The first symptoms of mumps. Piggy

People call mumps mumps, and this ailment is characterized by inflammation of the parotid glands.

Forms and symptoms of mumps

The symptoms of mumps in adults are quite pronounced. The infection is spread by airborne droplets. The epidemic is exacerbated during the cold season, when most people lack vitamins and the immune system is weakened. But we should not forget that the disease does not make itself felt immediately. Usually the incubation period is 10 to 23 days, depending on the state of health.

Mumps manifests itself in the fact that the parotid glands begin to hurt and become inflamed. In this case, you can even notice a swelling in the neck area. In most cases, the gland only near one ear becomes inflamed. As a rule, the skin in this area is strongly stretched and shiny.

In adults, symptoms may be complemented by severe fever and chills. Body temperature can rise to 39 ° C and more. When swallowing or talking, there is pain in the neck. If the disease is not treated, then other glands may begin to become inflamed, while the state of health will continue to deteriorate.

One should not forget about the possible complications of mumps in adults. Improper treatment or its complete absence can lead to meningitis, pancreatitis, neuritis. Very serious heart and kidney problems can also begin.

If acute mumps in an adult develops against the background of some infectious disease, it is considered to be not epidemic. In some cases, this disease may even pose a certain threat to a person's life. The disease often makes itself felt after infections enter the saliva against the background of general hypothermia of the body. In this case, the symptoms of mumps in adults will be the same as in mumps. Therefore, only an experienced doctor can identify the true form of the disease.

Dangerous complications

But despite the malfunctioning of some organs that can be caused by a disease such as mumps, there are also more serious complications. And every person must necessarily know about them in order to identify and cure pathology in time.

The most dangerous complication today is considered to be meningoencephalitis. From the name it is easy to understand that pathology combines two dangerous diseases: meningitis and encephalitis. You cannot diagnose such a complication on your own, since the symptoms can manifest itself in each person individually. But everyone is united here by a very strong headache, when absolutely no drugs help, weakness and apathy, high body temperature, muscle aches. There are frequent cases of clouding of consciousness.

The fact is that in most cases, orchitis develops, which entails inflammation of the testicles. As a rule, if two testicles become inflamed at the same time, then infertility cannot be avoided.

Sometimes, pus can build up in the parotid glands when mumps develops. And since he has nowhere to go, he gets into the middle ear, causing purulent otitis media.

Such a seemingly harmless, at first glance, complication can lead to complete hearing loss or infection through the ear to the brain.

Usually, people who have already had mumps do not get sick with it during their lifetime. And the whole point is that after a past illness, a persistent immunity to it develops. At the same time, even hypothermia will not affect the work of the glands in any way if the immune system is maintained at a normal level.

Prevention and treatment

In order not to face the possible complications of such a disease, you should know how the prevention and treatment of mumps is carried out. Young men should pay the most attention to this, since they are considered more vulnerable to such a disease, and in about 90% of all cases they have complications.

As for preventive measures, you should constantly keep your neck warm during the cold season. You also need to monitor the state of your immunity. It is recommended that during the period of exacerbation of epidemics take vitamins and eat more fresh fruits and vegetables.

But as for the treatment of such a disease, you should involve experienced specialists, and not self-medicate. As soon as the first signs of such a disease are found, you should immediately consult a doctor and undergo an examination. Usually, if the disease did not have time to go too far and cause complications, doctors prescribe treatment with standard medicines at home.

From pharmacies, antipyretic drugs and special warming ointments are prescribed, which must be applied to the neck area. But it is imperative to agree with the attending physician the dosage and the duration of the use of drugs.

In addition, you must strictly observe bed rest, do not go outside. It is recommended to wrap a warm scarf around your neck at night, and also apply warm heating pads or compresses to the inflamed area. But in no case should hot objects be used. You also need to try to consume warm drinks as much as possible, eat rich broths and cereals. It is very useful to eat warm dairy products, as well as fresh food of plant origin. It is recommended to give up fatty and smoked products for a while.

If mumps has gone too far, the doctor may prescribe special treatment in the hospital. And there, along with standard drugs, special vitamins and stronger drugs will be introduced. Sometimes patients are given IVs if the infection has already begun to affect other organs or glands.

How is mumps treated in adults?

Mumps is an infectious disease, which in the common people is called "mumps". This type of pathology can very often be observed in childhood, since the mumps virus especially affects children from 5 to 15 years old. But today this disease is often noted in adulthood, due to the fact that many adults simply have significantly reduced protective functions of the body.

For doctors, the treatment of mumps in adults is a much more difficult question, since the course of the disease is very difficult and at the same time there is a high possibility of complications. Let's talk about what this pathology is like, how the treatment takes place and in what ways you can protect yourself from it.

What is mumps

Mumps is an acute infection caused by a paramyxovirus that is not resistant to high temperatures, ultraviolet radiation and other environmental influences. The disease is characterized by damage to the special glands of the human body (salivary, pancreas and seminal), including the nervous system.

Also, the disease is called, as it was already said earlier, "mumps", as well as "mumps". The pathology received such names due to the fact that the salivary glands, which are located in front of the auricles, swell, thereby forming a characteristic swelling.

Mumps is spread by airborne droplets. The source of infection can be an extremely sick person who becomes infectious even before the onset of primary symptoms and remains so for another 9 days.

Reference. In the period an hour before the onset of the primary symptoms of the disease, a person becomes a distributor of this disease without knowing it.

The mumps virus first enters the mucous membrane of the oral cavity and nasopharynx, then spreads through the bloodstream, penetrating into the internal organs. The infection predominantly affects the soft lining of the brain, salivary glands, pancreas, and seminal glands.

The incubation period of the disease can last from several weeks to one month. The main symptom of mumps in adults, the treatment of which is a very important task for doctors, is swelling and pain in the salivary glands in the ear area, while the earlobe rises slightly, and the ear itself protrudes.

The body temperature can even rise up to 40 ° C and stay at this level for several days. 7 days after the onset of the disease, the temperature decreases, and the tumor subsides. By about day 10, all signs of mumps completely disappear.

Mumps: types of disease

Mumps can proceed in different ways, which is why, in order to diagnose pathology, it is important to determine the form of its clinical form.

This must be done in order to determine the necessary therapy strategy and prevent the possible likelihood of some complications.

In order to avoid negative consequences, it is necessary to determine the type of this pathology in a timely manner and proceed to prompt treatment.

The disease is divided into the following types, which have their own characteristic features:

  • epidemic - a pathology that nevertheless most often develops in children, but adults are also not spared. In this type, inflammation occurs in one parotid gland (in rare cases, both). There is swelling in the ear and chin area. If it has developed to a complex form, then the appearance of inflammation is noted, but with this type of mumps, this phenomenon is extremely rare;
  • non-epidemic - a more dangerous type of pathology. It can develop with salivary stone disease, trauma to the salivary gland, or due to the ingress of pathogens from the oral mucosa. This type in adults usually manifests itself as a complication of infectious diseases.

In turn, non-epidemic mumps is divided into such forms, depending on other diseases that the patient has:

  1. Catarrhal - there is exfoliation of the tissues of the ducts of the gland and the accumulation of thick liquid in it.
  2. Purulent - purulent melting of some areas of the salivary gland occurs.
  3. Gangrenous is a form characterized by partial or complete death of the gland.

Symptoms of mumps

A similar pathology like mumps is characterized by such manifestations as frequent headaches, a significant increase in body temperature, painful sensations in the tongue, swelling and inflammation of the salivary glands.

Symptoms of a purulent form appear only in the second half of the course of the disease.

In the event that mumps has developed in an adult against the background of the consequences of the postoperative period, then its symptoms already appear on the 5th day after the operation.

This type of disease can be without pronounced manifestations of symptoms. Other common symptoms in the early stages of the disease in an adult are as follows:

  • weakness, tiredness;
  • nausea, vomiting;
  • refusal to eat, drowsiness;
  • muscle pain;
  • hearing loss;
  • swelling of the salivary gland;
  • pain when touching the ears and chin;
  • decrease in salivation.

If an adult's illness proceeds classically, then special examinations are not required. In non-standard cases, a diagnosis can be carried out based on an examination of the analysis of blood, urine, lavage from the pharynx, saliva and cerebrospinal fluid. Based on these studies, the specialist determines the diagnosis.

Complications

It has already been noted that mumps at an older age can cause serious complications.

These include the following diseases:

Mumps is especially dangerous for men, who may develop such a pathology as orchitis as a complication. It can lead to incurable infertility.

In case of development of orchitis and meningitis, patients are prescribed treatment with corticosteroid drugs, for example, "Prednisolone". The course of such treatment is 1 week.

Attention! In no case should it be possible to self-treat mumps in adults, because the disease is dangerous with various serious complications.

Only a specialist will be able to control the course of this ailment and avert adverse consequences.

Treatment of mumps

First of all, here you should immediately pay attention to the fact that the treatment of mumps in adults with antibiotics is not carried out, since antibacterial drugs cannot affect viruses.

There are simply no special medications that can cope with paramyxovirus.

And in general, there is no specific treatment for mumps. If the pathology proceeds without complications, it can be cured at home. If there is a severe course of the disease, then the patient is treated in a hospital.

If we dwell on the features of the therapy of the disease, it is worth noting that the main task is to prevent complications. First of all, patients are prescribed strict adherence to bed rest for at least 10 days.

In the treatment of mumps, the following scheme is used:

  • adherence to a diet. It consists in the exclusion of fried, fatty, spicy foods, pickles, marinades, and also there is a restriction on the consumption of white bread and pasta products. All food must be crushed;
  • compliance with the drinking regimen. The patient needs to provide an abundant drink. For this purpose, weak tea, berry and fruit fruit drinks and rosehip decoctions are suitable;
  • after each meal, the patient must certainly rinse his mouth with a warm mixture of baking soda and water (1 teaspoon per glass of water), a decoction of sage or chamomile.

