, a few different hand, foot and mouth disease treatments that might be either prescribed or recommended by doctors for managing its symptoms. For example, many medical professionals advise patients to use over-the-counter pain medicines until the problem clears up. Blisters and sores that occur in the mouth as a result of hand, foot and mouth disease also tend to respond well to oral anesthetics. When over-the-counter medicines fail to provide relief, doctors might prescribe stronger drugs or recommend increasing dosage amounts.
There are a few different home remedies for hand, foot and mouth disease that might be helpful to use in conjunction with pain medicines. Many people find relief from pain and discomfort caused by the sores inside their mouths when they eat ice cream, eat an ice pop or suck on ice chips. Lotions and gels containing aloe or calendula can also be rubbed into the hands and feet to help alleviate soreness resulting from the rashes covering those areas. Salty, warm water might be beneficial as a hand, foot and mouth disease treatment when used several times per day as a mouth rinse.
Just as cold foods and drinks tend to help with symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease, very hot or spicy foods might make them worse by irritating the blisters inside the mouth. Foods and drinks that are very acidic, such as citrus juices and sodas, also should be avoided until symptoms have cleared up. The blisters in the mouth tend to make people avoid drinking anything, and this is why so many people who have hand, foot and mouth disease become dehydrated. People who have the illness should drink lots of fluids, particularly water, while they are recovering, even though it might be slightly uncomfortable to do so.
Although it is rare, hand, foot and mouth disease can become serious. A very small percentage of people who get the illness end up with viral meningitis or encephalitis, the latter of which can be life-threatening. It's important for people to carefully monitor their symptoms after undergoing hand, foot and mouth disease treatment so they can immediately alert their doctors if anything out of the ordinary begins happening or if they begin to feel worse instead of better. Hand, foot and mouth disease is also quite contagious, and for this reason, it's a good idea for people who have it to avoid contact with others until they have recovered.
