Why Does My Child Keep Getting Mouth Ulcers? A Parent’s Guide to Recurrent Oral Ulcers Your child complains that eating hurts. You look inside their mouth and find a small round sore on the inside of the lip. A week later it disappears. Then, several weeks later, another one arrives. Parents often ask: “Why does my child keep getting mouth ulcers?” The reassuring answer is that mouth ulcers are very common and most are harmless. NHS — Mouth ulcers says they usually clear on their own within one to two weeks . nhs.uk However, there is an important difference between an occasional ulcer and ulcers that are frequent, unusually large, persistent or accompanied by other symptoms . That is when looking for an underlying reason becomes useful. What does a typical mouth ulcer look like? A common mouth ulcer—sometimes called an aphthous ulcer —usually appears inside the: lips cheeks tongue floor of the mouth. It is often round or oval with a pale, yellowish, white or grey centre and a r...
My Child's Ear Piercing Is Swollen and Painful — Is It Infected? Your child recently had their ears pierced. Everything seemed fine initially. Then, a few days later, you notice something worrying. The ear looks red. It feels warm. Your child complains that touching it hurts. There may be discharge around the earring. You may immediately wonder: “Is this normal healing, or has the piercing become infected?” For parents, the distinction is important. Mild tenderness can occur after a new piercing. However, increasing pain, swelling, warmth or discharge may indicate infection. And there is another important point that many families do not realise: An infection involving the upper ear cartilage can be more serious than an ordinary earlobe infection. Let's explain why. What is normal after a new ear piercing? A new piercing creates a small skin wound. During the early healing period, you may notice mild tenderness, itching, or local redness. A little pale fluid may also dry into ...