Approximately 75% of Americans will experience foot health problems of varying degrees of severity at one point or another throughout their lifetimes.


Foot problems are even more prevalent within the athletic community. Archers walk around five miles a day at archery tournaments; football, rugby, and soccer players run, twist, and jump all over the place; baseball players twist their ankles all the time and slide around the diamond.

But hand, foot, and mouth disease?


According to ESPN, Noah Syndergaard has landed on the MLB’s disabled list after contracting hand, foot, and mouth disease.

Syndergaard, the 25-year-old New York Mets’ all-star pitcher, is going on the 10-day disabled list after exhibiting symptoms of the viral illness that normally affects children around the age of five. Mets officials don’t believe the DL stint will last too long.


“Sounds like once the blisters and everything — or whatever he’s got going on his hands — clears up, he’s going to be fine,” said Mickey Callaway, Mets manager.


Syndergaard was able to poke fun at his recent illness in a tweet showcasing someone in a full hazmat suit boarding an airplane with the caption: “Looking forward to traveling with the team this week.”


The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that hand, foot, and mouth disease can spread when someone who has it coughs, sneezes, or even makes physical contact. Symptoms typically include fever, mouth sores, and skin rashes. The Mets are doing everything to monitor the rest of the team and staff in order to ensure no one else contracts the illness.


“We sent him home right away when we figured out what it was,” added Callaway. “Nobody’s shown any symptoms yet. We’re trying to make sure they wash their hands and do all that a couple days ago. Some people didn’t come into contact with him that day.”

According to The New York Post, Syndergaard caught the disease during a stint at a kids’ baseball camp in New Jersey during the MLB’s All-Star break in mid-July.


“Adults can pass it to adults,” added Dr. Gail Shust, who specializes in pediatric infectious diseases at New York University’s Langone Health. “It’s just much more common in kids.”


Similar to the flu, there is no cure — just rest, drinking plenty of fluids, and over-the-counter pain medication like Advil to deal with the symptoms.

“For the vast majority of people, it runs its course in a week or so,” said Shust. “There are occasions where it can cause a more serious infection and affect the central nervous system. But that’s the exception and not the rule.”

When it comes to prevention, proper hygiene is the only thing that will work since there is no vaccine for hand, foot, and mouth disease.