Moms Beware: This Disease Is Making A Comeback, And Your Kids Could Be Next. What You Need To Know

Parents everywhere need to know that Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD) is spreading around and kids are falling victim to it.

HFMD usually affects kids under the age of 5, but high schoolers and college-aged students are also reporting symptoms.

There are no antibiotics that can be used to treat HFMD. It becomes a waiting game, but there are precautionary measures you can take.

HFMD usually presents as a common cold, with a sore throat, slight fever, and aches. It can start with painful sores in the mouth or on the hands and feet. These sores can move all over the body.

My poor Mila has been dealing with the worst bout of hand foot and mouth. She was in so much pain, so I started searching for what I could do to make her more comfortable. The photo on the left is what she looked like before I did anything. Sore and crusty and very itchy. The photo on the top right is after soaking the sores in salt water and cleaning away the crusty bits. This helped make her much more comfortable as it's the crust that makes it itchy. The bottom right photo is after bathing in Epsom salts and lavender oil. We also applied Redmond clay over her sores (that's what the white bits are still on her face, I didn't want to rub her sores too much) it seems to have made the sores less angry. And she seems more comfortable. We have don't a few more salt water cleanses as the crusts keep forming. Any mamas out there with uncomfortable little ones, give all of this a go. It definitely made a difference for us :)

A post shared by The MarinkoviÄ‡ Girls (@the_marinkovic_girls) on Aug 5, 2016 at 8:56pm PDT

The disease spreads through saliva, coughing, sneezing, and general close contact. Hugging someone or touching a door handle that has come in contact with HFMD increases your chances of contraction. Encouraging your kids to wash their hands throughout the day and keeping them home if they have a cold are all ways to prevent the spread of HFMD.

If you do notice your child presenting symptoms of HFMD, talk with your doctor so you can keep them controlled. Keeping your child hydrated is a key element to combating HFMD.

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