Health encyclopaedia

Health encyclopaedia - Alphabetical Topic List

Symptoms of Hand, foot and mouth disease

Hand, foot and mouth disease has an incubation period of 3-6 days. This is the time between catching the disease and showing symptoms. The child is most infectious before they start to show symptoms. For this reason hand, foot and mouth disease is easily passed around between small children, because they are in close contact with each other without knowing they have the virus.

The early symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease are fever, loss of appetite, sore throat, and generally feeling unwell. The younger the child, the worse the symptoms.

After 12-36 hours, yellowy-red ulcers (lesions) develop in the mouth, around the roof of the mouth, tongue and inside of the cheeks. Because they are sore and uncomfortable, the child may not want to eat.

Within about a day, sores develop on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, between the fingers and toes, and on the buttocks (in some people). They last for about 3-6 days and may be a bit itchy and uncomfortable. They are smaller than chicken pox sores.

Healthy adults rarely catch the virus. Anyone who does may feel ill with a fever, but may not have any sores.

• HaemophiliaHaemorrhoidsHair lossHand, foot and mouth diseaseHangoverHay feverHead injuryHead liceHeadacheHealth and safety at workHealth recordsHearing and vision tests for childrenHearing impairmentHearing testsHeart attackHeart blockHeart failureHeart lung transplantHeartburnHeatstrokeHepatitisHepatitis AHepatitis BHepatitis CHernia, hiatusHernia, inguinalHiccupHip replacementHIV and AIDSHome testsHomeopathyHormone replacement therapyHospitals, admissionHospitals, childrenHospitals, dischargeHughes syndromeHuntington's diseaseHydrocephalusHydronephrosisHyperglycaemiaHyperlipidaemia and lipid-lowering medicinesHypoglycaemiaHypothermiaHysterectomy

  ---