MUMPS - Help Tips and Informations

Mumps is a highly infectious viral infection characterized by swelling of one or both parotid (salivary gland) glands. The disease can be quite painful, particularly inside the angle of the jaw, where parotid glands are. Mumps is more common on or in childhood. The disease is rarely serious, but it can bring distress to some adolescent and adult males whose testicles get inflamed. Once infected, person become immune for life.

Symptoms
* No symptoms or slight discomfort in the area of the parotid glands.
* Swelling in one or both cheeks, subsiding within 10 days.
* Pain particularly when swallowing.
* Fever, headache, weakness, tiredness.

Complications
* Inflammation of the testicles (orchitis) in males after puberty, which may result in infertility in rare cases.
* Inflammation of the ovaries in females (less common than orchitis).
* Meningitis ( inflammation of the membranes that cover the brain).
* Encephalitis ( inflammation of the brain).
* Pancreatitis ( inflammation of pancreas).

Causes
* Infection of parotid glands by the paramyxovirus, which is spread via airborne droplets expelled when coughing or sneezing.

What you can do
* Rest and wait for the infection to run its course. To avoid spreading the disease, stay home until the swelling subsides.
* Drink plenty of fluids.
* Take anti fever medicine/ simple pain killers.
* Eat soft foods.
* Consult if there is a severe headache, nausea, vomiting, pain in one or both testicles, or lower abdominal pain.

What your doctor can do for you
* Treat the complications.

Prevention tips
* Immunization against mumps at 9 to 24 months of age, usually in the form of MMR ( measles - mumps - rubella) vaccine.
* If possible, avoid close contact with members of the family suffering from mumps.