Mumps is a viral disease that is contagious, and typically affects large salivary glands in front of the ears (the parotid glands). Many may know who mumps is from its tell-tale signs of a swollen jaw line and swollen cheeks, but there’s much more to mumps. This detailed guide will outline how the mumps virus spreads in the community, symptoms you may see, any complications that might occur and what you can do to help stop the spread of the virus in your family and community.
what is the mumps disease?
Mumps is a fast-acting infection of the mouth and salivary glands which is due to a paramyxovirus. After being taken into the body, virus infects epithelial cells in the upper respiratory tract and multiplies in the blood and prefers the salivary glands, central nervous system and gonads.
Mumps used to be a very prevalent disease in the world, especially for children. Prior to the introduction of the very effective vaccine MMR, it was practically guaranteed that anyone who was a child got mumps. Despite the high level of coverage today, measles, mumps and rubella are less frequently occurring today, particularly in the community, where children are close together, such as summer camps, university/college environments and homes with unimmunised children.
The Mumps Virus is spread from person to person.
The mumps disease is easily transmitted from person to person via respiratory droplets from infected persons. Transmitted by the droplets contained in infected saliva from infected persons during sneezing, coughing and talking. The particles can be inhaled by persons within its close proximity.
The mumps disease also may be spread by direct contact with saliva such as:
Sharing food, utensils and/or water bottles
Coughing, sneezing and touching/kissing someone else’s face/mouth.
• Putting infected saliva onto contaminated surfaces and then putting the saliva in the nose or mouth.
The person infected can be contagious a few days before the glands in the salivary glands swell, and remain contagious for five days after the glands start to swell. It should be noted however, that up to one-third of infected individuals have very mild symptoms or no symptoms at all (asymptomatic carriers), and are able to unintentionally infect others.
Monitor the signs/symptoms to watch for.
Early recognition of signs and symptoms of mumps infection will allow for proper isolation of cases and may be useful in preventing mumps infection in the workplace and school. The symptoms usually begin to show 14 to 25 days after exposure to the virus (the incubation period). 16-18 days after exposure most symptoms will begin to show.
The symptoms that come before the onset of the disease (Prodromal symptoms)
May be present; can have sudden temperature elevation, headache or other relatively unspecific symptoms which would suggest an acute viral illness for hours before onset of swelling symptoms. The first symptoms of the disease may be confused with a common cold or flu:
1. Low-Grade Fever: A mild-to-moderate fever, often ranging from 100°F to 103°F (37.8°C to 39.4°C).
2. Headache: A headache which fails to subside and is not very acute.
Muscle Aches: All over muscle pains and body pains.
4. Fatigue: unusual tiredness, lack of energy and sluggishness.
Lack of Appetite: When a person’s appetite is diminished and they cannot chew and swallow food, they might be more likely to eat.
Classic Symptoms
The prodromal disease (may occur 5-10 days before symptoms) is characterised by a few days of:
The swelling of the parotid glands (one or both) is the most characteristic sign of mumps; it is painful. This causes the cheeks to become swollen and full, and the ear lobes to protrude out of the side and upwards. The swelling will probably be more pronounced during the first day or 2, and will start to subside during the next week.
Inability to swallow or eat (dysphagia) or to speak—As the glands enlarge and expand, the inability to swallow or eat (or even talk) may trigger a sudden attack of pain, especially with acidic foods and drinks.
Dry Mouth: Salivary duct inflammation may result in temporary decrease of saliva production, causing dry mouth.
Home treatment of mumps is available and there are some tips on how to do it.
Mumps is a virus disease – antibiotics will NOT help. There is no antiviral treatment for mumps; only supportive (symptomatic) therapy to relieve symptoms, to comfort, and to prevent dehydration until the mumps disease is gone.
R1. The initial treatment is: Rest and isolation.
Strict Isolation: If the person is infected he/she should be kept in isolation at home for at least 5 days from the appearance of swelling of the parotid glands, to prevent spreading the mumps disease to other people. Avoid going to work, school or any public areas.
Physical Rest: (Allow a lot of rest). Moderate exercise should be avoided if complications do arise such as inflammation of the testicles or the glands.
Control pain and fever
Medicines (analgesics) that can be bought without a prescription such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen may be used for a fever or big, painful salivary glands; these medicines may help to reduce pain and fever. Follow instructions, as directed by age/health care provider.
Use of a cold pack or warm washcloth applied for 10-15 minutes at a time, will help to decrease swelling and the tension of the muscles in the area of the swollen jaw.
3) Eat soft foods and drinks.
When the salivary glands are swollen it can be painful to eat. Changing the diet contributes to a proper amount of nutrition and fluid intake:
Drink fluids that are high in electrolytes frequently, such as food, water or soft drinks.
Consume Soft, Bland Foods: Smoothies, applesauce, scrambled eggs, yogurt, oatmeal and mashed potatoes are examples of foods that are soft and do not require much chewing.
Avoid Acids: Citrus foods, tomatoes, fruit juices and spicy foods which increase saliva production can cause pain and swelling of the duct.
A few of the possible complications of mumps include:
Mumps will resolve on its own in most people in a few weeks, but there are some potential complications, especially if someone catches mumps when they are an adolescent or adult.
Orchitis is the swelling of the testicles (testicles).Orchitis is a swelling of the testicles.
For post-pubertal males, the most common complication of mumps is orchitis (inflammation of the testicles) that affects 20% – 30% of those who get mumps. It usually will begin to show up within 10 days or a week of swelling of the salivary glands.
Symptoms: Sudden severe pain, swelling, tenderness, redness, and warmth of testicles and fever, nausea and chills.
Long-Term Impact: You can’t be sterilised forever – you can only be scared of it and fortunately, that’s not the reality. Often, the affected testicle shrinks (atrophies) but it is unusual for this to affect both testicles, as the other testicle will not usually deteriorate.
3. Pheasant’s eye (In Male)
After puberty, an inflammation of the glandular tissue of the breast (mastitis) or ovary (oophoritis) may occur.
Symptoms are: pain in the lower abdomen, vomiting and fever.
Long Term Impact: Unlike males, fertility may not be permanently impacted.
Aseptic meningitis/encephalitis.
The mumps disease may eventually enter the bloodstream and eventually make its way into the blood-brain barrier, which causes inflammation of the protective membranes that envelope the brain and spinal cord (meningitis) or inflammation of the tissue of the brain (encephalitis).
The symptoms of meningitis can include drowsiness, sensitivity to light, a very bad headache and a stiff neck. Viral (aseptic) meningitis is more likely to be a frightening condition than bacterial meningitis, but is not as serious and is completely treated with supportive measures.
Encephalitis is characterized by abnormal mental condition, confusion, convulsions or focal neurologic signs. An emergency medical condition, encephalitis will need the patient to be taken to hospital right away.
4. Pancreatitis
During the mumps infection, inflammation of the pancreas also can happen.
Symptoms: sudden onset and severe pain in the upper abdomen, may radiate to the back, with nausea and/or occasional vomiting and fever.
5. Sensorineural Hearing Loss
In a few instances, mumps may result in permanent or temporary deafness in one or both ears. Sudden deafness or tinnitus (ringing in the ears) is rare and if it does happen, during an episode of mumps, seek immediate medical treatment.
Most swellings of the face are due to the mumps.
Enlarged neck and jaw swelling may be a result of a variety of health issues. When the following table is compared it can be noted that mumps is not like the other common causes of salivary gland and facial enlargement:
The most frequent cause of this condition is being involved with the central nervous system more than once.The key distinct feature of this condition is a multiple CNS involvement, and typical demographics.
Mumps disease mumps Paramyxovirus Paramyxovirus mumps Bilateral or unilateral; swelling parotids; low fever; very contagious; mostly in children; adults who are not vaccinated.
