Mumps is a viral disease that is commonly referred as Epidemic Parotitis. It is a highly contagious disease that results in the inflammation of the either one or both of the parotid glands. Mumps can easily be prevented by taking the MMR vaccination during childhood.
Mumps is a very contagious viral infection that has been noted to usually affect small children. There have been over 1200 cases per year of the mumps where the swelling of the two salivary glands on both sides of the face is involved given the person a more hamster like face. The mumps virus is a contagious virus and can be transferred to touch or the use of common tools. Once a child usually has mumps they are immune to mostly all other diseases their entire life. This may be the only upside of having this disease.
Mumps can be extremely painful as the glands swell more and more due to infection. Warm water towels may help reduce the swelling but to only a certain extent. There is a great deal of tension to be taken over how long your child may suffer with this.
Normally mumps last for a little over a month giving the person an ample amount of discomfort; normally doctor prescribed medication may help in reducing pain. Antibiotics help to fight infection and in the long run it reduces the swelling but you cannot give a child too many antibiotics as it will no doubt mess with their system.
Mumps is mainly caused due to Rubulavirus infection. The infection then spreads from one person to another through the medium of infected saliva. When you contract mumps infection, the virus reaches to your salivary glands from the respiratory tract. There is further reproduces and causes swelling in the glands.
Mumps Symptoms And Causes:
Here in this article will explain about what are the main reasons or causes and symptoms of mumps.
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Causes Of Mumps:
There are a few reasons or causes of Mumps, some of which are mentioned in detail below:
1. Direct Contact:
The direct contact with another person who already has this infection may cause you to start having this infection yourself. Especially with children constant interaction may cause the transfer of mumps virus from one child to another. This is why it is necessary to give your child the vaccine responsible in the aide of fighting this virus. The vaccine helps to keep your body immune to mumps therefore insuring that you and your child leads a healthy life free of infection and viruses.
2. Indirect Contact:
Indirect contact for example when a child uses the tap which has been used by a mumps patient then it is possible residue of the virus on the tap may infect the child too. Indirect contact are one of the main ways in which you or any child can get mumps. Mumps generally occurs in children because their immune system is still developing therefore they do not have strong enough systems to fight off this virus effectively.
To aid in the battle against the spread of mumps, the MMR vaccine is commonly given at an early age to help the body become immune to the virus. Before the MMR vaccination was brought in, in England and Wales there were 1,200 cases involving hospital admission per year.
3. Other Ways In Which The Mumps Virus Can Be Spread are:
Sneezing or coughing using the same cutlery/plates with someone infected sharing food and drink with someone infected kissing someone infected touching their nose or mouth and then passing it onto a surface someone else may touch. All these causes actually play an active part in a child infection. The virus moves up the respiratory tract into the salivary glands and reproduces causing the glands to swell greatly. This swelling can cause a great deal of discomfort in the face therefore the urgent need for doctors attention along with the MMR vaccine is required at the right time.
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Symptoms Of Mumps:
There are very distinctive symptoms that help us determine whether our children have Mumps or not, some of these signs and symptoms are:
1. Pain In The Sides Of The Face:
It normally begins with a pain in both the sides of the face. This shows that the virus has entered your body and has now moved onto the glands on both sides of your face. If you do not go to a doctor at this point there is no holding back the swelling that will start after a short period of time.
2. Swelling:
Once your cheeks start to swell, on both the sides there is no going back at this point the virus has already started producing in the glands located in both sides of your face. The swelling will continue to increase as long as the virus keeps producing. You can help fight this virus by taking doctors prescribed medication, and if you are lucky this virus will slowly dissipate over time.
3. Difficulty In Swallowing:
Sometimes mumps infection also causes difficulty in swallowing, also known as dysphagia. In such conditions, the person finds it difficulty in eating or drinking. In mild dysphagia, you might experience difficulty in eating for just a minute and taking a few sips of water will tend to make the condition better. However in acute cases, it restricts the intake of food and the person is devoid of essential calories and nutrition required for normal functioning of the body.
4. Orchitis:
Orchitis is a medical condition that refers to inflammation or swelling in either or both testicles, a part of male reproductive system. It is a very uncommon symptom of mumps that surfaces when the infection gets very severe. Orchitis causes swelling and tenderness in the testicles and the condition is very painful. In most of the cases of mumps infection, the inflammation is commonly seen only in one testicle and affects both only in rare cases.
5. Nausea:
Nausea is another symptom of mumps. Mumps causes an imbalance in your body which in turn causes you to feel sick due to the swelling in your face. Nausea is caused because the virus in your glands is causing a dysfunction in your body making you feel sick and tired.
6. Abdominal Pain:
Mild abdominal pain is also known to one of common symptoms of mumps. During mumps infection you can experience pain in your stomach, lower or upper parts of abdomen. The pain can vary from being very mild to severe, depending on the stage of infection. When you begin to experience sharp abdominal pain, consult your physician immediately. Your GP might suggest few tests and through physical examination ascertain the exact cause for the pain.
7. Headaches:
Primarily headaches are the first symptoms of mumps. Large build up of mucus in the brain causes a strain which in turn causes the headaches. Headaches can either range from very mild and manageable to very bad and excruciating. Mild headaches are not that bad and you can determine that if you have mumps then the headaches may be sever in nature as the face feel constantly swollen. Excruciating headaches which occur every day is a very bad sign. Though mumps is not fatal it can cause a large amount of discomfort.
8. Loss Of Appetite:
Loss of appetite is also seen to be one of the common mumps symptoms. Due to swelling in the salivary glands, the person with mumps infection finds it difficult to chew the food. Due to the feeling of pain or discomfort you might not feel like eating or drinking anything. This ultimately results in loss of appetite
9. Lethargic:
Mumps cause extreme lethargy in the patient suffering with these problems. This lethargic feeling is caused by the irregularity of blood distribution in your body. Along with irregularity mumps also causes the virus to enter your blood stream to also cause lethargic behavior. Lethargy may cause you to feel tired and weak even when you are resting. Along with lethargy you may develop a fever therefore these are the telltale signs of mumps.
10. Fever:
Be careful with what you or your child touches throughout the day and who they come in contact with, a strong healthy household can save your child on a ton of discomfort that could otherwise make their lives a little harder. Fever during mumps infection is only moderately high and lasts for only 3-4 days.
Most of these symptoms of mumps do not appear immediately and develop within 14-25 days of the infection. This period is called as incubation period and on an average is about 17 days. However, in nearly 20% of mumps infection cases, the virus does not exhibit any noticeable symptoms. When you suspect of mumps infection, do not wait to discuss the condition with your doctor. Most of the symptoms of mumps are often confused with that of tonsillitis or glandular fever. Your GP may examine and then confirm (or rule out) mumps infection.
Like in all other viral disease, our body’s immune system fights any foreign infection. In most of the cases, no form of treatment is required and the infection consequently subsides in few days. Eating soft foods and shunning acidic and citric foods helps to ease out the symptoms.
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