How to detect the signs of mumps

Mumps is a viral disease. This dreaded virus spreads through infected person's saliva. The most preferred site for infection is salivary gland, especially parotid.

Mumps can be detected through the various symptoms of mumps. If you do detect the presence of mumps, it is very important to get treatment for it.

One can find these parotid salivary glands at the back of the cheek between the jaw and the ear. In case of mumps, these salivary glands will be found enlarged and pain also will be evident.

This viral infection of the salivary glands [mumps] is not area specific or country specific and can be seen in all parts of the world. Scientists say that the word mumps must have its origin from the word "mumble" or "lump" [swelling].

Mumps was a disease of children who were between 5 to 14 years of age in the period before the discovery of vaccine [1967]. Of late the mumps is showing its appearance in adults more than the children. The children who are less than one year old generally not infected with mumps virus.

Mumps symptoms

The signs of mumps are very easy to detect. The first and foremost mumps symptom is fever.

• The affected child will have fever as high as 39.5 degrees Celsius [103 degrees of Fahrenheit]
• Fever will be accompanied by headache
• The child will have troubled appetite
• The path gnomic mumps symptom can be seen in a day or two after the infection with the mumps virus. The child's face will be swollen and the child will appear as hamper with food struck in its cheek.

This appearance is due to the swelling of the parotid salivary gland. The swelling will continue to grow in its size for two to three days. The pain also will be more. The pain will be more if the child chews, swallows, talks or drinks. Acidic juices must be avoided for these children, as it will increase the pain.

The mumps symptom s vary from child to child. At times only one side of the parotid gland is infected while the other side will be safe. Here the swelling will be noticed in one side only.

Sometimes the other salivary glands are infected other than parotid [rare]. In this case the swelling will be seen under the tongue and jaw.

Diagnosing mumps

The best method of diagnosing the mumps is nothing but its symptoms. Serologic antibody testing helps a lot for a physician to detect the mumps in the absence of the enlargement of parotid or salivary gland.

Possible dangers of not treating mumps

If not treated properly, the infection [mumps] can spread to testicle [in males] resulting in orchitis and ovaries [in females] result in inflammation of ovaries. Though meningitis and encephalitis are rare complication possibilities, they cannot be ruled out altogether. There for mumps treatment is necessary.

It is better to vaccinate the child with MMR vaccine in order to prevent mumps instead of attempting treatment, after noticing mumps symptom.