As for drug treatment, it is mainly performed symptomatically and looks like this:

  1. Antihistamines - Claritin, Suprastin.
  2. Anti-inflammatory, antipyretic drugs - "Paracetamol", "Panadol".
  3. Vitamin complexes - Complivit.
  4. Alcohol and oil compresses on the area of \u200b\u200binflamed glands.
  5. Physiotherapy procedures in the form of UHF and ultraviolet radiation.

Reference. It is strictly forbidden to warm the swollen area with a heating pad for mumps!

Strict adherence to all the appointments prescribed by the doctor will help alleviate the course of the disease and avoid complications.

Prevention of mumps

We introduced the reader to a disease such as mumps in adults, photos of the symptoms and treatment of which are presented in this article. But another important question arises about how to protect yourself from this disease.

Unfortunately, today there is still the only way to prevent this disease - this is vaccination, which began to be carried out back in the mid-60s.

Adults are not vaccinated against mumps because it is considered ineffective. Usually children aged 1 to 2 are vaccinated.

Non-specific preventive measures for the prevention of mumps include the following actions:

  • isolation of the patient up to 9 days of illness;
  • airing the living quarters, preferably several times a day. This reduces the threat of infection to the rest of the household;
  • mask mode;
  • disinfection of household items;
  • strengthening of immunity.

After suffering an illness, the human body develops immunity for life to this virus.

Mumps is a very serious disease, which is marked by the severity of the course and a large list of all kinds of serious complications. All this can be avoided if the ailment is recognized in a timely manner and treated responsibly. The most correct thing in this case is to see a doctor who will help to cope with this pathology.

You can also find detailed information about such diseases as allergic otitis media and salpingootitis.

Directory of major ENT diseases and their treatment

All information on the site is for informational purposes only and does not claim to be absolutely accurate from a medical point of view. Treatment must be carried out by a qualified doctor. Self-medication can hurt yourself!

Mumps in adults

Mumps is a condition associated with inflammation of the parotid gland. This disease has been known for a long time all over the world and is often called by the people "mumps". Most often, children suffer from it, but cases of mumps in adults are not uncommon.

Epidemic and non-epidemic mumps in adults - symptoms

By origin, mumps is divided into two types, characterized by slightly different manifestations and course. Let's take a closer look at each form of the disease.

This type of disease is more common. Mumps in adults is an acute infectious disease caused by a paramyxovirus. The infection is transmitted from person to person by airborne droplets, but contact transmission is not excluded. The incubation period (from infection to onset of symptoms) can range from 11 to 23 days. Outbreaks of the epidemic occur, as a rule, in the autumn-winter period.

In most cases, the disease proceeds as an acute infection and is accompanied by an inflammatory process, usually of one parotid gland. In this case, the gland increases significantly in size. Purulent inflammation of the parotid gland with this type of disease develops very rarely.

In addition to the parotid glands, with mumps, the submandibular and sublingual salivary glands, as well as the pancreas, mammary, and sex glands, can become inflamed. Severe complications can develop:

Signs of mumps in adults are:

  • increased body temperature (up to 39 ° C);
  • chills, fever;
  • general weakness;
  • headache;
  • swelling of the parotid gland (unilateral or bilateral);
  • sharp pain during chewing, swallowing, talking.

The skin over the inflamed gland is tense, shiny, and the swelling can spread to the neck area.

Non-epidemic mumps in adults can be both infectious and non-infectious. Possible causes of this form of the disease are:

  • trauma to the salivary gland;
  • hypothermia;
  • blockage of the excretory duct of the gland by a foreign body;
  • salivary stone disease;
  • infection due to the ingress of bacteria from the oral mucosa.

Mumps have a severe course, the development of which is associated with infectious diseases: pneumonia, influenza, typhus, epidemic encephalitis, etc. The causative agents of infection can be streptococci, staphylococci, pneumococci and some other microorganisms. The infection penetrates into the parotid gland most often through its excretory duct, less often through the blood and lymphatic vessels.

This type of disease, like an epidemic, begins with the appearance of swelling and pain in the parotid gland. Dry mouth, general malaise, and fever are also characteristic.

Treatment of mumps in adults

Treatment of mumps is symptomatic. In most cases, patients are treated at home. As a rule, the following are assigned:

  • bed rest;
  • drinking plenty of fluids;
  • antipyretic drugs;
  • the use of agents that enhance salivation;
  • rinsing the mouth with solutions of anti-inflammatory drugs;
  • local warming preparations in the form of ointments on the affected areas;
  • vitamin therapy;
  • adherence to a dairy-plant diet.

In severe forms of mumps with the development of serious complications, patients are hospitalized in a hospital. In this case, additional treatment is prescribed depending on the type of complications.

Vaccination and revaccination are recommended for the prevention of mumps.

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Mumps in adults

Mumps is an inflammation of one or both of the parotid glands (large salivary glands located on both sides of the face in humans). The reasons can be different and are divided into infectious (caused by bacteria or viruses) and non-infectious (trauma, dehydration, hypothermia, blockage of the gland). Also, mumps can develop against the background of other diseases, including some autoimmune, sialadenosis, sarcoidosis, pneumopatitis, or be nonspecific, i.e. have no specific reason.

Mumps and the non-infectious form

Epidemic parotitis (in the common people - mumps, mumps) is an infectious disease of viral etiology, characterized by a non-suppurative lesion and an increase in one or more groups of salivary glands, proceeds with pronounced manifestations of intoxication and fever. The causative agent is a virus of the Rubulavirus genus, which belongs to the Paramyxovirus family. Its virion (mature viral particle) was first isolated and studied in 1943 by scientists E. Goodpascher and K. Johnson.

In the non-infectious form, damage to the salivary glands occurs due to trauma to the salivary gland and the penetration of a pathogen from the oral cavity into it (for example, after surgery). Dehydration, which can occur in older people or after surgery, can also often be the cause. In rare cases, non-epidemic mumps can develop as a complication of pneumonia, typhoid, or influenza.

Routes of transmission and incubation period

The virus is unstable in the external environment, however, it is easily transmitted from a sick person to a healthy person by airborne droplets (when talking, coughing, sneezing). The first symptoms of damage do not appear immediately: the incubation (latent) period lasts two, sometimes three weeks.

According to research, after suffering from mumps, persistent lifelong immunity remains. Only in rare cases are repeated infections by the virus recorded.

Typical symptoms

It is generally accepted that mumps is a childhood disease. Indeed, mumps is diagnosed most often in children between three and fifteen years of age. However, due to its high infectivity, the disease sometimes occurs in adults, especially in those who are not immune to the pathogen (Rubulavirus virus).

Symptoms in adults are often more severe than in children. The main symptoms of mumps in adults are:

  • swelling and inflammation of the parotid gland (lasts 5-10 days);
  • painful inflammation of the testicles develops in 15-40% of adult men (past puberty). This inflammation of the testicles is usually unilateral (both testicles are swollen in% of cases of mumps) and usually occurs about 10 days after the inflammation of the parotid gland, although in rare cases much later (up to 6 weeks). Reduced fertility (chances of conception) is an uncommon consequence of inflammation of the testicles from mumps, and infertility is even rarer.
  • ovarian inflammation occurs in about five percent of adolescents and adult women;
  • hearing impairment, which can be unilateral and bilateral;
  • an increase in body temperature (lasts about a week, the peak (38-39, sometimes 40 degrees) is observed in the first days);
  • on palpation behind the ears and in the chin area, soreness occurs (especially at the point of the mastoid process, in front and behind the earlobe - Filatov's symptom);
  • acute inflammation of the pancreas (approximately 4% of cases), manifested as abdominal pain and vomiting;
  • impaired salivation, dry mouth;
  • pain in the tongue, especially from the side of the lesion;
  • an increase in the inguinal lymph nodes;
  • loss of appetite, drowsiness, migraine.

If the patient has a non-epidemic form of mumps, then pus is often released from the salivary glands into the oral cavity.

The disease can sometimes proceed in an erased form, with mild symptoms (without fever and local pain).

It should be noted that the virus, penetrating the body, affects all glandular organs. In addition to the salivary glands, these can be the testes in men and the ovaries in women, the pancreas and the soft (choroid) lining of the brain. In this regard, certain complications may arise, described below.

Photos of the faces of sick adults

Diagnostics

In many cases, the diagnosis is determined already during a face-to-face examination. The doctor conducts a thorough examination of the patient (neck, tongue, lymph nodes are palpable) and asks if he has had contact with a patient with mumps in the last few weeks. If all the facts agree, then additional diagnostics in a particular case may not be needed.

However, sometimes it is important for the doctor to determine the accuracy of the presence of the disease. For example, with erased symptoms, a specialist can suggest a diagnosis and, in order to exclude a number of other dangerous pathologies, the patient recommends a series of research activities.

The therapist, suspecting mumps, is obliged to refer the patient to an infectious disease specialist. In some cases, additional consultation with a dentist and even a surgeon will be required (to open an abscess if it is a non-epidemic form).

Treatment

Patients with mumps are usually treated at home. The exceptions are cases when the infection proceeds in a particularly complex form. Home isolation is recommended (up to nine days). Disinfection in the outbreak area is optional.

There is no specific treatment for mumps. All measures should be aimed at preventing complications. Recommendations and prescriptions for the patient are as follows:

  1. Take antipyretic drugs if the body temperature reaches 38 degrees or more.
  2. Observe bed rest, do not burden yourself with physical homework.
  3. Due to the fact that the pancreas is hit, it is recommended not to overload it. Try to eat easily digestible food, do not use flour products, as well as spicy, smoked and sour foods.
  4. If there is an assumption about the development of orchitis (inflammation of the testicular tissue in men), then it is recommended to start a course of treatment with Prednisolone (the initial dose should be mg, followed by a daily decrease of 5 mg). The duration of treatment is a week.
  5. Observe an abundant drinking regime.
  6. A dry heat compress can be applied to the area of \u200b\u200bthe swelling.
  7. In the case when a complication has arisen on the soft tissues of the brain, a spinal puncture is prescribed to extract a small amount of cerebrospinal fluid.
  8. With the development of acute pancreatitis, drugs that inhibit enzymes are prescribed (for example, intravenous Contrikal). The duration of treatment is five days.

Antibacterial drugs must be included in the treatment regimen for non-epidemic mumps. With a large accumulation of pus, an opening and drainage of the salivary gland is prescribed. In this case, antibiotics are injected directly into the glandular organ.

Complications

Despite the fact that mumps is not a serious illness, in some rare cases it can provoke serious and sometimes irreversible consequences. One of the commonly discussed complications is orchitis. This pathology can lead to a deterioration in the quality of sperm, which entails male infertility.

The viral "attack" of the soft membranes of the brain in some cases also leaves negative consequences. This can be fraught with the development of encephalitis and meningitis.

Studies have come to differing conclusions as to whether carrying mumps during pregnancy contributes to an increase in spontaneous abortion rates.

Prevention

Today, active prevention of mumps is being carried out, which consists in vaccination of the population. The first vaccination is given to a child (regardless of gender) at a year, the subsequent revaccination at the age of six. At the age of 14, a monovaccine for mumps is administered exclusively to boys. The effectiveness of the vaccine depends on the strain of the virus, but, as a rule, it is able to protect against the disease in 80% of cases.

As you know, it is easier to prevent a disease than to treat and deal with complications later. Today, many parents refuse to vaccinate their child, believing that they are harmful or even deadly. In fact, vaccinations will help strengthen the immune system and even if a child or adult suddenly gets sick with mumps, there is a better chance of avoiding complications.

I was sick with mumps as a child. It is said that for adults, this disease can give severe complications to reproductive function.

Mumps disease in adults

The source of the disease is an exclusively infected person. Mumps what is it? The disease is popularly known as "mumps", is often epidemic in nature and, as a rule, occurs during the off-season (March-April, October-November). Mumps in adults is an acute viral disease caused by paramyxovirus. People are highly susceptible to this infection, but mumps is more common in children than in adults. Once having undergone a disease, a person acquires lifelong immunity.

Causes of mumps

The virus, which serves as the causative agent of mumps, has low resistance outside the human body, but once inside, it quickly spreads to people from the patient's environment. The infection sticks together the red blood cells of guinea pigs, chickens, dogs, ducks and other animals. Infection of adults and children is carried out by airborne droplets: during a conversation, when sneezing, being close to an infected person, through household items (dishes, towels, etc.).

Chronic mumps develops against the background of serious metabolic disorders. The disease is characterized by the proliferation of interstitial connective tissue, which entails squeezing of the parenchyma with its further atrophy. The exacerbation of the chronic form of "mumps" is associated with congenital changes in the saliva ducts, a sharp decrease in immunity, and persistent infection entering the oral cavity. Sometimes the causative agent can serve as a common cold, which was not cured in a timely manner. Often, the disease is wavy in nature.

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Disease types

Mumps can proceed in different ways, therefore, in order to diagnose the disease, it is important to determine the specific version of its clinical form. In adults, it determines not only the tactics of treatment, but also allows you to prevent the likelihood of certain complications. To avoid unpleasant consequences, it is important to determine the type of mumps in time and start treating it.

Epidemic

"Mumps" is a common disease that often affects children, not adults. With mumps, one parotid gland becomes inflamed (less often both), there is a pronounced swelling in the ear and chin. When the disease develops to a severe stage, purulent inflammation appears. However, with the epidemic form of mumps, this phenomenon practically does not occur.

Non-epidemic

This type of infection is considered more dangerous and can manifest itself with salivary stone disease, injury to the salivary gland, or as a result of the penetration of harmful bacteria from the oral mucosa. Non-epidemic mumps in adults is often a complication of other infectious diseases (influenza, typhoid, pneumonia). Depending on the pathologies developing in the body of an adult, this form of mumps is divided into three subspecies:

  • Gangrenous (characterized by the death of the entire gland or its individual sections).
  • Catarrhal (there is a desquamation of the tissues of the ducts of the gland, in which a thick liquid accumulates).
  • Purulent (purulent fusion of certain zones of the salivary gland is carried out).

The first signs and symptoms in adults

Mumps is usually characterized by frequent headaches, fever, tongue soreness, swelling and inflammation of the parotid gland. Symptoms of a purulent form appear in the second half of the course of the disease. If mumps in an adult has arisen against the background of postoperative complications, then its signs will be noticeable as early as 4-5 days after surgery. Mumps often occurs without pronounced symptoms.

Other common symptoms of mumps in adults:

  • nausea, vomiting;
  • hearing impairment;
  • pain on palpation of the area of \u200b\u200bthe ears, chin;
  • swelling of the salivary gland;
  • reduction or cessation of saliva flow;
  • redness and swelling in the salivary gland;
  • discharge of pus in the bacteriological form of mumps;
  • decreased appetite, drowsiness.

How is the diagnosis carried out?

With the classic course of mumps in an adult, there is no need to carry out a special examination. In atypical, exceptional cases, for example, with a severe course of the disease or a mumps infection of a previously vaccinated person, a diagnosis is carried out. It includes a study of lavage from the pharynx, analysis of blood, urine, saliva and cerebrospinal fluid. Based on the results, the doctor makes a diagnosis.

Treatment of the disease

As a rule, in the normal course of mumps, an adult patient is not prescribed injections or strong medications. However, if complications develop, the doctor may prescribe serious therapy. Infected mumps are advised to stay in bed with plenty of fluids and regular mouthwashes. To reduce pain, hot and cold compresses or analgesics are prescribed. If mumps is detected in an adult at an early stage, the doctor prescribes gamma globulin to alleviate the condition.

Mumps is usually treated at home. Only seriously ill people are hospitalized. At the initial stage of the disease, standard methods of therapy are used: taking antibiotics, adhering to a diet, and conducting hygiene procedures. Suppuration requires an urgent operation, in which salivary stones are removed, and the site of inflammation is incised and drained. After suffering purulent or catarrhal parotitis, the salivary gland fully restores its functions.

How long is the incubation period

The incubation period of the "mumps" lasts on average from 12 to 20 days. However, an infected person begins to spread the infection even before the first symptoms of mumps appear. Some sick adults already for 1-2 days begin to feel muscle, headache, joint pains, dryness in the mouth, chills, characteristic of the "mumps".

Possible complications and consequences of mumps

Despite the fact that "mumps" is not a serious illness, it can provoke serious complications. When the patient's condition worsens, orchitis (in men), mastitis (in women), encephalitis may occur, in the worst case, irreversible deafness and infertility develop. No less serious complication of "mumps" is meningitis, in which the disease is extremely difficult, and recovery does not come for a long time. Various tissues and organs (ovaries, mammary glands, pancreas) are affected by the virus.

Prevention methods

Mumps is called a vaccine-preventable infection. Thanks to vaccines, which began to be made in the mid-60s, the incidence has dropped significantly. Adults are not vaccinated against mumps, since it is considered ineffective; children are vaccinated at the age of 1-2 years. Typically, the vaccine is given in combination with the measles and rubella vaccine. This preventive measure is very effective and rarely produces local or general reactions. A sure way to avoid infection is to avoid contact with a sick person.

Non-specific methods of prevention of mumps are:

  • Isolation of the infected during the period of illness. Starting from day 9 of the acute phase of mumps, the patient is considered non-infectious.
  • Regular ventilation of the home. The change in air reduces the likelihood of infection of the patient's roommates. To do this, the rooms should be ventilated 3-4 times a day.
  • Use of protective masks. The patient must wear a special gauze bandage to prevent infection of others.
  • Disinfection of household items. To process dishes and other items with which a person has come into contact, use medical alcohol or chlorine-containing substances.
  • Strengthening the immune system. Compliance with a healthy lifestyle, regular walks in the fresh air, contrast showers and sports activities reduce the risk of contracting mumps and other infectious diseases.

What does mumps disease look like in adults - photo

Many modern parents prefer to refuse vaccination, explaining their decision by the possibility of side effects. However, it should be borne in mind that unvaccinated people have a high chance of contracting mumps through contact with sick people. In addition, unvaccinated adults are more likely to develop complications from mumps. Children who have not received the vaccine pose a danger to those around them, as they are more likely to contract mild mumps and act as a distributor of the virus. Below are photos of people infected with mumps.

The information presented in the article is for informational purposes only. The materials of the article do not call for self-treatment. Only a qualified doctor can diagnose and give recommendations for treatment based on the individual characteristics of a particular patient.

Mumps: symptoms and treatment

Mumps - the main symptoms:

  • Noise in ears
  • Headache
  • Weakness
  • Joint pain
  • Elevated temperature
  • Muscle weakness
  • Dry mouth
  • Swelling of the face
  • Insomnia
  • Muscle pain
  • Earache
  • Inflammation of the appendages
  • Malaise
  • Infertility
  • Arthritis
  • Enlargement of the salivary parotid glands
  • Testicular edema
  • Enlargement of glandular organs

Mumps (or mumps) is an acute viral disease that occurs when exposed to paramyxovirus. Mumps, the symptoms of which are manifested in the form of fever, a general type of intoxication, as well as an increase in the salivary glands (one or more), often affects other organs, as well as the central nervous system.

general description

The source of the disease is exclusively a person, that is, patients in whom the disease proceeds in a manifest or hardware form. Patients become contagious within the first 1-2 days from the moment of infection until the appearance of the first symptoms indicating the disease. In addition, they are contagious in the first five days of the course of the disease. From the moment the symptomatology characteristic of mumps disappears in the patient, he also ceases to be contagious.

The virus is transmitted by airborne droplets, however, the possibility of its transmission through contaminated objects (for example, through toys, etc.) is not excluded. As for the susceptibility to infection, it is quite high.

Children are predominantly susceptible to the disease. With regard to gender, it is noted that the incidence of mumps among men occurs one and a half times more often than among women. In addition, the disease is characterized by high seasonality, with the maximum incidence in March-April, and the minimum in August-September.

In the adult population (about 80-90%), the presence of antibodies to infection is found in the blood, which, in turn, indicates the significance of its spread.

Features of the course of mumps

The mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract acts as a gateway for infection, which also does not exclude the tonsils in this context. The penetration of the pathogen occurs to the salivary glands in a hematogenous way, and not through the stenon (that is, the ear) duct. The spread of the virus occurs throughout the body, in the process of which it chooses the most favorable conditions for itself, in which it will become possible for its reproduction - in particular, these are the glandular organs and the nervous system.

The nervous system, like other glandular organs, is susceptible to damage not only after the salivary glands have been affected, but also simultaneously or earlier. In some cases, this type of lesion may not be present.

The localization of the pathogen, as well as the severity of changes accompanying certain organs, determines the widest variety that characterizes the symptoms of the disease. During the course of mumps, the body begins to produce antibodies, which are subsequently detected over several years, in addition to this, there is also an allergic restructuring in the body that persists for a long period of time (perhaps even throughout life).

In determining the mechanisms of neutralization of the virus under consideration, it is important to note that a significant role is determined for virucidal bodies, which suppress the activity of the virus, as well as the process of its penetration into cells.

Classification of clinical forms of mumps

The course of mumps can take place in various clinical forms, which is especially important in the process of diagnosing the disease. Today there is no generally accepted variant of the classification of the forms of the disease, however, the following, the most successful variation of it, is applicable.

  • Manifest forms:
    • The forms are uncomplicated: only the salivary glands are affected (one or more);
    • The forms are complicated: the salivary glands are affected, as well as some other types of organs, which manifests itself in the form of meningitis, nephritis, orchitis, arthritis, mastitis, meningoencephalitis, etc.;
    • Depending on the inherent severity of the course of the form:
      • Light (atypical, worn out) forms;
      • Moderate forms;
      • The forms are heavy.
  • Inapparent form of a type of infection;
  • Phenomena of the residual type arising against the background of mumps:
    • Diabetes;
    • Infertility;
    • Testicular atrophy;
    • Disturbances in the functions of the central nervous system;
    • Deafness.

The classification concerning the manifest forms of the disease implies two additional criteria: complications (their presence or absence), as well as the severity of the disease. Then the possibility of the course of the infection in the inapparent form (that is, in the asymptomatic form) is indicated, in addition to this, residual phenomena are also highlighted that persist for a long time (mainly throughout life) from the moment of elimination of the mumps virus from the patient's body. The severity of the consequences of the disease (deafness, infertility, etc.) determines the need for this section, because in practice, experts often overlook them.

As for the uncomplicated forms of the disease, these include those variants of the course of the disease in which only the salivary glands are affected in any number of them. In the case of complicated forms, the lesion of the salivary glands is considered an obligatory component of the clinical picture, while, however, it is not excluded the development of lesions of other types of organs (mainly glands: mammary, genital, etc.), the nervous system, kidneys, joints, myocardium.

In terms of determining the criteria of severity corresponding to the course of mumps, they are based on the severity of fever and signs inherent in intoxication, in addition to which complications (their absence or presence) are also taken into account. The course of uncomplicated mumps, as a rule, is characterized by its own lightness, somewhat less often there is a correspondence of moderate severity, while severe forms in any case proceed with complications (often multiple).

Features of mild forms of mumps are in the course of the disease in combination with low-grade fever, mild or absent intoxication, with the exclusion of the possibility of complications.

Forms of moderate severity are characterized by the occurrence of febrile temperature (within degrees), as well as a prolonged form of the course of fever with severe symptoms of intoxication (headache, chills, myalgia, arthralgia). The salivary glands reach a significant size, bilateral parotitis is often possible in combination with complications.

Severe forms of the disease occur at a high body temperature (from 40 degrees or more), and its increase is characterized by a significant duration (within two or more weeks). In addition, the symptoms characteristic of intoxication are sharply expressed (severe weakness, lowering blood pressure, sleep disturbances, tachycardia, anorexia, etc.). In this case, mumps is almost always bilateral, and its complications are multiple. Fever in combination with toxicosis proceeds in waves, and each separate wave is directly related to the appearance of an additional complication. In some cases, a severe course is not determined from the first days of the onset of the disease.

Mumps: Symptoms in Children

Mumps, like any other infection, has several stages that are relevant for itself, of which the first is the incubation period, its duration is about days.

Following the penetration of the virus into the child's body through the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, it enters the bloodstream, after which it spreads throughout the body. The virus mainly concentrates in the area of \u200b\u200bglandular organs (pancreas, salivary glands, thyroid gland, testicles, prostate), as well as in the central nervous system. It is in these organs that the accumulation and multiplication of the virus occurs, which by the end of the incubation period again appears in the blood - this already determines the second wave of viremia. The duration of the presence of viruses in the blood is about 7 days, during which it becomes possible to detect them using specialized research methods.

This is followed by such a stage of mumps as the stage of the appearance of clinical symptoms. The classic course of mumps in children is characterized by the appearance of a temperature (about 38 degrees). Within a day or two, swelling occurs in combination with soreness, localized from the parotid salivary gland. Inflammation of the salivary gland, accordingly, leads to a violation of its functions, which, in turn, causes dry mouth.

Given that saliva itself has antibacterial and digestive properties, the resulting disorder provokes the appearance of dyspeptic disorders (abdominal pain, nausea, stool disorders) and the appearance of bacterial infections (stomatitis) in the oral cavity. Mumps in children can occur both in the bilateral form of the lesion of the salivary gland, and in the form of bilateral.

In addition to the parotid gland, the sublingual and submandibular salivary glands can also be affected by mumps. Due to this, the face becomes puffy, especially this manifestation is expressed in the parotid and chin regions. On the basis of the manifestations characteristic of the disease, the people call it mumps - because of the resemblance to a pork "muzzle".

When other organs are involved in the inflammatory process, complicated mumps develops. In children, in this case, there is a heaviness in the abdomen and stool disturbances, nausea and vomiting.

Older children (school age) with this disease may face damage to the testicles (orchitis), as well as damage to the prostate gland (that is, prostatitis). Basically, in children, only one testicle is affected, in which edema forms. In addition, the skin on the scrotum becomes red, warm to the touch.

In the case of prostatitis, the localization of pain is concentrated in the perineal region. Rectal examination determines the presence of a tumor formation, the presence of which is also accompanied by the manifestation of pain. As for girls, in this case, damage to the ovaries becomes possible, which is accompanied by symptoms in the form of nausea and abdominal pain.

The course of mumps in children is possible not only in the classical form of its manifestation, but also in an erased and asymptomatic form. The erased form proceeds with a slight increase in temperature (up to 37.5 degrees), there is no characteristic lesion of the salivary glands (or it is insignificant and disappears after a few days). Accordingly, the asymptomatic form of mumps in children proceeds without any symptoms, without disturbing them. At the same time, it is these forms that are the most dangerous for the environment of the child - in this case, he is a distributor of the disease, which, in turn, does not always manifest itself appropriately, making it impossible to carry out timely quarantine measures.

Mumps: Symptoms in Adults

Mumps also occurs in adults. Its course and symptoms in most of its manifestations are similar to the course of mumps in children.

The duration of the incubation period is about a day (mainly within 15-19). Some people experience prodromal symptoms one to two days before the onset of the disease. It manifests itself in the form of chills, pain in joints and muscles, headaches. Dryness appears in the mouth, unpleasant sensations arise in the parotid salivary glands.

Basically, the onset of the disease is accompanied by a gradual transition from a subfebrile temperature to a high temperature, the duration of the fever is about a week. Meanwhile, it often happens that the course of the disease proceeds without elevated temperature. In combination with fever, headache, malaise and weakness are noted, patients may also be bothered by insomnia.

The main manifestation of mumps in adults, as in children, is inflammation of the parotid glands, and possibly also the glands of the sublingual and submandibular glands. The projection of these glands determines swelling and tenderness on palpation. The pronounced increase, to which the parotid salivary gland is exposed, leads to the fact that the patient's face becomes pear-shaped in shape, the earlobe also rises somewhat from the side of the lesion. In the area of \u200b\u200bswelling, the skin is noticeably stretched, it also shines and it is rather difficult to collect it in folds. There is no change in color.

In adults, mumps is mainly manifested in a bilateral form of lesion, although, as in children, the possibility of a unilateral lesion is not excluded. The patient experiences pain and a feeling of tension in the parotid region, which is especially acute at night. Compression by a tumor in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Eustachian tube can lead to the appearance of noise in the ears, as well as pain in them. Pressure behind the earlobe indicates a pronounced manifestation of pain, and this symptom is one of the most important among the early manifestations of the disease.

In some cases, the patient experiences difficulties when trying to chew food, more severe forms of this symptom are expressed in the development of functional trismus that occurs in the chewing muscles. Also topical symptoms are the appearance of dry mouth with a simultaneous decrease in salivation. The duration of the pain is about 3-4 days, in some cases their irradiation to the neck or to the ear is noted with a gradual subsiding by the time of the week. At about the same time, the puffiness that has arisen in the projection of the salivary glands also disappears.

The prodromal period is a feature of the course of the disease in adults. It is characterized by the presence of severe clinical symptoms. In addition to the already noted general toxic manifestations, phenomena of a dyspeptic and catarrhal scale acquire relevance. Lesions of the salivary glands (submandibular and sublingual) are noted in adults much more often than in children.

Mumps: complications

Mumps is most often accompanied by complications in the form of damage to the central nervous system and glandular organs. In the event that we are talking about childhood morbidity, then most often serous meningitis becomes a complication. It is noteworthy that males are three times more likely to develop meningitis as a complication of mumps. Predominantly, symptoms indicating damage to the central nervous system appear after the inflammation of the salivary glands has arisen. Meanwhile, simultaneous damage to the central nervous system in combination with the salivary glands is not excluded.

In about 10% of cases of mumps, the development of meningitis occurs earlier than inflammation of the salivary glands, and in some cases, meningeal signs in patients appear without pronounced changes affecting the salivary glands.

The onset of meningitis is characterized by its own severity, in frequent cases it is described as violent (often by 4-7 days of illness). In addition, chills occur, body temperature reaches 39 degrees or more. The patient is worried about severe headache and vomiting. The meningeal syndrome begins to develop quite quickly, which manifests itself in the stiffness of the muscles of the occiput, as well as in the Kering-Brudzinsky symptomatology. Symptoms characteristic of meningitis and fever disappear later.

Some patients, in addition to the listed meningeal symptoms, also face the development of signs characteristic of meningoencephalitis or encephalomyelitis. In this case, a violation of consciousness occurs, drowsiness and lethargy appear, periosteal and tendon reflexes are characterized by their own unevenness. Paresis in the area of \u200b\u200bthe facial nerve, hemiparesis and lethargy, noted in pupillary reflexes, are relevant.

A complication of mumps, such as orchitis, in varying degrees of its manifestation, mainly occurs in adults. The incidence of this complication is determined by the severity of the disease. So, if we are talking about moderate and severe forms of mumps, then orchitis becomes a complication of the order in 50% of cases.

Symptoms characteristic of orchitis appear by 5-7 days after the onset of the disease, while they are characterized by another wave of fever at a temperature of around degrees. In the area of \u200b\u200bthe testicle and scrotum, severe pains appear, in some cases their irradiation (spread) to the lower abdomen is possible. The enlargement of the testicle reaches a size corresponding to a goose egg.

The duration of the fever is about 3 to 7 days, the duration of testicular enlargement is about 5-8 days. After that, the pain disappears, and the testicle undergoes a gradual decrease. Already later, after one or two months, manifestations indicating its atrophy are possible, which becomes quite common in patients who have had orchitis - in 50% of cases.

In the case of mumps orchitis, as a rare complication, pulmonary infarction is also noted, which occurs due to thrombosis that occurs in the veins of the prostate and in the pelvic organs. Another complication, which is much more rare in cases of its own occurrence, is priapism. Priapism consists in the appearance of a painful and prolonged erection of the penis, which occurs when the cavernous bodies are filled with blood. Note that this phenomenon is not associated with sexual arousal.

The development of such a complication as acute pancreatitis is noted by 4-7 days of the disease. Acute pancreatitis manifests itself in the form of sharp pains occurring in the epigastric region, as well as in the form of nausea, fever, and repeated vomiting. Examination allows you to determine among some patients the presence of tension in the abdominal muscles, as well as symptoms indicating irritation of the peritoneum. The activity of amylase in urine increases, which can last up to a month, while the remaining symptoms of acute pancreatitis are relevant for a period of 7-10 days.

In some cases, a complication such as damage to the organ of hearing becomes the cause of absolute deafness. The main symptom of this lesion is ringing in the ears and the appearance of noise in them. Labyrinthitis is indicated by vomiting, dizziness, and impaired coordination of movements. Mostly deafness develops unilaterally, from the side of the lesion of the corresponding salivary gland. The recovery period excludes the possibility of hearing recovery.

A complication such as arthritis occurs in about 0.5% of patients. Most often, adults are susceptible to them, and men with mumps arthritis are much more likely to face than women. This complication is noted within the first two weeks after the lesion of the salivary glands. Meanwhile, their appearance is also possible before the glands have undergone corresponding changes. Large joints (ankle, knee, shoulder, etc.) are mainly affected - they swell and acquire significant soreness, in addition to this, a serous effusion can form in them. As for the duration of the manifestations of arthritis, most often it is about 1-2 weeks, in some cases the symptoms can persist up to 3 months.

To date, it has been established that mumps in pregnant women causes, as a rule, fetal damage. So, subsequently, in children, the presence of peculiar changes in the heart can be noted, which is defined as the primary form of myocardial fibroelastosis.

Regarding other possible complications in the form of oophoritis, prostatitis, nephritis, mastitis and others, it can be noted that they appear quite rarely.

Treatment of mumps

There is no specific treatment for mumps. So, the treatment of this disease can be carried out at home. As for hospitalization, it is provided only for severe and complicated forms of mumps, including on the basis of epidemiological indications. Patients are isolated at home for 9 days. In those childcare facilities in which a case of mumps is detected, quarantine is established for a period of 3 weeks.

Dwelling on the features of treatment, it should be noted that the main task in it comes down to avoiding (preventing) complications. In particular, bed rest should be observed for at least 10 days. It is noteworthy that men who excluded bed rest during the first week from the mandatory measures in treatment were faced with the development of orchitis three times more often than those men who were hospitalized in this way during the first three days of the onset of the disease.

Prevention of pancreatitis is ensured by following a specific diet. In particular, excessive oversaturation should be avoided, and consumption of cabbage, fat, pasta and white bread should be reduced. The basis of the diet for a diet should consist of dairy and vegetable components. Rice is recommended from cereals, in addition, potatoes and black bread are allowed.

If orchitis develops, prednisone (up to 7 days) or another type of corticosteroid is prescribed. Meningitis also implies the need for corticosteroid use.

As for the general forecast, it is generally favorable. The probability of death is 1 :. Meanwhile, it is important to consider the possibility of testicular atrophy and, as a result, azoospermia. After the transfer of meningoencephalitis and mumps meningitis for a long time, asthenization is noted.

If you or your child develop mumps symptoms, you should contact your pediatrician / physician or infectious disease specialist as soon as possible.

If you think that you have mumps and symptoms characteristic of this disease, then doctors can help you: pediatrician, therapist, infectious disease specialist.

We also suggest using our online disease diagnosis service, which, based on the entered symptoms, selects probable diseases.

Borreliosis, which is also defined as Lyme disease, Lyme borreliosis, tick-borne borreliosis and otherwise, is a natural focal disease of the vector-borne type. Borreliosis, the symptoms of which are damage to the joints, skin, heart and nervous system, is often characterized by a chronic and recurrent course of its own.

Chronic fatigue syndrome (abbreviated CFS) is a condition in which mental and physical weakness occurs, caused by unknown factors and lasting from six months or more. Chronic fatigue syndrome, the symptoms of which are assumed to be to some extent associated with infectious diseases, is also closely related to the accelerated pace of life of the population and the increased flow of information literally befalling a person for subsequent perception.

A disease characterized by muscle damage with manifestations of abnormalities in motor functions and the formation of edema and erythema on the skin is called Wagner's disease or dermatomyositis. If there are no skin syndromes, then the disease is called polymyositis.

Myalgia is a pathological process characterized by the appearance of painful sensations in muscles of various localization and etiology. In addition to painful sensations, numbness of the limbs, inflammation of skin areas may occur. Literally translated, "myalgia" means "muscle pain".

With exercise and abstinence, most people can do without medicine.

Symptoms and treatment of human diseases

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Mumps disease symptoms often occur in young children, on average from three to seven years. Moreover, boys are exposed to the disease much more often than girls. You can get infected through any contact with a sick person, and through shared dishes or toys. After an illness, a person develops strong immunity for life.

Mumps disease, what is it and what does mumps disease look like

As it is called mumps disease - mumps and is considered a viral disease that can occur in an acute form, and occurs when exposed to a paramyxovirus. The disease manifests itself with fever, intoxication and a strong increase in one or all of the salivary glands. It is capable of affecting other internal organs, as well as the central nervous system.

Not many people know contagious or not this disease. The source of the disease can only be a person, that is, a sick person whose disease is already in manifest form. A person becomes infectious already in the first two days, from the moment of infection until the first symptoms appear. And also a person remains infectious for 5 days of the manifested disease. After the patient has passed the symptoms of the disease, he may still remain infectious.


How is the disease spread

The virus spreads not only by airborne droplets, that is, through close contact with a sick person, but also through the use of contaminated dishes or toys. And the susceptibility to infection in everyone who has not been sick is very high.

In particular, children are exposed to the disease. As for the infection by sex, among males mumps disease symptoms manifest themselves twice as often as in women. The disease itself directly depends on the seasonality, that is, in the spring months the disease is more active, but in the autumn it hardly manifests itself.

In 80% of the adult population, antibodies to the disease are found in the blood, which indicates its possible spread.

The disease enters the body through the upper respiratory tract and tonsils. Then the disease goes to the salivary glands. Then the disease spreads throughout the body, looking for the most suitable place for reproduction, mainly the nervous system or glandular organs. These places are affected by the disease simultaneously with the salivary glands, and sometimes even earlier.

Throughout the entire time of the disease, the body actively produces antibodies, which can be detected for many more years after the disease. And also there is an allergic restructuring of the whole organism, which can remain in this form throughout life.

The mumps got its name from one key symptom - inflammation and severe swelling of the parotid salivary glands. The edema spreads strongly and rapidly to the cheeks and in front of the auricles. With the global spread of edema, the face greatly increases in size and is very similar to the face of a pig.


About one or two days before the onset of the disease, the infected person begins:

  • feel a headache
  • painful symptoms occur in muscles and joints,
  • chills and strong dry mouth begins.

In children, these symptoms are somewhat weaker than in adults.

But mumps may have symptoms in other ways.

  1. The body temperature rises very quickly and can stay high for up to 7 days.
  2. Chills very strong, weakness and very severe headaches.

The main symptom is severe swelling in the area of \u200b\u200bthe auricle, that is, inflammation of the glands near the ears. It can be found on the sublingual and submandibular glands. There is a swelling in these places, which hurts a lot if you press on it. As the disease progresses, the parotid gland swells and the face begins to take on the shape of a pear.

The main pain occurs at night, and at the time of chewing food. Severe pain does not release for about 4 days, and only then begins to gradually subside. The swelling disappears after a few days, after the acute pain disappears, in an adult it can persist up to two weeks.

During the period of illness rash on the face and body rash does not appear.


Mumps disease in children with a photo. Mumps disease

Mumps is considered a childhood disease and, like other acute diseases, occurs in children under seven years of age. The infection, getting into the child's body, contributes to the rapid damage to the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx, nose and the entire oral cavity. The parotid gland also suffers.

The first signs begin to appear twelve days after the baby has been in contact with the patient. And the first sign is a sharp rise in temperature over 40 degrees. After that, a swelling of the ear region occurs, pain begins, especially when chewing and swallowing food, excessive production of saliva is activated. Rash in a child does not appear.

The incubation period for the disease is very long, and the baby remains infectious for a long time.

Most often, a child gets sick during a period of weakened immunity and a strong lack of vitamins, mainly at the end of winter and throughout spring.

The swelling occurs on both sides of the face, and can spread to the neck, as a result, the whole face is puffed up, and the characteristic features are pear-shaped, and resembles a pig's face. Where did the name come from - pig.

There are children who suffer from this disease with particular severity. In addition to edema of the glands near the auricles, edema of both the sublingual and submandibular glands may occur. This edema is very painful and disturbs the baby. They often complain of unbearable pain when talking, eating, and pain in the ears. If the disease proceeds calmly and without complications, then the disease mumps symptoms persist for about 10 days.


Mumps disease in children: consequences

The consequences of such a disease can be catastrophic for children, it is for this reason that at the first symptoms, you should immediately contact a specialist for medical help and treatment.

The disease entails severe complications and disastrous consequences:

  • The onset of serous meningitis, which occurs only in acute form;
  • The manifestation of meningoencephalitis, which is dangerous not only for health, but also for the life of the child;
  • The middle ear is affected, after which complete deafness may occur;
  • The thyroid gland begins to become very inflamed;
  • The central nervous system is seriously impaired;
  • Manifestation of pancreatitis;
  • The pancreas becomes very inflamed.


But the disease is more serious for boys. Moreover, the older the age in boys, the more dangerous the disease becomes for him. And all because in about 20% of sick boys, such a disease can affect not only common organs, but also the spermatogenic epithelium of the testicles. But this is fraught with a serious danger - male sterility in life.

Complicated mumps leads to acute inflammation of the testicles. There is severe pain in the groin and gonads. Subsequently, the testicle swells greatly, its size increases and begins to blush. Edema first manifests itself in one testicle, and very quickly moves to the other. In such cases, atrophy may occur, that is, the function of the ovary simply dies, and this is what leads to infertility.

There are no special techniques that can get rid of such a complication, therefore, conditions are created that do not allow the disease to diverge greatly. In this case, the boy needs to be put in a separate room and full bed rest should be organized.

To save a child from pancreatitis, the child must have a special diet. If the disease is not allowed to proceed with complications, then it can be treated within ten days.

The disease is much more difficult with age. If a boy has had mumps, which was not accompanied by orchitis, then infertility will not occur. A particularly dangerous disease is at the time of puberty. In order not to have a disease with a large complication, it is necessary to vaccinate in the first year of life, and then revaccination at the age of six to seven years.


In an adult, mumps is very rare. But the course of the disease passes with severe complications. If a person's immunity is strong, the disease can proceed calmly. But even with this course, the consequences of the disease cannot be avoided. During the illness, complications of various forms appear, and in order to avoid this, vaccination should be done.

The disease in an adult develops very quickly, starting with an increase in body temperature to severe edema in the area of \u200b\u200bthe auricle, neck and cheeks. Initial symptoms of mumps disease in an adult, they are no different from the symptoms of children.

Rash in adults people are absent, but there is a strong defeat of the genitals and pancreas. With a complication in the stomach, a person begins to vomit, diarrhea, acute pain and loss of appetite.

When the disease manifests itself in an adult, then first of all, all measures should be taken and the disease should not be allowed to become more complicated, in which case testicular atrophy may occur in men, and severe menstrual irregularities in women.

It is impossible to treat this disease on your own. Since the treatment can only be prescribed by the attending physician, who will preliminarily make a preliminary diagnosis.


Mumps disease consequences for men. Can there be children

Mumps is a very dangerous disease, especially in the older generation. It is especially scary in males, and it is not the moment of the illness itself that is scary, but the consequences that can occur. The most common complication that occurs in men is testicular inflammation, or orchitis.

If the disease occurs in a man after the age of 30, then it will proceed in a severe form with special consequences. After a man falls ill, his condition begins to deteriorate rapidly and very much. The temperature can reach 40 degrees, there is no appetite at all, constant headaches, excruciating nausea and vomiting. A man has been sick with mumps for more than three weeks, in a very acute form.

Their consequences can become dire if timely and correct treatment is not started. These consequences include:

  • Damage to the nervous central system, as a result, the disease can enter the cells of the brain and develop meningoencephalitis, and partial or complete hearing loss occurs.
  • Strong changes are taking place in the male reproductive system. A disease such as orchitis occurs in more than 30% of men who have had various forms of illness. With this flow, severe pain begins in the testicular area, the scrotum begins to swell strongly, redden and becomes hot. In this case, it is impossible to hesitate, and you should immediately contact a specialist for help. If the disease is started, then orchitis will develop at a high rate, and will entail dire consequences. In this case, the reproductive function is impaired.
  • Another complication is inflammation of the thyroid gland, as well as the development of diseases such as meningitis and encephalitis.
  • Rash on hands and rash on the legs with such a disease, it is completely absent.

The worst complication of this disease is, of course, male infertility. For the dignity of every man, such a consequence is simply unacceptable, but you should not be inactive. To restore the normalization of reproductive function, at the moment, unique techniques have been developed that can give a positive result in most cases. If you suddenly have severe pain in the groin area, vomiting for no reason and an instant loss of appetite, you should not wait until it passes, you should immediately go to the hospital.

As a result, if you slow down the treatment of mumps in men, then the most dangerous consequence can be infertility and the absence of children in the future.


People who have not experienced the disease are wondering how to treat mumps.

The treatment itself takes place at home, but with serious complications, hospitalization is required in the infection department, but this happens only if mumps disease symptoms manifested with complication.

It does not require any special treatment, most often measures are taken to alleviate the general condition of the patient.

  1. Bandages or compresses are applied to the throat, preferably bandaged with a warm scarf.
  2. You can apply an oil compress, for this, a few tablespoons of oil are heated, and a gauze bandage is urinated in it. Just do not make it very hot, otherwise you can burn the patient.
  3. Gargling with soda will also give positive results; for this, a teaspoon of soda is diluted in a glass of warm water.
  4. Do not forget about bed rest. It is observed from the first to the last day of the disease. If the regime is not followed, then severe complications can occur.

A sick mumps should be in a separate room so as not to infect other residents of the house. And also provide separate dishes and hygiene products.


Mumps or mumps: drugs

The high temperature is reduced by antipyretics, paracetamol or intramuscular injections - analgin, suprastin, no-shpa.

If the disease has shown complications, then antibiotics are added to the general treatment, and their intake should begin without delay. The appointment of these drugs can prevent purulent complications.

If there is suppuration of the glands, then the patient is hospitalized, and treatment is carried out only by surgery, such therapy lasts at least 10 days.

To relieve symptoms, antihistamines are prescribed, as well as drugs to eliminate intoxication and asthenia. If the patient has heart disease, heart medications must be added to the treatment.

Though mumps disease symptoms which are terrible, and the consequences can be dire, can manifest itself not only in children and adults, and proceeds in various forms. It can not only be cured and prevent the development of complications, but also prevented with the help of special vaccination. It will not let a person get sick and strengthen immunity against this disease, which is very important for everyone.

What is mumps famous for? Among the people, it is mainly known under the simple name - pig (another old name is the moth). Diseases are more afraid of mothers in whose families there are boys, not so much for its manifestations, as for possible serious complications. The infection is almost always transferred favorably, but only if there are no serious consequences.

What is mumps? Where does the infection come from, how is it dangerous? Is this disease curable and how to deal with it? How to determine that a person is infected if there are no manifestations of the disease at all? What can help the patient avoid complications?

General information

The first cases of mumps were described as early as the 5th century BC. e. Hippocrates. But it was only in the 20th century that it was possible to summarize all the information about the disease and reveal its true viral nature. In the middle of the last century, a vaccine was first used, but its more successful variants against mumps were synthesized a little later.

The name - mumps (parotitis epidemica) is not entirely correct, because there have been no cases of mass infection for a long time. Despite this, the incidence of mumps is growing every year, which has led to the need to monitor the circulation of the virus in nature.

What is the peculiarity of the virus?

  1. It is unstable in the environment, mumps can be easily neutralized using ultraviolet irradiation, boiling and disinfecting.
  2. The virus persists for a long time on objects at low temperatures down to minus 70 ºC.
  3. The period of active reproduction of the microorganism is the end of winter and the beginning of spring.
  4. Despite the fact that immunity after an acute illness is considered lifelong, there are cases of re-infection with all the ensuing consequences.
  5. A typical manifestation of mumps is an enlargement of the parotid salivary glands on one or both sides. But often the disease is asymptomatic, which contributes to the rapid spread of the virus among people.
  6. The infection is often recorded in children from 3 years to 15 years old, but adults often get sick.
  7. Boys get mumps almost one and a half times more often than girls.

This disease is typical for childhood, but its manifestations often resemble the course of the most severe adult diseases.

What is mumps

Mumps is an acute infectious viral disease that develops more often in childhood, a characteristic feature of which is inflammation of the salivary glands. The favorite habitat of the virus is the glandular organs and the nervous system, that is, in other words, such manifestations as pancreatitis, meningitis are natural processes due to the characteristics of the microorganism.

In nature, the virus circulates only among people, so a sick person can be the source of infection.

The main route of transmission is airborne, in addition to saliva, the virus can be transmitted through infected objects through urine. Mumps in newborns occurs with the vertical route of infection or intrauterine from a sick mother. But if a woman has had this viral infection before pregnancy, antibodies are transmitted to the baby, which protect him for six months.

This is one of the most common viral infections, which is widespread throughout the world, there is no region or country where there are no cases of infection at all.

Classification of mumps

In the course of the disease, the infection is divided into the following degrees:

  • lightweight;
  • medium;
  • heavy.

The disease can occur with or without complications. There are known cases of asymptomatic course, when there are no typical classical clinical manifestations, this form of infection is called inapparent.

In the literature, you can find another seemingly illogical term - non-infectious mumps, which has nothing to do with a viral disease. It occurs in case of injury or prolonged hypothermia, followed by inflammation of the parotid salivary glands of one or two.

