What You Need to Know About Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease

Understanding symptoms, spread, and when a GP review matters

What hand, foot and mouth disease is

Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common viral illness, most often affecting young children, although adults can catch it too. It is caused by a group of viruses known as enteroviruses. Despite the name, it is not related to foot-and-mouth disease in animals. HFMD spreads easily in childcare, schools, and households, particularly during warmer months.

How the illness usually begins

HFMD often starts with general symptoms such as fever, tiredness, reduced appetite, and a sore throat. Within a day or two, painful mouth sores may appear, followed by a rash or small blisters on the hands, feet, and sometimes the buttocks, legs, or arms. Not every person develops all features, and severity varies widely.

What the rash and sores mean

The rash of HFMD is usually not itchy, but mouth ulcers can be uncomfortable and affect eating and drinking. The skin changes often look worse than they feel and typically heal without scarring. Peeling skin or fingernail changes can occur weeks later and usually resolve on their own.

How HFMD spreads

The virus spreads through close contact with saliva, respiratory droplets, fluid from blisters, and stool. Children can remain contagious even after they seem well, which explains why outbreaks are hard to contain. Good hand hygiene, surface cleaning, and avoiding close contact when unwell help reduce spread, but they do not eliminate risk completely.

Typical recovery and time course

Most people recover within 7 to 10 days. Fever usually settles first, followed by gradual healing of mouth and skin lesions. Tiredness can linger briefly after other symptoms improve. Antibiotics do not help, because HFMD is viral.

When a GP review is important

A GP review is helpful if pain limits drinking, if dehydration becomes a concern, if fever persists, or if symptoms worsen instead of improving. Review is also important for babies, pregnant people, people with weakened immune systems, or when symptoms look unusual or severe. Rare complications can occur, so ongoing concern deserves assessment.

Returning to childcare or school

Children can usually return once they feel well enough to participate, even if the rash has not fully resolved, unless the setting has specific exclusion policies. Your GP can help clarify return-to-care advice if uncertainty arises.

How your GP supports families

Your GP helps confirm the diagnosis, exclude other causes of rash or mouth ulcers, guide symptom relief, monitor hydration, and provide reassurance about recovery. They also support families in understanding contagious periods and managing outbreaks calmly.

This article provides general health information only and does not replace medical advice. Please speak with your GP for personalised care.