Health Advice

Latest from blog

Head Lice – Help!!!

Every parent’s heart sinks when they receive the dreaded note from school warning about head lice. Don’t worry – Jane Brennan from Brennan’s Life Pharmacy in Donabate is here to to give us advice and tips. The first thing to do is to check the child’s head. You will need some tea tree conditioner, a... Read more >

Read more

Are You SunSmart?

We ask Jane Brennan from Brennan’s Life Pharmacy Donabate how to make the most of great sunny summer days whilst protecting our skin from harmful rays. Jane says “The Irish Cancer Society SunSmart program has great guidelines to keep us safe. See below for some useful tips and advice” Ways to protect your skin: Shade... Read more >

Read more

Pollen Highs & Watery Eyes

Pollen Highs & Watery Eyes… Talk to Jane Brennan, your Hay Fever Expert in Donabate Are your eyes itchy, red or watery? Is your throat scratchy? Are you sneezing? Do you have itchy ears, nose or mouth? Do you have a blocked or runny nose? Do you wake up feeling exhausted? Hay fever can cause... Read more >

Read more

Life Pharmacy Ireland – Live Better

Bringing you the best health advice for your family

NHS Choices - Diagnosing hand, foot and mouth disease

(10/03/2014)

A number of viruses can cause sores and ulcers to develop in the mouth  not just those responsible for hand, foot and mouth disease.

However, your GP should be able to distinguish hand, foot and mouth disease from other viral infections by:

  • the age of the affected person  hand, foot and mouth disease is most common in children under the age of 10
  • the pattern of symptoms  symptoms begin with a high temperature and a sore throat; ulcers then develop in your child’s mouth, followed by a spotty rash on their hands and feet
  • the appearance of sores  these are smaller than chickenpox sores and usually have a distinctive colour, size and shape

Hand, foot and mouth disease can be confirmed (or ruled out) by taking a swab of the affected skin, throat or rectum and checking it for infection. For children, a stool sample may be used instead.