1. Pay Attention to Mouth Pain
Even before you spot a rash, you may notice that your child is complaining of mouth pain. The lesions caused by hand-foot-mouth disease can be very painful and children often complain that their mouth or some part of their mouth is hurting. Mouth pain can be caused by a variety of factors such as burning of the palette, cavities, biting the tongue or cheek and getting a new tooth. If your child is complaining about the mouth and seems unwell, consider hand-foot-mouth disease as a potential cause.
2. Spot Unusual Rashes
Once your child mentions a painful mouth, your next step is to examine the mouth and body for rashes. Lesions can appear anywhere in the mouth including the tongue, the roof of the mouth, the cheeks and the lips. The lesions are usually red and painful. On the hands and feet, the rash might consist of tiny red spots. In the mouth, ulcers are often white to yellow in color and are surrounded by red irritated areas.
3. Notice Excessive Drooling
Another clue that your child might have hand-foot-mouth disease is the sudden start of excessive drooling. Assuming that your child does not normally drool and is not teething, excessive drooling can suggest a problem with the mouth. With younger children who seem irritable but are too young to communicate that they are in pain, drooling might be the symptom that causes you to examine the mouth.
All that drool though, can be a prime way of spreading the disease. If you notice that your child is drooling, do your best to keep it contained and wash your hands after coming in contact with it.
4. Identify Changes in Eating Patterns
One of the direct results of mouth pain is decreased interest in food. Children with hand-foot-mouth disease typically become fussier about what they will eat. Some children experience decreased appetite, while others are hungry but only want certain foods. If your child suddenly seems uninterested in food, try to ascertain the reason. Children old enough to communicate may tell you they don't want to eat because of mouth pain. Younger toddlers and infants may simply cry when they attempt to eat. Mention any changes in eating habits to your doctor.
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