How to Identify Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease

Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease can affect anyone at any age but children under age 10 are more likely to contract it. It is spread from coming into direct contact with nose and throat discharge, which includes saliva, stools, and fluid from a blister. It takes between three to seven days for an infected person to develop symptoms. The first week a person has this disease is the time they are most contagious. More outbreaks occur during the summer and early fall. This should not be confused with the disease of cattle, which is called "foot and mouth" disease.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Thermometer
• Cold liquid
• Popsicles

How to Identify Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease

1. Notice if your child has a sudden decrease in appetite for solid food. This can be one of the first signs of a child that has Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease.
2. Ask your child, if he hasn't already told you, if he has a sore throat. This could be the reason why he doesn't want to eat solid food.
3. Check to see if your child has a fever, which is another symptom of Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease.
4. Look in your child's mouth for any noticeable sores. This may happen a few days after the onset of the sore throat, so continue to check for a few days to see if you see anything. At first, you may see red spots on the child's tongue, gums, or mucous membranes, which could blister and form ulcers.
5. Check your child's skin, which can develop a rash after a day or two. The rash can have flat or raised spots and can often be found on the palms of the hand and soles of the feet. Usually, these spots will form into blisters. However, they will not itch.
6. Visit your doctor and let him decide if your child has Hand-Foot-Mouth disease. Often, the child will get better on his own after a week. Antibiotics don't help with this disease. The doctor may recommend that the child to stay home from school or daycare for the first few days to prevent spreading the disease to other children.

Tips & Warnings

• Give your child cold Popsicles and other liquids to help soothe her sore throat.
• Cleaning hands after changing a diaper and before eating is one way to help prevent spreading Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease.