Mumps – also known as goat’s peter or parotitis epidemica – is a viral disease that primarily affects children. However, adults can also become infected with mumps. The most typical symptom is thick cheeks (hamster cheeks) caused by swelling of the parotid glands. As a rule, mumps is harmless, but in adolescents and adults, severe complications can sometimes occur. That is why it makes sense to prevent mumps with a vaccination.
Mumps – What is it?
Mumps is a contagious viral disease that occurs worldwide. The viruses are spread by droplet infection, which means they can be transmitted when coughing or sneezing, for example. Infection is also possible through direct contact, such as kissing. Once you have contracted mumps, you are usually immune to the virus for the rest of your life. After infection, it usually takes between two and four weeks for the disease to break out. Mumps is already contagious before the first symptoms become noticeable: As a rule, there is a risk of infection as early as seven days before and up to nine days after the first signs appear. Mumps is particularly common in children between the ages of five and nine – which is why mumps, just like measles, rubella or chickenpox, is counted among the typical childhood diseases. Mumps can occur throughout the year – but particularly many cases are observed in winter and spring.
Symptoms of mumps
In about one-third of those affected, mumps progresses without any symptoms at all or with only nonspecific symptoms. Signs may include headache, sore throat or aching limbs, loss of appetite, and a general feeling of fatigue. Often, the body temperature is also elevated or fever occurs. Because of these symptoms, mumps is sometimes mistaken for a common feverish cold. While general symptoms of illness are noticeable at the beginning of the disease, the parotid glands characteristically swell later. Usually, the swelling occurs first on one side and somewhat delayed on the other. Due to the swelling, the hamster cheeks typical of mumps form. Often the lymph nodes in the neck are also swollen. Due to the swelling, turning the head and chewing are often associated with pain. In addition to the parotid glands, mumps viruses can also affect organs such as the pancreas and testes, and in rare cases, the ovaries, lacrimal glands, thyroid gland, kidneys and central nervous system.
Mumps: possible complications
In children, mumps is usually harmless and the disease remains without consequences. If the infection occurs at a later stage, however, serious consequences may occur in some cases.
- Inflammation of the meninges (meningitis): meningitis is the most common complication in children. Approximately three to ten percent of children who contract mumps are affected. Typical symptoms of meningitis are severe headache coupled with neck stiffness. If the brain tissue is involved, it is called encephalitis – but this rarely occurs in the context of mumps disease. If the cranial nerves are affected, it may result in hearing loss or deafness.
- Inflammation of the testicles (orchitis): If the mumps virus affects the testicles after puberty, this can lead to an inability to conceive. Testicular inflammation is relatively common in young men, affecting nearly one in three. Infertility can also occur in young women due to an infestation of the ovaries – however, such an inflammation is much rarer in women than in men.
- Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis): pancreatitis can be manifested by symptoms such as loss of appetite, pain in the upper abdomen, as well as a greasy stool.
Other complications, although rare, may include inflammation of the mammary glands (mastitis) or inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis).
Mumps: diagnosis
Mumps can often already be diagnosed by the typical swelling of the parotid glands. If this swelling is not present, the disease can also be detected by specific antibodies against the mumps virus in the blood.
Treating mumps
The mumps viruses themselves cannot be fought; only symptomatic therapy can be given.For example, fever-reducing painkillers can be administered. However, children should not be given painkillers containing acetylsalicylic acid, as otherwise life-threatening Reye’s syndrome may occur. Warm oil dressings and good oral hygiene help to relieve swelling of the parotid glands. Cooling the parotid glands is also often found to be pleasant. To minimize pain when chewing, eating soft, mushy foods is primarily recommended. Acidic liquids should be avoided, otherwise the salivary glands will work more. If complications arise, a doctor should be consulted in any case. He or she will decide whether further treatment measures are necessary. In case of severe complications such as meningitis, treatment in hospital is necessary.