Bacterial Sialadenitis – Bacterial infection (e.g., Staphylococcus aureus) – Purulent discharge from salivary duct when massaged; severe localized tenderness – Dehydrated and elderly persons
Cervical Lymphadenitis – Viral or bacterial throat/dental infection – Swollen lymph nodes lower in neck, not straight over the jaw/ear – Children who have strep throat or dental abscesses.
Salivary Duct Stones (Sialolithiasis) -> mineral blockage in salivary duct -> swelling in the salivary glands which comes out during or just before eating -> age 30-60 years.
Vaccine for prevention of the virus.Vaccine used to prevent the infection.
The best and most successful way to prevent mumps is by vaccination. The importance of herd immunity is that it helps to keep unvaccinated people from being vaccinated and helps to keep people with weakened immune systems (bbabies under two years old who are not able to be vaccinated) from being exposed.
The MMR Vaccine
Measles, mumps disease, Rubella (MMR) is a live, weakened vaccine and provides very effective and long-lasting protection against measles, mumps and rubella.
The MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, rubella) is recommended for 2 doses of MMR vaccine to be given to children:
o First Dose: Given at 12-15 months old.
Second Dose: Given 4-6 years old (before kindergarten/elementary school).
Adult Vaccination – If laboratory proof of immunity is unavailable and/or immunization records are not available, administer at least one dose of MMR vaccine to adults (57 years old and older). Those at greater risk for exposure like college students, health-care personnel, and travelers to foreign countries may be double dosed.
Additional Public Health Measures will be put in place where necessary.
Community outbreaks of viruses can be prevented by high vaccination rates and by taking routine hygiene measures:
Handwashing: Wash hands frequently for at least 20 seconds (longer if recommended by the clinic) with soap and water, especially after coughing, sneezing or touching someone who is sick.
Surface Disinfection: Use regular household cleaning products to clean all shared surfaces, doorknobs and often touched surfaces.
Practise good respiratory hygiene – sneeze/cough into inside of elbow or into a tissue – not hands.
Do you have any Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to this question?
Have a mumps vaccine?
Re-infections are very rare. Most people who develop spontaneously or after receiving MMR vaccine (2 doses) will be lifelong immune. Recurrent parotitis, bacterial infection and salivary duct obstruction are considered other diagnoses in the patient with a past history of mumps who is now suffering from recurrent parotitis.
How do you think the MMR vaccine works?
The two dose MMR vaccine series is about 88% effective for protection against mumps and a single dose is about 78% effective for mumps protection. When a person is vaccinated, the mumps he or she may develop is usually mild. Breakthrough infections are rare, and only occur when mumps infections occur in close groups, such as in the community during an outbreak.
When is it a mumps emergency?
In most cases these can be treated safely at home, but if: The patient with the infection needs medical or emergency attention, the infected person may need to visit the doctor or hospital to receive treatment.
Neck stiffness, confusion or excessive drowsiness (may be a sign of possible meningitis or encephalitis).
– Sudden pain in the upper abdomen with lots of pain, persisting vomiting or sudden fever (may be a sign of pancreatitis).
Acute (sudden) and intense pain and swelling in the testicles of a boy or man after the age of puberty.Large, painful testicles after the age of puberty, in boys or men.
Rupture of the ear drum or tinnitus of a sudden onset.
When people become ill (e.g. due to vomiting) or uncomfortable in the back of their throat (e.g. if they have pain) they are unable to swallow and lose fluid.
Conclusion
Examples of classic viral diseases include mumps in which the salivary glands become swollen, painful and the person is tired and has a fever. Typically, no complications will arise, and supportive home care will suffice, however, some complications do occur and thus it is imperative to take precautions for them to be prevented. Strict hand hygiene, provision of appropriate isolation during outbreaks and high vaccination coverage to the MMR vaccine can help to prevent a public health impact from this communicable mumps disease and safeguard public health.
Get medical help if you have mumps symptoms or a family member does and make a diagnosis then give medical advice to the individual from your health-care provider or public health clinic.
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