What are the symptoms and forms of mumps transmission

Mumps is an infectious disease caused by the virus of the Paramyxoviridae family, which can be transmitted from person to person by air and which settles in the salivary glands, causing swelling and pain in the face. Although this disease is more common in children and adolescents, it can also occur in adults, even if they have already been vaccinated against mumps.

The initial symptoms of mumps, also known as mumps or infectious mumps, can take 14 to 25 days to appear and the most common sign is swelling between the ear and chin due to inflammation of the parotid glands, which are saliva-producing glands when they are affected by the virus.

The diagnosis of mumps must be made by the pediatrician or general practitioner based on the symptoms presented and the result of laboratory tests, and treatment is done with the aim of relieving the symptoms.

Main symptoms

If you think you may have mumps, check your symptoms:

1. 1. Constant head and face pain Yes No
2. 2. Loss of appetite Yes No
3. 3. Dry mouth feeling Yes No
4. 4. Swelling of the face between the ear and the chin Yes No
5. 5. Pain when swallowing or opening your mouth Yes No
6. 6. Fever above 38º C Yes No

The swelling of the mumps has a gelatinous consistency when palpated and reaches its peak between the 3rd and 7th day, gradually decreasing after this period.

In addition, some men may also experience symptoms of pain, discomfort, swelling and a feeling of heat in the testicles, which may be an indication that the disease has descended to the testicles and is causing inflammation. Find out how this can happen in understand why mumps can cause infertility in men.

How to get mumps

The infected person can now transmit the virus to other people through the droplets of saliva when speaking, coughing or sneezing, about 5 days before the symptoms start to manifest.

The period of greatest risk of mumps transmission is 2 days before and 2 days after the onset of symptoms, but small particles of the virus have already been found in saliva samples 9 days after the onset of symptoms and therefore, for safety reasons, the person is only considered non-transmissible 9 days after the onset of symptoms.

Mumps in pregnancy is serious as it can lead to a miscarriage. Therefore, it is important that pregnant women have the vaccine up to date and avoid contact with possible objects and people who may have the virus.

Vaccinated people can also be infected

People who have had mumps at some time in their life are generally immune against the disease and therefore are not at risk of re-infection. However, this effect does not happen with the vaccine used against mumps, which is part of the basic childhood vaccination schedule, as it only provides 96% protection, which does not guarantee protection in all cases.

In addition, the vaccine's effect lasts for about 20 years, which can lead to the onset of the disease in adults who are in direct contact with infected children after this period.

How the diagnosis is made

The diagnosis is made by observing the symptoms, that is, if there is swelling of the gland, if the patient complains of fever, headaches and loss of appetite. The doctor may also order a confirmatory test, usually a blood test to see if antibodies against the mumps virus are being produced.

How to identify mumps in the baby

The symptoms of infant mumps are the same. However, if the child has difficulty speaking or is unable to express himself, he may become irritated, lose his appetite and cry more easily until fever and swelling of the face are observed. As soon as the baby has the first symptoms, it is advisable to go to the pediatrician so that treatment can be started.

Mumps Treatment

Mumps treatment is done in order to relieve the symptoms of the disease and, therefore, may include the use of pain relievers, such as Paracetamol, to reduce discomfort. In addition, rest, water intake and pasty food are also important to improve symptoms until the body is able to eliminate the mumps virus.

The home remedy for mumps can be done with gargling with warm water and salt, as this reduces the inflammation of the glands, relieving swelling and pain. Find out more details about the treatment for mumps.

How to avoid the disease

The main way to prevent mumps is from vaccination, the first dose of which must be taken in the first year of life and keep the vaccination card up to date. The vaccine for mumps is called Triple-Viral and protects against mumps, measles and rubella. See more about the mumps vaccine.

It is also important to disinfect objects contaminated with secretions from the throat, mouth and nose, in addition to avoiding contact with other people if you are infected.