Recognize Your Child Has the Mumps and How to Treat Them
Edited by Debbie, Charmed, Maria Arieanza Santos Tan, Lynn and 6 others
The cause of Mumps is the swelling of the salivary glands. It can be very painful. Our glands make saliva that moistens our food when we chew or swallow. When someone has Mumps, puffiness usually occurs along both sides of the face, along the jaw line, and/or under the ears. Mumps are caused by a virus, and are contagious. Before the Mumps vaccine available in the USA and Canada, they were prominent in babies, children and adults. You can become infected if someone with Mumps coughs or sneezes in your general direction. You can also catch it if you drink from an infected person's drinking glass. The incubation period is normally 12-24 days. If you are vaccinated, the chances of getting Mumps is extremely low. The MMR vaccine (Mumps, Measles and Rubella) can protect you from getting Mumps. It should be given to children from 12-15 months old, and then they should receive a second dose when they are between 4 to 6 years. What are the symptoms of having mumps?
Symptoms
- 1Muscle Pain.
- 2Fatigue.
- 3Loss of Appetite.
- 4Fever.
- 5Swollen Glands.
- 6Headache.
There may be some problems for people with mumps that can be more serious. Complications such as:
- Temporary or Permanent Hearing Loss.
- Inflamed testicles and scrotal swelling in males.
- Inflammation of a female's breast.
- Sterility in both sexes.
Avoid Giving Mumps to Others
- 1Hold a tissue over your mouth when you have to sneeze or cough.
- 2Wash your hands frequently.
- 3Do not share food or drinks with others.
- 4Clean areas around the home that are regularly touched, such as doorknobs, light switches, and counters with bleach and water.
- 5Try to stay away from other people so they won't become infected.
What Treatment is there for Mumps?
- 1Ice or Warm Compresses applied to the swollen areas.
Most people will recover from the Mumps without any residual affects. For some unfortunate people, they will be left with some damages that will change their lives (sterility, deafness). Thankfully, most people in North American are immunized, reducing the number of cases to less than 1% of the cases reported before immunizations were standard.
Mumps in Adults
Mumps are known to be very common in children between the ages of 2 to 5 years but it can also be contacted by adults especially during winter or spring seasons.
The Symptoms of Mumps in Adults
- 1In the first 48 hours of contacting the disease, an adult or even a child can experience the following symptoms;
- Muscle aches also known as myalgia.
- Face pain.
- Headache.
- Sore throat.
- Low grade fever.
- 2This inflammation may last up to 10 days, although it's usually not as severe in adults, as it is in children.On the third day of the disease, the affected individual will have parotid gland swelling which will be very tender to touch.
- 3Some respiratory problems which are not specific.
- 4Men may also experience testicular lumps and/or pain.
- 5Most men suffering from mumps may also experience scrotal swelling.
- 6Adults may also suffer from swelling of the jaw or temple.
Tips Tricks & Warnings
- Go to emergency if you experience a high fever and/or continual vomiting.
- Schedule an appointment to get your child immunized to avoid them having to deal with the symptoms and complications of Mumps.
If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.
