Question
What are the symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease? Is it only inflammation on the hands, feet, and mouth?
Answer
The symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease include an acute onset with fever; recurrence of scattered blisters on the oral mucosa, which are millet-sized with significant pain; recurrence of millet-sized blisters on the palms or soles, with the buttocks or knees occasionally affected. The blisters have an inflammatory red halo around them, with less fluid inside. Some children may also experience symptoms such as coughing, runny nose, loss of appetite, nausea, dry heaving, and headache. Doctors can usually identify hand, foot, and mouth disease based on the patient’s age, the patient’s or parent’s description of symptoms, and a careful examination of the rash and sores to differentiate it from other causes of oral ulcers.