How the mumps virus behaves in the human body

Once on the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract and oral cavity, the virus gradually accumulates here, after which it enters the bloodstream. With the blood stream, it spreads to the glandular organs. The parotid salivary glands are the first place of accumulation, where mumps settles and begins to actively multiply. Here, as a rule, at the first stage of the development of infection, the maximum accumulation of cells is.

Part of the microorganism enters other glandular organs and nervous tissue, but their inflammation does not always develop and not immediately. More often, there is a gradual damage to the salivary glands at once, then the pancreas, testicles, nervous tissue, and so on. This is due to the multiplication of the virus in the salivary glands and their additional entry from there into the blood.

Symptoms of mumps

The severity of the disease and organ involvement depends on the person's current immunity. If the mumps virus has entered an absolutely healthy body, it is only threatened with a mild or asymptomatic course of the disease. The situation will be complicated by a shortly transferred infection and lack of vaccination.

The first symptoms of mumps

The incubation period for mumps is, according to various sources, from 11 days to a little over three weeks (23 days is the maximum). The peculiarity of the disease is that there is no prodromal period or it lasts only 1-3 days.

The classic version of acute mumps occurs with the following symptoms.

This is the first line of attack of the mumps virus or the visible symptoms that develop in most cases and contribute to the correct diagnosis. Inflammation of the glands gradually decreases and by the end of the first, the middle of the second week, with the normal course of the disease, it no longer bothers the person. In the case of a mild course (including asymptomatic), all of the above symptoms will not exist, and mumps in its manifestations resembles only a mild acute viral infection.

Late symptoms of complicated mumps

As the number of viral cells in the blood increases, the likelihood of other glands being involved in inflammation increases. Alternately, with severe and complicated mumps, important organs are infected, which may affect the functions of the human body in the future.

The severe course of mumps in children is accompanied by:

What happens to other organs?

Long-term consequences of mumps

At the heart of the defeat of the glands lies not only the inflammation of the organ tissue itself, but also the thickening of its secretion, which produces the gland. In addition, the excretory ducts become inflamed, which complicates the process of secretion secretion itself. This affects the surrounding systems. Therefore, one of the dangerous moments associated with mumps is damage to neighboring organs and severe complications in the future.

What problems arise long after suffering from mumps?

The disease is acute with complications, chronic mumps is often discussed with other causes of damage to the parotid salivary glands (non-infectious nature or other viral infections).

Diagnostics of the viral mumps

It would seem that absolutely every doctor can diagnose mumps. After the incubation period, it does not present any difficulties. Enlarged parotid glands are already half of an accurate diagnosis. But it's not that simple. Inflammation of the salivary glands can be a sign of other diseases, and mild or asymptomatic mumps will interfere with correct and timely diagnosis.

What helps to make a diagnosis?

Additionally, the affected organs are examined using special instrumental methods.

Treatment of mumps

The main rule of treatment is the isolation of a person from others and a home regime. This will help avoid additional infection. Hospitalization is carried out only in the case of a severe form of infectious mumps or in the event of complications.

In the treatment of mumps, the main thing is to observe several rules.

Prevention of viral mumps

In addition to the standard rules, for the temporary isolation of the patient for 9 days, all children are vaccinated against mumps as a preventive measure. This is an active prevention of diseases caused by the virus.

The vaccine is used - live, weakened, which is injected subcutaneously under the scapula or into the outer part of the shoulder at a dose of 0.5 ml once.

When is the mumps vaccine given? Under normal conditions, children are vaccinated at 12 months of age. The vaccine includes antibodies against measles and rubella. Revaccination is prescribed at the age of 6, which contributes to the production of protective cells against mumps by almost 100%. In case of violation of the schedule or refusal to vaccinate in childhood, the vaccine is given to everyone who wishes, and revaccination with a monovaccine should be carried out at least 4 years later.

What vaccines are there for mumps?

  1. Monovaccines - "Imovax Orejon", "Cultural live mumps vaccine".
  2. Divaccine - "Vaccine mumps and measles cultural live."
  3. Three-component vaccines - MMR, Priorix, Ervevax, Trimovax.

Infectious mumps is caused by only one pathogen of the virus, which is common in all countries. The mild course of mumps is sometimes deceiving, and the consequences are dire and irreparable. Timely detection of mumps and treatment under the supervision of doctors helps to reduce the likelihood of such complications, and early vaccination will help to completely avoid the disease.

Paramyxovirus affects the glandular cells of some parenchymal organs (liver, spleen, endocrine and exocrine glands, brain). With mumps, symptoms in adults become more intense than in childhood. This viral disease is characterized by inflammation and swelling in the ear area and is accompanied by an increase in the salivary glands (one or more).

Symptoms of the disease

The mumps has a long incubation period of about 2 weeks. Before the first signs of the disease appear, a person feels good, but at the same time he is a source of infection for others.

The symptoms of mumps in adults are as follows:

  1. High body temperature (up to 40˚C). Lasts for a week.
  2. Intoxication of the patient's body: general malaise, muscle weakness, headache, vomiting.
  3. Dry mouth.
  4. Severe pain on opening the mouth, which is worse when the patient chews and swallows food.
  5. Severe pain in the parotid region, aggravated by talking.
  6. Swelling in the area of \u200b\u200bthe auricle, which is accompanied by pain when touching the affected area.
  7. During illness, the patient's face swells, and the skin becomes blue.

Another name for mumps is mumps. The symptoms of mumps in adults are determined by the doctor, so do not neglect the diagnostic examination. The manifestations of the disease may be similar to the clinical picture of other diseases.

Diagnosis of mumps

Laboratory examination includes a number of such procedures:

  1. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect antibodies to the causative agent of the disease during the incubation period. Re-diagnosis is carried out 21 days after the first signs of mumps appear.
  2. Analysis of urine. The content of amylase in the biomaterial indicates the presence of an inflammatory process.
  3. Throat swab.

All tests must be taken on an empty stomach. The diagnosis of mumps in adults requires clinical confirmation, but a physical examination is sufficient in most cases.

Mumps resembles edema of the cervical tissue, which develops with the toxic form of pharyngeal diphtheria.

Serous mumps meningitis should be distinguished primarily from enteroviral and tuberculous meningitis. See the video for more details:

Causes of occurrence

The causative agent of the disease mumps has a weak resistance in the external environment. There are a number of provoking factors:

  1. The chronic form of the disease develops against the background of metabolic disorders. Atrophy of the parenchyma is observed.
  2. An exacerbation of chronic mumps is caused by a weakening of the body's immune forces.
  3. Congenital pathology of the ducts of the salivary gland.
  4. Colds, the treatment of which was not carried out in a timely manner.
  5. A group of viruses that cause influenza.

Mumps in adults is transmitted by airborne droplets and by household contact.

Disease types

There are 2 types of mumps disease:

  1. Parotitis. There is an inflammation of one parotid salivary gland, which becomes purulent in a severe form of the disease. The epidemiological process is typical for both children and adults.
  2. Non-epidemic parotitis (nonspecific) is both non-infectious and bacterial. The disease in most cases occurs against the background of past respiratory diseases. The gangrenous form is characterized by the death of sections of the gland. With catarrhal parotitis, there is an accumulation of mucus (leukocyte infiltration) in the ducts of the gland.

By the severity of symptomatic manifestations in adult men and women:

  1. The mumps is extremely difficult. With simultaneous inflammation of the parenchyma (parenchymal parotitis), damage to the pancreas, ovaries in women and testes in men is observed, which is accompanied by severe pain in the groin area.
  2. Mild symptoms are observed.

By the duration of the inflammatory process:

  1. Acute form. When an infection enters the ducts of the salivary gland, the infectious process develops intensively.
  2. Chronic parotitis (repeated exacerbations against the background of remission of varying duration).

Treatment of the disease

Treatment of mumps in adults does not involve the use of specific medications, including antibiotics.

The principles of therapeutic action are as follows:

  1. To lower the temperature, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used: Ibuprofen or Paracetamol. It is not recommended to use Aspirin as an antipyretic agent, since this drug acts irritatingly on the gastric mucosa, which only aggravates the inflammatory process in mumps.
  2. To strengthen the immune system, doctors prescribe multivitamin complexes. Vitamins for pregnant women are easily digestible, therefore they are recommended for both women and men.
  3. Antiviral agents are sometimes indicated. For example, medications for influenza are prescribed, especially if mumps is a complication of ARVI.
  4. In case of intoxication, saline is administered intravenously in a hospital setting.
  5. When mumps are sick, it is important to drink plenty of fluids (at least 2 liters of water per day).
  6. Bed rest should be observed.

You need a dietary food:

  1. Diversify the diet with food of plant origin.
  2. Refuse fatty and spicy foods.
  3. Eat chopped food (mashed potatoes).

Treatment of mumps is also done at home:

  1. Douching with chamomile decoction. You need 1 tbsp. l. pour a glass of boiling water over dried flowers of a medicinal plant. Insist, strain. Use a syringe (without a needle) to rinse the inflamed ear.
  2. Rinsing the mouth with antiseptic solutions. For this purpose, you can use potassium permanganate and boric alcohol.
  3. Flax seed compresses. You need 5 tbsp. l. pour boiling water in a volume of 100 ml of vegetable raw materials. Simmer the broth over low heat until a mushy consistency is obtained. It is important to constantly stir the broth to avoid burning. Add 1 tbsp to the prepared product. l. honey. Form lozenges from the mixture and then apply them to the inflamed area.
  4. For acute parotitis, prepare a vitamin infusion. In equal proportions (1 tsp each), mix the following ingredients: leaves of apple, raspberry, currant, cherry, wild strawberry, blueberry, dandelion flowers, coltsfoot, blackberry, hawthorn fruit. Pour 4 tbsp. l. mixture of 1 liter of boiling water. This broth helps to strengthen the immune system.
  5. A sage-based decoction is used to rinse the mouth. Pour boiling water (150 ml) over 1 tsp. medicinal plant. It is recommended to take 4 tbsp. l. funds three times a day.
  6. Rosehip decoction. Pour 100 g of natural raw materials into 1 liter of water. Boil. Insist. You can add honey or sugar to taste before use.

