Mumps is a communicable disease caused by the mumps virus that passes from one person to another through saliva, nasal secretions, or close personal contact.
Mumps in children typically run a mild course. However, in adults, the rate of complications is slightly higher.
Although most adults will recover from a mumps infection without chronic sequelae, rarely the mumps virus can cause viral meningitis or meningoencephalitis if it moves into the brain’s outer layer. Other complications include swelling of the testicles or ovaries (if the affected person has passed reproductive age).
Other mumps complications involve inflammation and swelling in another part of the body, such as:
- Orchitis or testicular inflammation can cause one or both testicles to swell. Orchitis is painful and may lead to sterility in some cases.
- Encephalitis can cause neurological problems such as dementia, tremors or twitches, muscle rigidity, paralysis, and life-threatening brain edema.
- Swelling of the pancreas commonly referred to as pancreatitis causes pain within the upper abdomen, nausea, and vomiting. Additionally, it can lead to insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
Other complications include:
- Hearing loss: Deafness can occur in one or both ears. Although the rare, hearing disorder is typically permanent.
- Heart problems: Rarely, mumps has been related to abnormal heartbeat and diseases of the heart muscle.
- Miscarriage: Contracting mumps while you're pregnant, especially early in your pregnancy, may result in miscarriage, stillbirths, and a baby with cerebral palsy.
What is mumps?
Mumps is a communicable disease caused by the mumps virus that passes from one person to another through saliva, nasal secretions, or close personal contact.
- The condition primarily affects the salivary glands (parotid glands).
- These glands are responsible for producing saliva. There are three sets of salivary glands on both sides of your face, located behind, and below your ears. The main symptom of mumps is swelling of the salivary glands.
6 causes of mumps in adults
Six factors that may cause mumps in adults include:
- Classrooms
- Athletic teams
- College dormitories
- Kissing
- Using another person’s lipstick
- Sharing cigarettes
What is the prognosis of mumps in adults?
Mumps is caused by a virus, so antibiotics aren't effective. However, most youngsters and adults recover from an uncomplicated case of the condition within a few weeks with adequate rest, acetaminophen for pain, hydration, and a protein-rich meal.
People with mumps are generally no longer contagious and may safely return to school about five days after the appearance of signs and symptoms.
- About 15 to 30 percent of people develop orchitis that heals in about two weeks, whereas mumps meningitis has been reported in 1 to 10 percent of people.
- About four percent of people develop mumps pancreatitis. The mortality rate is low and seen in about 1.6 to 3.8 people per 10,000 people. Those with compromised immunity are at high risk.
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8 symptoms of mumps
The first obvious sign of mumps is swollen saliva glands, but this symptom is visible in less than 50 percent of the cases. Most commonly, people complain of fever and flu-like symptoms. Individuals may be infected about four days before the symptoms appear.
Common eight signs and symptoms of mumps include:
- Fever
- Headache
- Body ache
- Loss of appetite
- Fatigue
- Pain when you chew or swallow
- Pain within the swollen salivary glands on one or each side of your face
- Pain and tenderness of the testicles
7 treatment options for mumps in adults
Seven treatment options for mumps in adults include:
- Strict bed rest and isolation
- Over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen to bring down your fever
- Soothe swollen glands by applying ice packs
- Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration due to fever
- Have a protein-rich, but soft, diet of soup, shredded chicken, and other foods that aren’t hard to chew (chewing is painful when your glands are swollen)
- Avoid acidic foods and beverages that will cause more pain in your salivary glands
- Don’t give aspirin to kids because this medicine can cause Reye’s syndrome, which may cause liver failure, brain swelling, and death
How can mumps be prevented in adults?
The combined measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine protects you from mumps. Young children should get two doses of the vaccine before they reach school age. The second shot wasn’t recommended until around 1990.
- Usually, the primary dose of the MMR vaccine is given when a baby is 12 to 15 months of age.
- The second dose is given between four and six years of age. However, if 28 days have passed since the primary dose, a second dose is given before the age of four years.
- In an outburst, only one dose may not be enough for you to stay safe, so if you merely received one dose, seek advice from your doctor about getting another.
