What is mumps? What causes mumps? - Medical News Today

Mumps is an extremely contagious viral infection that usually affects children. The condition has a number of symptoms, the most common one being swelling of one or both of the salivary glands on the sides of the face.

These glands are called the parotid glands and when they swell the patient develops a "hamster like" face. Once someone has had mumps, they usually become immune to future infections.

To aid in the battle against the spread of mumps, the MMR vaccine is commonly given at an early age to help the body become immune to the virus. Before the MMR vaccination was brought in, in England and Wales there were 1,200 cases involving hospital admission per year.

According to Medilexicon's medical dictionary mumps is:

"An acute infectious and contagious disease caused by a mumps virus of the genus Rubulavirus and characterized by fever, inflammation and swelling of the parotid gland, and sometimes of other salivary glands, and occasionally by inflammation of the testis, ovary, pancreas, or meninges."

What are the signs and symptoms of mumps?

A symptom is something the patient feels or reports, while a sign is something that other people, including the doctor detects. A headache may be an example of a symptom, while a rash may be an example of a sign.

The symptoms of mumps normally appear 2-3 weeks after the patient has been infected, however almost 20% of people with the virus do not suffer any signs or symptoms at all.

The main symptom of mumps is painful and swollen parotid (salivary) glands, which cause the person's cheeks to puff out. Other symptoms can include:

Pain in the sides of the face where it is swollen
Pain experienced when swallowing
Trouble swallowing
Feeling tired and weak
Fever/high temperature
Headache
Nausea
Dryness in mouth
Pain in joints
Reduced appetite

What causes mumps?

A person suffers mumps when infected with the mumps virus. It can be transmitted via 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 it can be spread are:

sneezing or coughing
using the same cutlery/plates with someone infected
sharing food and drink with someone infected
kissing
someone infected touching their nose or mouth and then passing it onto a surface someone else may touch

Someone infected with the mumps virus is contagious for approximately 15 days (six days before the symptoms start to show, up to nine days after they start). The mumps virus is part of the paramyxovirus family, which is a widespread cause of infection, especially in children.

How is mumps diagnosed?

Normally, mumps can be diagnosed by its symptoms alone, especially by examining the facial swelling. In addition to examining this area and taking a note of the symptoms, a doctor may:

check inside the mouth to see the position of the tonsils - when infected with mumps, a person's tonsils can get pushed to the side
take the patient's temperature
take a sample of blood, urine or saliva for testing
take a sample of CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) for testing - this is usually in severe cases

How is mumps treated?

As mumps is viral, antibiotics cannot be used to treat it, and at present there are no anti-viral medications able to treat mumps. Treatment can only help relieve the symptoms until the infection has run its course and the body has developed an immunity, much like a cold. In most cases people recover from mumps within two weeks. Steps that can be taken to help relieve the symptoms of mumps include:

Consuming plenty of fluids, ideally water - avoid fruit juices as they stimulate the production of saliva, which is painful for someone with mumps.
Putting something cold on the swollen area to alleviate the pain.
Eating mushy or liquid food as chewing will also be painful
Getting sufficient rest and sleep
Gargling warm salt water
Taking painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen

How can mumps be prevented?

The mumps vaccine is the general method for preventing mumps; it can come on its own or as part of the MMR vaccine. The MMR vaccine also defends the body from rubella and measles. The MMR vaccine is given to an infant when they are just over one year old and again as a booster just before they start school. Anyone born after the 90s would most probably have been given the MMR vaccine but if unsure it is always advised to check with your doctor.

An adult can be given the MMR at any age, a doctor may advise someone to take the vaccine before travelling abroad to certain areas of the globe. These areas include:

India
Africa - not all areas
Southeast Asia
Japan
Pakistan

Other reasons someone may be advised to have the MMR vaccine in adulthood is if they are:

working in healthcare - e.g. hospital or medical facility
working or attending somewhere with lots of young people such as a college
working in a school or around lots of children

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. It is not advised to have the MMR vaccine if:

The immune system is seriously compromised
The patient has had an allergic reaction to neomycin (a type of antibiotic) or gelatin
The patient is pregnant or soon to be pregnant (in the next four weeks)

Does the MMR vaccine have any 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 a millionth will suffer a severe allergic reaction from having the MMR vaccine.

Ways of preventing mumps from spreading

There are a number of precautions that can be taken to help prevent the spread of infection, these are as follows:

Washing hands frequently with water and soap.
Not going into work/school until 5 days after the symptoms begin to appear (no longer contagious as incubation period has finished)
Covering the nose and mouth with a tissue when sneezing or coughing

What are the risk factors of mumps?

The most common complications of mumps are:

Orchitis - testicles swell and are painful, this happens to 1 in 5 of males that contract mumps after reaching puberty. The swelling diminishes within a week, tenderness can last longer than that. This condition rarely results in infertility.
Oophoritis - ovaries swell and are painful, this is much less common that orchitis as it only happens to 1 in 20 of females that are infected with mumps after puberty. The swelling will subside as the immune system fights off the virus. Again there are cases where infertility is a result but this is rare.
Viral Meningitis - this is one of the rarest of the common complications. This happens when the virus spreads through the bloodstream infecting the body's central nervous system.
Inflamed pancreas - pain will be experienced in the upper abdomen, it occurs in 1 out of 20 cases and is usually mild.

If a pregnant woman contracts mumps within the first 12-16 weeks of her pregnancy, she will have a marginally increased risk of miscarriage.

The rarer complications of mumps include:

Enephalitis - this is when the brain inflames causing neurological issues and can even be fatal. This again is a very rare risk factor of mumps as it only happens in 1/6000 of cases.
Hearing loss - this is the rarest of all the complications affecting 1/15000 of cases.

As rare as some of these complications are, it is important to seek medical advice or help if you suspect yourself or your child to be developing any of them.

Written By Mike Paddock

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