Vaccine Hesitancy Is Nothing New But It Can Be Overcome
Medications And Drugs For Treatment Of Mumps
Mumps is a contagious viral infection that typically causes a painful swelling of one or more of the salivary gland. Mumps most commonly occurs in children aged 2-12 years who have not been vaccinated against the disease. However, it can occur at any age. It was a common childhood disease before the development of the mumps vaccine (MMR vaccine).
What To Know About Mumps
Mumps is an extremely contagious viral infection of the salivary glands that most commonly affects children. The most obvious symptom is swelling of the salivary glands, giving the patient a "hamster-like" face.
The affected salivary glands are called the parotid glands; sometimes, the mumps virus can also cause inflammation of the testis, ovary, pancreas, or meninges (membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord).
Once someone has had mumps, they usually become immune to future infections.
To reduce the spread of mumps, the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine is often given at an early age to build immunity to the virus. Since the MMR vaccination was brought in, there has been a 99 percent decrease in mumps cases in the United States.
Fast facts on mumpsThe symptoms of mumps normally appear 2-3 weeks after the patient has been infected. However, almost 20 percent of people with the virus do not suffer any symptoms at all.
Initially, flu-like symptoms will appear, such as:
Over the next few days, the classic symptoms of mumps will develop. The main symptom is painful and swollen parotid glands, one of three sets of salivary glands; this causes the person's cheeks to puff out. The swelling normally does not occur in one go – it happens in waves.
Other associated symptoms can include:
Rarely, adults can contract mumps. In these cases, the symptoms are generally the same, but sometimes slightly worse and complications are slightly more likely.
Because mumps is viral, antibiotics cannot be used to treat it, and at present, there are no anti-viral medications that can treat mumps.
Current treatment can only help relieve the symptoms until the infection has run its course and the body has built up an immunity, much like a cold. In most cases, people recover from mumps within 2 weeks.
Mumps is due to an infection by the mumps virus. It can be transmitted by respiratory secretions (e.G. Saliva) from a person already affected with the condition. When contracting mumps, the virus travels from the respiratory tract to the salivary glands and reproduces, causing the glands to swell.
Examples of how mumps can be spread include:
Individuals infected with the mumps virus are contagious for approximately 15 days (6 days before the symptoms start to show, and up to 9 days after they start). The mumps virus is part of the paramyxovirus family, a common cause of infection, especially in children.
Complications are more frequent in adults than children, the most common are:
If a pregnant woman contracts mumps in the first 12-16 weeks of her pregnancy, she will have a slightly increased risk of miscarriage.
Rarer complications of mumps include:
As rare as some of these complications are, it is important to seek medical advice or help if an individual suspects they or their child, may be developing them.
Normally, mumps can be diagnosed by its symptoms alone, especially by examining the facial swelling. A doctor might also:
The mumps vaccine is the best method for preventing mumps; it can come on its own or as part of the MMR vaccine. The MMR vaccine also defends the body against rubella and measles.
The MMR vaccine is given to an infant when they are just over 1 year old and again, as a booster, just before they start school.
Anyone born after the 1990s would most probably have been given the MMR vaccine but, if unsure, it is always good to check with a doctor.
The mumps vaccine is routinely given to children in 82 countries. In many of these countries, encephalitis and deafness related to mumps have nearly disappeared.
An adult can be given the MMR at any age; a doctor may advise someone to take the vaccine before traveling abroad to certain regions, including:
Other reasons someone may be advised to have the MMR vaccine in adulthood is if they are:
If suffering from cancer or a disease that lowers the immune system, a doctor would need to be consulted before the MMR vaccine is considered.
However, individuals are not advised to have the MMR vaccine if:
MMR vaccine side effects
Most people given the MMR vaccine do not suffer side effects, and the disease itself cannot be contracted from the vaccine. A small percentage might develop a rash or fever and possibly aches in their joints.
Less than one in a million will suffer a severe allergic reaction from the MMR vaccine.
Preventing the spread of mumps
There are a number of precautions that help prevent the spread of infection; these are:
Mumps In Adults
Mumps is a viral infection that often causes swelling in your salivary glands. It usually isn't serious, but it's easily spread through saliva and mucus. It can be spread just through talking, sharing utensils, and coughing, for instance.
It's rare now, since a mumps vaccine became part of the recommended series of childhood immunizations decades ago. But outbreaks still happen, and have been on the rise. Health departments have reported several thousand cases since 2015.
We most often think about mumps among children -- and for good reason, since they're usually the ones who get it.
But adults can and do get the virus.
Symptoms can be so mild you might not know you're infected. Or you may feel like you're getting the flu. The most obvious sign of mumps is swollen saliva glands, but this symptom shows up in less than half of cases. Here's what else to watch for:
If you do show symptoms, they may not appear for 2 to 3 weeks after you're infected.
If you think you or someone else has mumps, call your doctor for an appointment. And remember, it's contagious. Avoid close contact with other people until at least 5 days after symptoms appear. But you may be able to spread the virus as much as seven days before and 9 days after your glands first begin to swell.
You catch the virus that causes mumps by coming in contact with the saliva of someone who's infected. It's as easy as breathing. Droplets can be released into the air when people cough, sneeze or talk.
Being in a crowded environment with someone who has the virus can lead to an outbreak, so consider these kinds of environments where adults share space:
You can also spread mumps in other ways, like:
Your doctor can diagnose mumps by listening to your symptoms and testing for the virus. The test might be done with a swab of your cheek or throat, or you might have a blood or urine test. In cases where the infection may have spread to the brain or spinal cord, you may need a spinal tap to test the cerebrospinal fluid.
Because mumps is caused by a virus, there's no medicine that can cure it. Most people recover fully after a few weeks. To ease symptoms while you wait, try these simple home remedies:
Stay hydrated.
Rarely, adults who have mumps might experience some hearing loss and decreased fertility. They sometimes have other symptoms that can include swelling of certain body parts, such as:
Mumps can cause a miscarriage if a woman gets it early in her pregnancy. In rare cases, it can lead to heart problems.
The combined measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (MMR) protects you from getting mumps. Young children should get two doses of the vaccine before they reach school age. The second shot wasn't recommended until around 1990, though, so some adults might not have received it.
In an outbreak, just one dose might not be enough to keep you safe, so if you only received a single dose, talk to your doctor about getting another. Here are some other situations in which you might need the vaccine:
You're a woman of childbearing age who is not pregnant.
You're in college.
You work in a hospital or school.
You want to travel overseas or go on a cruise.
Talk to your doctor if you think you might be at risk.
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