mumps

mumps, Epidemic parotitis or. Goat peter is an infectious disease caused by viruses. Along with measles and rubella, it is a common and typical childhood disease. It is highly contagious and should be examined by a doctor immediately. Vaccination against mumps is very advisable.

What is mumps?

mumps Goat peter, or. Epidemic parotitis is a viral disease that primarily manifests itself in painful swellings in and under the ears and a strong fever.

The disease also affects other organs, such as the testes, pancreas, brain or heart, less often.

Like many other childhood diseases, mumps must be reported and should therefore be examined by a doctor.

causes

The main cause of mumps is the so-called mumps virus. This infection, which can only occur in humans, is a typical childhood disease. Mumps is transmitted via droplet infection. Typical forms of transmission are coughing, sneezing, kissing and direct body contact. Drinking from an infected bottle or using cutlery with the mumps virus can also be contagious.

The incubation period, i.e. the time from infection to the outbreak of the disease, is around three to seven days. Then the first symptoms appear. The size of the salivary glands is clearly visible in front of the swelling. Everyone who has ever contracted mumps is immune to it for life.

Symptoms, ailments & signs

In about 30 to 40 percent of cases, mumps (parotitis epidemica) is asymptomatic. However, they are carriers of the disease and can thus infect other people. The most common symptoms of mumps are fever and painful swelling of the parotid glands, which manifests itself in the form of characteristic hamster cheeks and can cause pain when chewing.

The swelling usually develops after one to two days and usually occurs on both sides (around 70 to 80 percent of patients). In some cases, other salivary glands and the lymph nodes near the ear can also be affected. Further symptoms, which occur especially in the earlier stage of the disease, are loss of appetite, malaise, as well as headaches and body aches.

The symptoms are usually less pronounced in children than in adults. Mumps can lead to various secondary diseases in the further course. These include, in particular, meningitis (inflammation of the meninges), meningoencephalitis (inflammation of the brain), hearing loss and even deafness, as well as inflammation of the testicles in adolescents and adults which can lead to infertility in 13 percent of cases. In rare cases, inflammation of the pancreas, ovaries, thyroid, joints, and mammary glands can also occur.

Course of disease

mumps usually develops without complications. The symptoms usually go away on their own after about one to two weeks. The mumps disease is often accompanied by meningitis. However, this can be treated quickly under medical treatment.

Complications are rare with mumps. The combination of mumps and meningitis rarely results in inflammation that can lead to lifelong hearing loss. Nonetheless, untreated mumps can lead to testicular inflammation and thus infertility in men.

Pregnant women who suffer from mumps can expect a miscarriage. Therefore, medical help should be sought as soon as possible, especially if you are pregnant.

Complications

The most common complication in children with mumps is non-purulent meningitis, which occurs in five to fifteen percent of cases. The most important symptoms are neck pain and headache. It is usually not possible for those affected to rest their chin on their chest. As the disease progresses, vomiting, dizziness and paralysis occur.

Meningitis can occur even if the patient has received medical attention beforehand. Another very rare side effect is deafness in one or both ears. Often this only occurs in the form of a hearing loss, which is why a preventive examination is recommended. In male patients, orchitis can occur if the mumps also affects the testicles.

This leads to a renewed rise in the fever and painful swelling of the affected testicles. There is a risk of infertility as a long-term consequence, but this only occurs very rarely. In women, the ovaries can become inflamed about five percent of the time, with symptoms such as pelvic pain and fever.

Inflammation of the pancreas, also known as pancreatitis, is also possible. An increased risk of miscarriages is to be expected in pregnant women who are affected by mumps. If the unborn child survives, but no permanent damage has been proven.

When should you go to the doctor?

To protect against mumps, the infant should be vaccinated at an early stage. Since the disease is very contagious, contact with other children can quickly lead to an outbreak of the disease. If a case of mumps becomes known in the immediate vicinity of the person concerned, a doctor should always be consulted as a precaution.

A doctor should be consulted if the person concerned has fever, pain or abnormal behavior. Headache and body aches are signs of an irregularity that should be examined and clarified. Swelling on the face is characteristic of mumps. If you notice hamster cheeks or a sudden change in the shape of your face, you should see a doctor. If the swelling increases in size within a short period of time, there is an urgent need for action. A general malaise, apathy or a refusal to eat are further signs of health impairment. A doctor is needed if hearing loss or deafness occurs. Consult a doctor in the event of inflammation, changes in the appearance of the skin or disorders of the chewing activity. Dizziness, paralysis, or vomiting should be presented to a doctor.

