Mumps is an illness caused by the mumps virus. Mumps causes fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, loss of appetite, and swelling of the salivary glands. Mumps can cause deafness. It can also cause swelling of the brain, spinal cord, testicles, and breasts. This program will help you understand mumps and how it affects adults and children. It discusses the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment and prevention of mumps.
MUMPS
Mumps is a contagious disease that is caused by the mumps virus. Mumps is spread by droplets of saliva or mucus from the mouth, nose, or throat of an infected person. The virus usually spreads when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. Items used by an infected person, such as soft drink cans or eating utensils can be contaminated with the virus. The virus may spread if the contaminated items are shared with other people. The mumps virus can also spread by touching surfaces. If someone with mumps touches a surface without washing his or her hands, the virus can stay on that surface. When another person touches the same surface, they can pick up the virus. It takes 12 to 25 days after a person is exposed to the virus for the symptoms to appear. This period is knows as incubation time. Mumps typically starts with a few days of fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, and loss of appetite. Mumps also makes your salivary glands swell. Your salivary glands are located between your ear and jaw. These glands make saliva that helps you chew and swallow food. This swelling is often called “chipmunk cheeks”. Most mumps transmission happens before the salivary glands begin to swell and up to 5 days after the swelling begins. Therefore, it is recommended that mumps patients be isolated for 5 days after their glands begin to swell. Anyone who is not immune from either previous mumps infection or from vaccination can get mumps. Before the routine vaccination program was introduced, mumps was a common illness in infants, children and young adults.
SYMPTOMS
Up to half of people who get mumps have very mild or no symptoms. As a result, these people often do not know they were infected with mumps. The most common symptoms include:
Fever
Headache
Loss of appetite
Muscle aches
Swollen and tender salivary glands
Tiredness
The most visible symptom of mumps is swelling of the face caused by swollen salivary glands. This condition is sometimes called “chipmunk cheeks”. It usually develops on the second day of illness. It can be very painful and last from 5 to 7 days. Sometimes it is the only symptom.
COMPLICATIONS
Mumps is usually a mild disease, but can occasionally cause serious complications. Mumps can rarely spread to other areas of the body. When it spreads it can cause serious problems, like swelling of the brain, pancreas, and testicles. The most common complication is inflammation of the testicles in males who have reached puberty. This can lead to fertility problems. Other rare complications include:
Deafness
Inflammation of the brain and/or tissue covering the brain and spinal cord
Inflammation of the breasts in females who have reached puberty
Mumps can cause miscarriage in pregnant women.
DIAGNOSIS
Mumps is diagnosed by a physical examination, medical history, and tests that confirm the presence of the virus. Not all cases of mumps cause swollen salivary glands and not all cases of swollen salivary glands are caused by mumps. However, swollen salivary glands are the most well known symptom of mumps.
TREATMENT
Mumps usually goes away on its own within 2 weeks. Because it is a viral infection, antibiotics cannot treat mumps. No medicine can cure mumps, but supportive care might make dealing with the illness easier. Supportive care consists of:
Drinking lots of fluids to prevent dehydration.
Getting plenty of rest.
Taking over-the-counter pain relievers. Don’t give aspirin to children under 18.
Call your doctor if your fever goes over 101°F or if you become short of breath, dizzy or lightheaded. You should also contact your healthcare provider if you notice:
Abdominal pain
Drowsiness
Eye redness
Severe headache
Stiff neck
Testicle pain or lump
Vomiting
PREVENTION
The best way to prevent mumps is with the mumps vaccine. Talk with your healthcare provider about the different vaccines available to prevent mumps. Some things people can do to help prevent the spread of mumps and other infections include:
Washing hands well and often with soap
Not sharing eating or drinking utensils
Cleaning surfaces that are frequently touched with soap and water or with cleaning wipes
Surfaces include: toys, doorknobs, tables, and counters
Avoid close contact with other people if you are sick
If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve or elbow, not your hands
PREGNANCY AND MUMPS
Pregnant women who develop mumps in the first 12 to 16 weeks of pregnancy have a slightly higher risk of miscarriage. There is no evidence that mumps can cause defects in the unborn child. If you had mumps before or you had a mumps vaccination, you are immune to mumps. If you're planning on getting pregnant and you're not sure if you're immune to mumps, see your doctor to find out. He or she can arrange for you to have the mumps vaccination. If you know you are not immune, you cannot have the mumps vaccine while pregnant because the vaccination contains a live virus which could cause infection in the baby. For the same reason, you should not become pregnant for at least a month after having your mumps vaccination. If you are pregnant and you think you have come into contact with someone with mumps and you know you're not immune, you should see your doctor immediately.
SUMMARY
Mumps is an illness caused by the mumps virus. Mumps may cause fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, and loss of appetite. It is best known for swelling of the cheeks and jaw, which is a result of swelling of the salivary glands. Mumps is spread by droplets of saliva or mucus from the mouth, nose, or throat of an infected person, usually when the person coughs, sneezes, or talks. It is rare for mumps to cause serious problems, but if not properly treated, mumps can cause deafness, swelling of the brain, spinal cord, testicles, and breasts. There is no "cure" for mumps, only supportive treatment like bed rest, fluids, and fever reduction. But, if certain symptoms develop, you need to contact your healthcare provider. It usually goes away on its own within 2 weeks.
