Mumps is an infectious disease, mainly in childhood, caused by a virus transmitted by air. This virus is manifested by inflammation and swelling of one or both glands used for the production of saliva, the parotid glands. Let's analyze how mumps manifest itself and learn more about its treatments.
Mumps mainly affects children aged 5 to 10 years and is usually seasonal, occuring mostly between late winter and early spring. After an incubation phase that lasts about 2 to 3 weeks, mumps is manifested by a general malaise that results in headaches, nausea, fever. Usually, after a few days, one of the parotid glands begins to swell, and after 2 days the same happens in the other gland. The swelling progressively increases until it reaches its peak on the second or third day, and then slowly begins to fade until it disappears after about a week.
The mumps contagion is by respiratory route from one individual to another and, usually like measles, they are much more common in non-industrialized countries and much more contained in Western countries through vaccination. The latter, of fundamental importance for prevention, is administered in a single injection subcutaneously and must be performed during the second year of the child's life, at approximately 15 months. It should be noted that the vaccine for mumps of an already immunized child, (either because he has already been vaccinated or because he has already contracted mumps), is safe and simply reinforces their degree of protection.
As with all viral diseases, the cure to mumps is simply to reduce the symptoms. It is possible to use antipyretics to reduce fever and painkillers. In the most acute phase, children may have difficulty eating. It is advisable to offer liquid or semi-liquid food, avoiding acidic foods and citrus fruits that can inflame the parotid glands, and to drink with a straw to facilitate ingestion.