Mumps is a childhood disease that typically occurs in the first few years of life when there is no vaccination. Since the disease can also break out in adults, they should also consult a doctor if irregularities and complaints arise.

Treatment & Therapy

Treatment of mumps focuses mainly on the therapy and diagnosis of parotid swelling (parotitis), also called so-called Hamster cheeks are popularly known. Further examination options are: blood tests, urine tests, throat swabs, saliva tests and possibly also tissue samples.

So far, there are no specialized forms of treatment or medication for mumps, although this is often not necessary. Treatment by the doctor is usually limited to alleviating the symptoms of the disease. Above all, painkillers and antipyretic drugs are standard therapy for mumps and goat peter's. If the mumps disease is coupled with meningitis, further examination and treatment in the hospital is usually necessary.

The person concerned should keep strict bed rest himself. You should also ensure that no other people are infected with the mumps virus. The patient should also drink a lot to compensate for the fluid loss caused by the fever. Cool compresses on the affected areas are also beneficial. The diet during the period of illness should consist more of pulpy food. Foods that unnecessarily burden the pancreas due to their acids should be avoided. Good oral hygiene should also be observed.

Outlook & forecast

When infected with mumps, the prognosis depends largely on the age of the infected person. While infections in children under two years of age are largely symptom-free, the frequency of complications increases sharply with age. Overall, men are more often affected by complications than women. Occasionally, people who have been vaccinated can also become infected with mumps. As a rule, the course of the disease is weakened.

The most common complications in men are testicular inflammation (orchitis) and the associated temporary sterility. However, permanent sterility is rare. The testicular inflammation lasts up to ten days, after which the sperm count and quality slowly normalize. A frequent complication in women is breast inflammation (mastitis), which usually heals on its own without consequences. Ovarian infections are also less common.

Inflammation of the pancreas can occur in both sexes. The central nervous system is very often affected in both sexes, but usually without specific symptoms. Even with encephalitis, which occurs in less than 1% of mumps cases, the prognosis is favorable. Around 98.5% of those affected survive. In rare cases, however, permanent numbness can occur. Generally, in most cases a mumps infection will symptomatically pass within five to ten days. Permanent damage can occur but is very rare.

prevention

The best prevention against mumps is vaccination. Usually babies or toddlers are vaccinated against typical childhood diseases as early as the 11th month of life. These include measles, mumps and rubella, among others. A build-up vaccination then takes place again in the 6th year of life. After that, the children are immune for years. A vaccination in adulthood is of course still possible.

Aftercare

The mumps follow-up ensures that the virus is no longer present in the body. The doctor first takes an anamnesis and clarifies any symptoms of the patient as well as his general condition. A physical exam will then take place. An examination of the parotid gland will determine whether the disease has receded.

The upper abdomen and meninges are also examined if there is a suspicion that the disease has spread. If the doctor does not find any abnormalities, the treatment will be terminated after the follow-up. Further follow-up examinations are not necessary if the outcome is positive. If necessary, the competent authority must be informed of the recovery, since mumps is a notifiable disease.

Affected people should take it easy for one to two weeks after their recovery. The doctor names precise measures with which the mumps can be completely cured. If the symptoms persist, the treatment is restarted. Follow-up care must be interrupted in this case. Mumps follow-up care usually takes place one to two weeks after the first visit to the doctor, provided that the disease subsides as desired and no further symptoms or complaints occur.

You can do that yourself

If the child shows signs of mumps, the pediatrician should be contacted first. The typical complaints can be alleviated by various home remedies. If you have a fever, calf compresses or cooling pads with quark or yogurt help. So-called vinegar socks also help - socks soaked in vinegar essence and cold water that are pulled over the feet. Swelling of the glands is also counteracted with wraps. Medicinal clay from the pharmacy can also be used to reduce swelling and pain. With swollen parotid glands, warm oil compresses and bed rest also help.

Provided that you are given sufficient rest and bed warmth, mumps usually subside quickly. Parents should make sure that the child does not spend too long outdoors and that they are not exposed to stress. However, should complications arise, it is best to take the child to the pediatrician, who can examine the patient again and initiate further treatment measures if necessary.

Due to the high risk of infection, sick children should not contact healthy children. In addition to these measures, the child must be vaccinated against mumps. A vaccination can reliably prevent re-infection. As the disease can cause complications with age, vaccination should be repeated regularly.