Mumps, one of the childhood diseases, is a viral and highly contagious disease. Mumps virus, a member of the Rubulavirus genus from the paramyxovirus family, is a type of RNA virus. The mumps virus, whose only known host is human, causes inflammation in the salivary glands, which are called parotid, submandibular and sublingual in medical terms.
What is Mumps?
Pancreas and other organs may sometimes be involved in mumps disease. Mumps, an acutely contagious infectious disease, occurs 16 to 18 days after the virus is transmitted to the person. Although mumps is seen equally in both girls and boys, complications related to the disease are seen 72% more in boys.
Mumps disease, which is observed more frequently between January and May, which can be defined as the end of the winter season and the beginning of the spring season, can also occur in other months. The disease causes swelling in the parotid glands, which can be defined as the large salivary glands in the initial stage. Depending on the swelling of the parotid gland, symptoms such as sensitivity, pain and difficulty in swallowing occur in the person. As people who have had mumps develop immunity to the virus, it is not possible for the person to get the disease again. Before moving on to the topic of mumps treatment, the question "What is mumps?" It is necessary to answer the question. Depending on the infection caused by the virus, one or both of the parotid glands may swell. The swelling on the face also gives the disease its name.
Mumps disease occurs with 70% parotid salivary gland involvement, but submandibular and sublingual salivary glands and other neural structures can also be affected by the disease. So much so that in some cases, involvement of the meninges, which can be defined as the testes, ovaries, pancreas, some other organs or the membrane surrounding the brain and spinal cord, can also be seen. The most common discomfort in this table is testicular inflammation. Also yu Complications such as laryngitis, meningitis, encephalitis, pancreatitis, temporary or permanent hearing loss or loss may also occur.
The disease results in loss of life at a rate of 1 in 10 thousand. Infertility may develop in children who develop testicular inflammation. The mumps virus is transmitted from person to person through droplets. In other words, the virus is transmitted to healthy individuals by sneezing, coughing, saliva, saliva, and droplets released during speech. In addition, the disease can be transmitted from person to person by the arrival of these droplets on the objects around and the healthy person later touching these objects.
What are the Causes of Mumps Disease?
A member of the Rubulavirus genus from the paramyxovirus family The RNA virus is the sole causative agent of mumps. The virus, which can spread more easily in January and May, when seasonal transitions occur, causes more frequent disease in these periods. The infection caused by the virus is transmitted from person to person through droplets. If the person has mumps around, the virus can easily be transmitted to a healthy person. Factors such as coughing, sneezing, kissing, direct contact with the infected person, contact with the surface where the virus is present, using common items with the infected person, sharing food and drink cause the transmission of mumps to a healthy person. . Then the virus, called viremia, multiplies rapidly. In approximately 30 to 40% of cases, the disease does not cause clinically significant symptoms, but mumps is symptomatic in the remainder. Although rare, complications such as pancreatitis, oophoritis, polyarthritis, jaundice, thyroiditis, myocarditis, hepatitis, nephritis, mastitis, prostatitis, cerebellitis, lacrimal gland involvement and thrombocytopenia may develop due to mumps.
The only way to prevent mumps disease is active immunity. Mumps vaccination should be given to children aged 12 months and over. Before proceeding to the treatment of mumps infection in children and adults, it is necessary to talk about the symptoms of the disease.
What are the Symptoms of Mumps?
Infection by mumps virus Between 30% and 40% of people infected with mumps may not have symptoms of mumps. However, the fact that a person does not show any symptoms does not mean that they will not transmit the disease to others. In some people, the symptoms are extremely mild. Mumps symptoms appear after an incubation period of 2 to 4 weeks following the infection of the person.
Although mumps symptoms in children and symptoms in adults are similar, in some cases the symptoms may be more severe. Also, adults are at higher risk of developing complications. Some of the symptoms that occur after this point can be listed as follows:
- Swelling in the salivary glands,
- Swelling in the lymph nodes,
- Pain in the areas where there is swelling,
- Fatigue and weakness,
- Muscle pains,
- Joint pains,
- Loss of appetite,
- Mild fever,
- Headache,
- Nausea,
- Dry mouth,
- Difficulty in chewing.
How to Diagnose Mumps?
Although it is usually sufficient to examine the symptoms seen in the person for the diagnosis of mumps, the physician performs a physical examination of the patient for a definitive diagnosis. Laboratory tests are performed when necessary. In the presence of signs of the development of encephalitis and meningitis, it may be necessary to collect cerebrospinal fluid from the lumbar region for testing purposes. By examining this fluid in a laboratory environment, the presence of related diseases is checked. In the light of the findings, the person is diagnosed with mumps.
How to Treat Mumps?
- As mumps is a viral disease, antibiotics are not used in the treatment of the disease, contrary to popular belief.
- In the treatment of mumps, antibiotics may be prescribed for the treatment of secondary infection if the person has it.
- There is no effective treatment for mumps disease. The treatment applied is symptomatic. In other words, it is aimed to reduce the existing symptoms and alleviate the problems in the person. For example, symptoms such as pain and fever that occur during illness Pain relievers and antipyretic drugs may be prescribed for relief.
- Bed rest,
- Consumption of plenty of fluids,
- Grinding with salt water,
- Cold compress application to relieve swollen salivary glands,
- Preferring foods that are easy to consume such as soup.
How to Prevent Mumps?
Antibodies are passed to the baby through the placenta before birth. For this reason, mumps is rarely seen in infants. The only way to prevent mumps is to be vaccinated.
- Mumps vaccine is administered in children at the end of the 12th month and in the first grade of primary school as part of the triple vaccine.
- The triple vaccine, also known as the 3 K vaccine, provides protection against measles, rubella and mumps diseases.
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