Epidemic parotitis (mumps) - treatment and prevention, symptoms

Symptoms, treatment and prevention of epidemic mumps. Where to get mumps vaccination

Epidemic mumps is an acute infectious disease characterized by inflammation of the salivary glands. The common name of the disease is mumps, it is a childhood disease that most often occurs at the age of 5-15 years. What the symptoms of mumps in children look like, parents need to know - the disease is dangerous, it must be diagnosed and treated in time.

Symptoms of the disease

The symptoms of mumps in adults and children are the same, only in the first case they are more acute:

1. An increase in body temperature is hyperthermia. It happens suddenly, the indicators immediately become critical. In most cases, it is not possible to reduce them even with the help of specific medicines. In this way, the body fights inflammation, the immune system produces antibodies during this period. If the elevated body temperature persists even after the disappearance of other signs of epidemic parotitis, this indicates the development of a parallel pathological process.
2. Swelling behind the ears. This is the most striking symptom, thanks to which you can determine mumps in a child. Swelling always reaches large sizes, hurts when palpated, interferes with chewing and swallowing food. Parotitis radically changes the appearance of the patient - the cheeks swell and fall, the tips of the ears rise. The appearance is restored no earlier than 7-8 days after the onset of the disease.
3. Weakness and aches in the body. Children become lethargic, apathetic, indifferent. Adults literally "fall", even take food in a lying position, unable to lift a spoon. Against this background, a person constantly sleeps, it becomes difficult to look at a bright light, with a headache, even quiet sounds start to annoy.

How to treat mumps disease

If the infection is mild, the patient is treated on an outpatient basis. Hospitalization is indicated only in case of a severe course of the disease and the development of complications. It is not necessary to treat epidemic parotitis with specific drugs, but there are a number of clinical recommendations:

1. The patient is prescribed bed rest for 10 days.
2. Nutrition should be light, it is better to follow a dairy-vegetable diet. Inflammation in mumps occurs not only in the salivary glands, but also in other organs - for example, the pancreas often suffers, which provokes acute or chronic pancreatitis. It is necessary to relieve the gastrointestinal tract as much as possible, so the menu should include whole milk, fermented milk products, fresh and stewed vegetables, fruits.
3. You need to drink a lot. Parotitis is difficult to tolerate, the patient may refuse food altogether due to pain in the jaws and inflamed salivary glands, so the body will need to be supported with fluids. Morsas and compotes, decoctions of hawthorn or rose hips, jelly, green and black tea, cocoa in milk are allowed.
4. Reception of antipyretic drugs. It is appropriate only if hyperthermia worsens the patient's condition. For example, when the body is intoxicated, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, and diarrhea may occur. Mumps disease is very difficult for adults to tolerate, they need such drugs - they will have a short-term effect, so you will need to consult a doctor about the frequency of administration and dosage.

Antihistamines are often prescribed to patients with epidemic parotitis - they will reduce the intensity of symptoms and speed up the process of swelling behind the ears. Vitamin and mineral complexes are also suitable - they are designed to support and strengthen the immune system.

Warm compresses can be distinguished from folk methods. They are placed on the area behind the ear: gauze napkins are soaked in warm vegetable oil or vodka and fixed. They will help relieve pain and swelling. This procedure can be performed only at normal body temperature. Even slight hyperthermia is a categorical contraindication to any warming compresses.

Possible complications

Paediatricians and infectious disease specialists deal with the treatment and prevention of mumps. In itself, the disease does not pose a danger in the acute period of the course - the patient's condition is successfully corrected with medicinal preparations and recommendations of specialists, folk remedies. It is worth fearing serious consequences:

1. pancreatitis – inflammation of the pancreas;
2. encephalitis – inflammation of the soft tissues of the brain;
3. oophoritis – inflammation of the ovaries;
4. meningitis – inflammation of the brain membrane;
5. decrease or complete loss of hearing.

The consequences of mumps in boys are the most severe - an inflammatory process develops in the testicles (orchitis), which can cause infertility in the future. Previously, it was believed that such a complication was inevitable, but modern medicine detects only 15% of cases of infertility.

Prevention of epidemic mumps

The disease is a viral disease and therefore the only sure way to prevent its development is vaccination. You need to be vaccinated against mumps between the ages of one and six - this vaccination schedule provides lifelong immunity.

Mumps prevention is carried out only after a complete examination - any deterioration of health is a contraindication (conditional or categorical in particularly severe cases). The reaction to the vaccine against the mumps virus is not acute - the child may complain of weakness, slight pain when swallowing and chewing solid food, but there will be no swelling behind the ears.

You can learn more about the disease and possible complications of mumps in men on the pages of our website www.dobrobut.com.

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