Consequences of mumps in adults

Mumps is characterized by a number of complications in which the glandular organs are affected. Orchitis (inflammation of the testicles) is a dangerous consequence for men. In rare cases, people who have had mumps develop hearing loss or complete deafness.

Implications for women

The influence of mumps is dangerous: the disease can lead to inflammation of the mammary glands and infertility (rarely).

The following complications may occur:

  1. Deafness against the background of damage to the inner ear. It is rare with timely treatment.
  2. Acute pancreatitis with the subsequent development of diabetes mellitus.
  3. Oophoritis (inflammation of the ovaries) is accompanied by pain during intercourse and bleeding from the vagina.
  4. Sensory disturbances: the membranes of the brain are affected, which is accompanied by sluggish paralysis of the limbs.

Consequences for men

In men after mumps, the following complications may occur:

  1. A high percentage of the likelihood of testicular atrophy. Insufficient elasticity of the tunica albuginea does not allow the testicle to swell. This pathology manifests itself 2 months after the illness.
  2. Mumps can cause impaired spermatogenesis, which is due to a decrease in the production of sex hormones.
  3. Thrombosis of the veins of the prostate and pelvic organs provokes a pulmonary infarction.
  4. Priapism is characterized by painful erections unrelated to sexual arousal.

After this illness, suffered in childhood, infertility is observed in men.

Treatment of infertility after mumps in men includes surgical removal of affected areas of the testicle and restorative therapy using hormonal drugs.

Prevention of mumps

If mumps occurs, symptoms in adults require appropriate treatment.

Specific prophylaxis of the disease implies vaccination of children at the age of 12-15 months and revaccination at 6 years of age. But it is recommended to re-vaccinate at 25 years old, followed by revaccination every 10 years.

To prevent (prevent) the disease, it is necessary:

  1. Isolation of the patient for a period of 10 days from the beginning of the appearance of external signs of infection.
  2. Ventilation of the room.
  3. Disinfection of cutlery.
  4. Wearing a gauze bandage.
  5. Strengthening the immune system: giving up bad habits, walking in the fresh air, balanced nutrition, adherence to sleep and rest.

Mumps can lead to irreversible consequences, so it is important to comply with preventive measures.

Mumps is an inflammation of one or both of the parotid glands (large salivary glands located on both sides of the face in humans). The reasons can be different and are divided into infectious (caused by bacteria or viruses) and non-infectious (trauma, dehydration, hypothermia, blockage of the gland). Also, mumps can develop against the background of other diseases, including some autoimmune, sialadenosis, sarcoidosis, pneumopatitis, or be nonspecific, i.e. have no specific reason.

Mumps and the non-infectious form

Parotitis (in the common people - mumps, mumps) is an infectious disease of viral etiology, characterized by a non-suppurative lesion and an increase in one or more groups of salivary glands, proceeds with pronounced manifestations of intoxication and fever. The causative agent is a virus of the Rubulavirus genus, which belongs to the Paramyxovirus family. Its virion (mature viral particle) was first isolated and studied in 1943 by scientists E. Goodpascher and K. Johnson.

When non-infectious form damage to the salivary glands occurs due to trauma to the salivary gland and the penetration of a pathogen from the oral cavity into it (for example, after surgery). Dehydration, which can occur in older people or after surgery, can also often be the cause. In rare cases, non-epidemic mumps can develop as a complication of pneumonia, typhoid, or influenza.

Routes of transmission and incubation period

The virus is unstable in the external environment, however, it is easily transmitted from a sick person to a healthy person by airborne droplets (when talking, coughing, sneezing). The first symptoms of damage do not appear immediately: the incubation (latent) period lasts two, sometimes three weeks.

According to research, after suffering from mumps, persistent lifelong immunity remains. Only in rare cases are repeated infections by the virus recorded.

Many people ask: "Why is the disease called mumps?" The fact is that swollen lymph nodes change the face beyond recognition. At the same time, the neck merges with the face and, apparently, this was the reason for the high resemblance to a pig, that is, a pig.

Typical symptoms

It is generally accepted that mumps is a childhood disease. Indeed, mumps is diagnosed most often in children between three and fifteen years of age. However, due to its high infectivity, the disease sometimes occurs in adults, especially in those who are not immune to the pathogen (Rubulavirus virus).

Symptoms in adults are often more severe than in children. The main symptoms of mumps in adults are:

  • swelling and inflammation of the parotid gland (lasts 5-10 days);
  • painful inflammation of the testicles develops in 15-40% of adult men (past puberty). This testicular inflammation is usually unilateral (both testicles are swollen in 15-30% of mumps cases) and usually occurs about 10 days after parotid inflammation, although in rare cases much later (up to 6 weeks). Reduced fertility (chances of conception) is an uncommon consequence of inflammation of the testicles from mumps, and infertility is even rarer.
  • ovarian inflammation occurs in about five percent of adolescents and adult women;
  • hearing impairment, which can be unilateral and bilateral;
  • an increase in body temperature (lasts about a week, the peak (38-39, sometimes 40 degrees) is observed in the first days);
  • on palpation behind the ears and in the chin area, soreness occurs (especially at the point of the mastoid process, in front and behind the earlobe - Filatov's symptom);
  • acute inflammation of the pancreas (approximately 4% of cases), manifested as abdominal pain and vomiting;
  • impaired salivation, dry mouth;
  • pain in the tongue, especially from the side of the lesion;
  • an increase in the inguinal lymph nodes;
  • loss of appetite, drowsiness, migraine.

If the patient has a non-epidemic form of mumps, then pus is often released from the salivary glands into the oral cavity.

The disease can sometimes proceed in an erased form, with mild symptoms (without fever and local pain).

It should be noted that the virus, penetrating the body, affects all glandular organs. In addition to the salivary glands, these can be the testes in men and the ovaries in women, the pancreas and the soft (choroid) lining of the brain. In this regard, certain complications may arise, described below.

Photos of the faces of sick adults

Diagnostics

In many cases, the diagnosis is determined already during a face-to-face examination. The doctor conducts a thorough examination of the patient (neck, tongue, lymph nodes are palpable) and asks if he has had contact with a patient with mumps in the last few weeks. If all the facts agree, then additional diagnostics in a particular case may not be needed.

However, sometimes it is important for the doctor to determine the accuracy of the presence of the disease. For example, with erased symptoms, a specialist can suggest a diagnosis and, in order to exclude a number of other dangerous pathologies, the patient recommends a series of research activities.

Research method Brief explanation
Isolation of the mumps virus from the outbreak Throat washes are performed, and the secretion from the affected salivary gland is also studied.
Immunofluorescence assay (MFA) A nasopharyngeal swab is taken. In cell culture, the virus can be detected already on the second or third day.
Serological method The blood serum is being studied. According to the analysis, an increase in antibodies is observed, which indicates the acute phase of the disease. Serological research can be carried out using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), as well as by carrying out reactions of RSK and RNGA.
Allergen injection into the skin At the beginning of the disease, the intradermal test will be negative, in the following days - positive.

The therapist, suspecting mumps, is obliged to refer the patient to an infectious disease specialist. In some cases, additional consultation with a dentist and even a surgeon will be required (to open an abscess if it is a non-epidemic form).

Treatment

Patients with mumps are usually treated at home. The exceptions are cases when the infection proceeds in a particularly complex form. Home isolation is recommended (up to nine days). Disinfection in the outbreak area is optional.

There is no specific treatment for mumps. All measures should be aimed at preventing complications. Recommendations and prescriptions for the patient are as follows:

  1. Take antipyretic drugs if the body temperature reaches 38 degrees or more.
  2. Observe bed rest, do not burden yourself with physical homework.
  3. Due to the fact that the pancreas is hit, it is recommended not to overload it. Try to eat easily digestible food, do not use flour products, as well as spicy, smoked and sour foods.
  4. If there is an assumption about the development of orchitis (inflammation of the testicular tissue in men), then it is recommended to start a course of treatment with Prednisolone (the initial dose should be 40-60 mg, followed by a daily decrease of 5 mg). The duration of treatment is a week.
  5. Observe an abundant drinking regime.
  6. A dry heat compress can be applied to the area of \u200b\u200bthe swelling.
  7. In the case when a complication has arisen on the soft tissues of the brain, a spinal puncture is prescribed to extract a small amount of cerebrospinal fluid.
  8. With the development of acute pancreatitis, drugs that inhibit enzymes are prescribed (for example, intravenous Contrikal). The duration of treatment is five days.

Antibacterial drugs must be included in the treatment regimen for non-epidemic mumps. With a large accumulation of pus, an opening and drainage of the salivary gland is prescribed. In this case, antibiotics are injected directly into the glandular organ.

It is important to treat non-epidemic parotitis correctly, otherwise the disease will become chronic (relapses can occur from two to eight times a year).

Complications

Despite the fact that mumps is not a serious illness, in some rare cases it can provoke serious and sometimes irreversible consequences. One of the commonly discussed complications is orchitis. This pathology can lead to a deterioration in the quality of sperm, which entails male infertility.

The viral "attack" of the soft membranes of the brain in some cases also leaves negative consequences. This can be fraught with the development of encephalitis and meningitis.

Studies have come to differing conclusions as to whether carrying mumps during pregnancy contributes to an increase in spontaneous abortion rates.

Prevention

Today, active prevention of mumps is being carried out, which consists in vaccination of the population. The first vaccination is given to a child (regardless of gender) at a year, the subsequent revaccination at the age of six. At the age of 14, a monovaccine for mumps is administered exclusively to boys. The effectiveness of the vaccine depends on the strain of the virus, but, as a rule, it is able to protect against the disease in 80% of cases.

As you know, it is easier to prevent a disease than to treat and deal with complications later. Today, many parents refuse to vaccinate their child, believing that they are harmful or even deadly. In fact, vaccinations will help strengthen the immune system and even if a child or adult suddenly gets sick with mumps, there is a better chance of avoiding complications.

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