Mumps is a contagious disease caused by a virus. There is no cure for mumps, and it can cause serious health problems. The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is the best way to help protect against mumps.
⚡Symptoms 1:
Mumps typically starts with a few days of fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, and loss of appetite, followed by swelling of the salivary glands under the ears on one or both sides, which causes puffy cheeks and a tender, swollen jaw.
Symptoms typically appear 16-18 days after infection, but this period can range from 12–25 days after infection. Some people who get mumps have very mild symptoms (like a cold), or no symptoms at all and may not know they have the disease.
Most people with mumps recover completely within two weeks. However, in rare cases, mumps can cause serious complications, including:
swollen testicles, which may lead to a decrease in testicular size
swollen ovaries or breast tissue
inflammation in the pancreas (pancreatitis)
inflammation of the brain (encephalitis)
inflammation of the tissue covering the brain and spinal cord (meningitis)
deafness
Neither inflammation of the testicles nor inflammation of the ovaries caused by mumps has been shown to lead to infertility.
⚡Prevention:
The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is the best way to protect against mumps. Among those who are vaccinated, some may still get mumps if they are exposed to the virus but the risk of getting the disease in a vaccinated person is much lower compared to an unvaccinated person.
⚡Treatment:
There are currently no medications available to treat mumps. Getting plenty of rest, drinking enough fluids, applying a warm or cool compress to swollen glands, eating softer foods that do not require as much chewing, and over-the-counter painkillers can help.
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