Mumps, a viral disease caused by the myxo virus, has plagued humans for
centuries. Mumps is fairly contagious, but to a lesser degree than
diseases such as chickenpox. Mumps normally spreads through the saliva and
infects various parts of the body, particularly the parotid salivary
glands. These saliva-producing glands are located between the ear and jaw
at the rear of each cheek. For mumps sufferers, these glands become
swollen and painful to touch. The other most common symptoms of mumps
include fever, headache, and loss of appetite. These symptoms are
generally not serious, but mumps can result in some serious complications.
Approximately 20-30% of infected people do not exhibit any mumps symptoms
at all and they are not aware that they even have the disease.
Mumps
is an airborne virus, meaning that it is transmitted through the air or
through direct contact with infected droplets or saliva, which are
expelled from the body when coughing and sneezing. Mumps is results from a
virus, and like all viral diseases, antibiotics are ineffective in mumps
treatment. In the vast majority of cases, a mumps infection can simply be
left to run its course, while the body's immune system fends off the
disease. Taking acetaminophen for pain relief and consuming plenty of
water is also beneficial. The majority of people recover from mumps in no
more than 2-3 weeks.
Once you have had mumps, it is very rare to
suffer a recurrence of the disease. This is due to the immunity your body
developed whilefending off the disease's initial attack. Various other
infections, such as swollen salivary glands, may cause mumps-like symptoms
which may lead a parent to mistakenly believe that a child has had mumps
more than once.
Mumps was a common disease until 1967 when a mumps
vaccine was developed. Prior to the widespread utilization of this
vaccine, over 200,000 cases of mumps were reported annually in the United
States. Since the vaccine's release, there are fewer than 1,000 mumps
cases each year and mumps epidemics have become rare. A mumps vaccine can
be given that protects only against mumps. However, it is more prevalent
for the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine to be administered. The MMR
vaccine immunizes the child against all 3 diseases; measles, mumps, and
rubella. Normally the initial MMR vaccine is given to children at 12 to 15
months of age. A second dose of MMR is usually administered between 4 and
6 years of age and should be given no later than 11 to 12 years of age.
In
infants and babies, mumps is very uncommon. The majority of mumps
infections occur in children from ages 5 to 14. The incidence of mumps
infections in young adults has been slowly rising over the preceding 20
years. There are few serious but rare complications that can result from
the disease and medical treatment should be obtained if there is any
indication that these are occurring.
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