The Dreaded Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease-Natural Remedies

A little over a month ago, my son, Hayden got the dreaded, HFMD (Hand Foot and Mouth Disease). I was so worried because I knew it was spreading like wildfire around us!  I had heard so many horrible things about HFMD and how miserable it was! The long, sleepless nights; the horrible blisters all over their little bodies that look like Leprosy! I had heard of the horrible mouth sores that are so painful it's almost impossible to eat. So when I realized my son had HFMD, I panicked (inside) a little. 

What is Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease?

Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease is a mild infection caused by the coxsackie virus (coxsackievirus A16). It most often affects children. The virus spreads through contact with the infected person’s saliva, respiratory droplets from a sneeze or cough, nasal secretions, stool or fluid from blisters. HFMD is highly contagious. It is important to note that one is most contagious during the incubation period, before any symptoms appear. HFMD is not the same as Hoof-Mouth Disease, a virus passed among animals. You cannot get HFMD from pets or animals.

What are the symptoms?

Three to seven days after becoming infected with the virus the first symptoms appear. A fever is most often the first symptom followed by sore throat, general feeling of illness, and loss of appetite. A day or two later painful sores develop in the mouth or throat, and a rash can be seen on the hand and/or feet areas. While one is most contagious the first week of infection, the virus can remain in the body for weeks after symptoms are gone, meaning the infection can still spread to others long after symptoms are gone.

Hayden started out with a fever, but since he's teething, I chalked it up to that being the culprit. The next day rolled around and he was so fussy and not eating or nursing well, which is very unusual for him even if he's teething. I noticed a few small bumps on his hands and then on his feet. I knew right away what it was because I had feared him getting it! Of course I called my husband, my BFF, and my mom to tell them that Hayden had HFMD. I knew they couldn't do anything, but I needed to vent to them, haha!

I'm not an expert and I'm still very new to this mommy thing, but I wanted to share with you what I did to help Hayden get through HFMD without being totally miserable and get over it quickly.

Before I start, I want to make something clear. There are certain things that I do and don't do, i.e.: antibiotics. This is not supposed to make any other moms feel like they are doing things wrong. I don't want anyone to feel judged or shamed for doing things differently. The beauty of being a mom is that you are the mom! God entrusted that little one to you! Do what you think is best for your child, trust God, and I truly believe He will bless you! Ok, let's begin!

Elderberry Syrup 

Elderberry has been shown to shorten and reduce the duration and severity of a host of illnesses. Elderberry syrup can be used daily as a preventative and immune booster, or every 2-3 hours at the first signs of illness. I actually make this because it can be quite expensive to buy in store. 

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil boasts of so many helpful properties, one of them being antiviral. I slathered Hayden's blisters and sores in coconut oil. You can also add it to a warm tea to help coat the mouth and throat areas and relieve pain.

Chicken Broth

 I made Hayden homemade chicken broth and added garlic, thyme, sage and rosemary (I grow all of these things in my garden) for added antiviral benefits.

• Garlic: I love garlic and I use it very often! It’s antiviral, antibacterial and it tastes so good! Crush or mash the garlic and let it sit in a bowl for 15 minutes before adding it to the broth. This allows air to activate the best healing properties.
• Thyme: Fresh or dried, thyme is excellent for any virus. Toss some in toward the end of the cooking time. 
• Sage: Along with being antiviral, sage helps to reduce inflammation, heal the sores in the mouth and sooth the upset tummy that sometimes comes with HFMD. DO NOT add sage to your own broth if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. 
• Rosemary: Antiviral and also antibacterial, which helps to prevent secondary infections in the sores.

 Healthy food helps boost the body’s defenses. Homemade fruit popsicles, ice yogurt and other cold or soft foods help prevent irritation and can help speed the healing process.

Colloidal Silver

Colloidal Silver is anti-viral. It can be used topically or internally. I used it internally for Hayden and it worked great for the sores in his mouth and the whole virus in general! It killed them within 24 hrs and stopped new ones from forming! 

If you are not comfortable with using it internally, (I know there are lots of varying opinions on this topic) you could use it topically (dab, don't rub on clean, dry skin with a washcloth) and you can also use a spray bottle and spray it on the inside of the mouth so that it coats the sores. 

I'm sure there are essential oils that could also help, but I didn't have any on hand so I just used what I had at home. 
I don't recommend trying to reduce the fever with tylenol or ibuprofen. The fever is part of the immune system's natural response to kill the virus. Basically, a fever is your body's way of fighting off whatever you have. I never treat low-grade fevers and hardly ever use tylenol or ibuprofen, but if Hayden gets a high fever, I do give him ibuprofen because I don't like to mess with that kind of stuff! 

Hayden was symptom free within 2 days, but I noticed a huge improvement the first day! He slept so much better that night and wasn't fussy the rest of the time! You would've never known that he had HFMD.
My hope is that you will never have to deal with Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease, but if you do I hope that these options are a help to you.

Xo, Becky



*Disclaimer: 
These are only opinions. I am not a doctor and these treatments have not been evaluated by the FDA. You should always talk to your doctor for advice and treatment options.