Recognizing and treating mumps

In addition to swelling in the parotid gland area, patients may experience fever, headache, muscle pain, fatigue, and vomiting.

According to the Department of Preventive Medicine, Ministry of Health, mumps, also known as parotid gland inflammation, is a disease of the parotid salivary glands.Mumps is an acute infectious disease caused by the mumps virus. It is transmitted through the respiratory tract and occurs year-round, but outbreaks are common during the winter and spring months. The disease is frequently seen in school-aged children and often occurs in schools, military training units, etc. Children under 2 years old and the elderly rarely get the disease. After contracting the disease, patients develop lasting immunity and rarely experience recurrence.

The disease is easily recognizable by symptoms of swelling and pain in the parotid region. In some cases, there is pain and difficulty chewing 1-2 days beforehand. The parotid region may swell simultaneously on both sides, and the swelling appears very quickly; it may be normal the night before but significantly swollen the next day. In some cases, swelling occurs on one side and then spreads to the other side a few days later.

Patients may experience fever, headache, muscle pain, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting. In most cases, the fever is very mild and lasts for one to two days.Generally, older children and adults tend to have more severe symptoms than younger children.The illness will resolve on its own after one to ten days if there are no complications.

A common symptom of mumps is swelling of the parotid glands. Photo: cdc.

According to Dr. Pham Dang Dang Khoa from the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Preventive Medicine, some possible complications include nerve damage, encephalitis or meningitis, deafness, and vision loss. A complication that worries parents is orchitis in boys or oophoritis in girls, which in some cases can lead to infertility.The main symptoms are swollen and painful testicles, and in women, abdominal discomfort and pain upon palpation.

Women who contract mumps during the first three months of pregnancy may experience miscarriage or give birth to a child with birth defects; contracting the disease during the last three months of pregnancy may lead to premature birth or stillbirth. Other complications include pancreatitis, myocarditis, thyroiditis, optic neuritis causing temporary vision loss, pneumonia, liver damage, and bleeding due to thrombocytopenia.

Currently, there is no specific cure for mumps; the main treatment methods are symptomatic treatment, improved nutrition, supportive care, and early detection and management of complications such as orchitis and meningitis.

In cases of uncomplicated mumps, patients can be cared for at home:

- Relieve pain and reduce fever with Paracetamol.

ButDrink plenty of water and eat soft, easy-to-swallow foods.

ButRest, and you can apply a cold compress to the swollen and painful cheek area.

ButTake the patient to the hospital if they show severe or unusual symptoms.

Prevent mumps byLimit contact and avoid sharing personal items with people who have mumps.Vaccinate children starting from 12 months of age and give booster shots as directed.Women of childbearing age should follow their doctor's advice regarding the safe time to become pregnant after receiving the mumps vaccine.Patients need to stay at home in isolation for about 10 days to avoid spreading the infection to others.

According to VNE