Parentsmay be trying to find out what are the signs of mumps in children. Especially if your little one complains of a sore throat, can’t swallow, feels weak, and lethargic.
Mumps in children is a type of infection caused by a virus.
This disease can infect many parts of the body, but is best known for causing swelling of the parotid glands. These glands, which make saliva (spit), are located in front of the ears, around the jaw.
Mumps used to be a common childhood illness, especially in children ages 5 to 9. It is much rarer now, thanks to the mumps vaccine.
To learn what mumps is, how to treat it and prevention tips, read more below.
What is Mumps?
The salivary glands are located under the ears on the side of the face. Therefore, people who have mumps, the side of their face will look enlarged and swollen.
Old people used to use blau (blue laundry soap) rubbed on the swollen area of the neck, believed it would relieve the symptoms. However, this is just a myth, and should not be done anymore.
Mumps is highly contagious. The virus spreads in small droplets of fluid when someone with the virus sneezes, coughs, talks, or laughs.
Contact with objects they use, such as dirty tissues, straws, or drinking glasses, can also transmit the virus.
If they don’t wash their hands , any surface they touch can spread mumps to others who touch it.
A person with mumps is most contagious from 2 days before symptoms start, until 5 days after symptoms end.
Anyone who is infected can spread the disease, even if they don’t show any symptoms at all.
What are the Symptoms of Mumps?
This disease, often called mumps, shows symptoms after being exposed to the virus for two weeks.
The initial symptoms are similar to those of a diseaseinfluenza, includes:
- Fever
- No appetite
- Headache
- Weak
- Pain all over the body
The above symptoms are then followed by swelling of the salivary glands and increasingly high fever, up to 39 degrees.Celsius.
The swollen area may also be painful to touch.
How Is Goiter Diagnosed in Children?
Quoted from the Cedars Sinai health page , in diagnosing mumps, doctors will usually ask about your child’s symptoms and medical history.
He or she will give your child a physical exam. Your child may also have tests, such as a saliva or urine test, to confirm the diagnosis.
Call your doctor right away if your child has symptoms of mumps or has been around someone with mumps.
It is important to note that mumps spreads through contact with fluids from the mouth, nose, and throat when an infected child coughs, sneezes, or talks.
The virus can also live on surfaces such as doorknobs, eating utensils, and drinking glasses. The virus spreads when other children use these items and then rub their nose or mouth.
Your doctor may give you special instructions before you come into the office to protect other patients from the virus.
How to Treat Mumps in Children?
Because this disease is caused by a virus, it will not respond to antibiotics .
However, parents can treat mumps according to the symptoms that appear, to reduce the child’s discomfort when he or she is attacked by this disease.
- Tell your child to rest when he feels weak
- Give painkillers such as ibuprofen or paracetamol.
- Relieve pain in the swollen area with ice cubes or a warm compress.
- Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration due to fever.
- Provide easy-to-swallow foods such as soup, porridge, or jelly that is not too hard. This disease makes it difficult to chew, so make sure your child still gets nutrition with soft foods that are easy to swallow.
- Avoid acidic foods and drinks that make the salivary glands feel more sore.
Before the mumps heals, do not let the child go to school. Let him rest at home, so as not to infect his other friends.
Wear a mask and do not share eating utensils with other family members, to prevent transmission.
This disease usually goes away on its own after a few weeks. About 10 days after the symptoms worsen, the child’s condition usually improves.
Those who have had this disease, usually will not be attacked a second time. Because the immune system has adapted to the virus, and can protect itself from further mumps virus attacks.
Who is at Risk for Mumps?
Kids Health explains that mumps is most common in school-age children and college students. Mumps outbreaks are rare, but they can happen.
An outbreak is when many people in one area get the same disease. Experts are trying to figure out why outbreaks still happen and how to prevent them.
Children who are at high risk of developing mumps are those who have not received the MMR vaccine as infants.
Most cases of mumps occur in younger adults who did not receive the MMR vaccine as part of their childhood vaccination schedule and in older people who never had mumps as children.
You can protect your child from mumps by making sure they are given the combined MMR vaccine for mumps, measles and rubella .
The MMR vaccine is part of the government’s mandatory childhood immunization schedule.
Most people who have had mumps never get it again.
How Long Does It Take for Mumps to Get Better?
There is currently no cure for mumps, but the infection usually clears up within a week or two, according to the NHS.
You can usually return to work or school about a week after your doctor diagnoses mumps. At this point, you are no longer contagious.
Ten days after getting sick, you usually feel better. Most people who have mumps cannot get the disease a second time. Having had the virus once automatically protects your child from getting it again.
Mumps Medical Aid
Treatment and medication for mumps depends on your child’s symptoms, age, and general health.
It will also depend on how severe the condition is. Cedars Sinai’s health page notes that antibiotics are not used to treat this condition.
The goal of mumps treatment is to help relieve symptoms. Treatment may include:
- Rest in bed (bed rest)
- Drink plenty of fluids
- Acetaminophenor ibuprofen for fever and pain relief.
- using painkillers, such as ibuprofen and paracetamol.
- Apply a warm or cold compress to the swollen glands to help relieve pain.
Cedars Sinai’s health page also recommends always discussing the risks, benefits, and possible side effects of all medications with your doctor.
Do not give ibuprofen to children under 6 months, unless your doctor tells you to. Do not give aspirin to children.
Painkillersuch as aspirin should not be given to children under 16. Aspirin can cause a serious health condition called Reye’s syndrome .
When to Call a Doctor?
Mumps can sometimes cause rare but serious problems. Call your doctor right away if your child has mumps and:
- having a severe headache
- have a stiff neck
- having a seizure
- very sleepy
- experiencing changes in consciousness (fainting)
Besides that,ParentsIt is also important to pay attention to whether your little one has a stomach ache. This could be a sign of a problem with the pancreas in boys or girls, or the ovaries in girls.
In boys, look for high fever with pain and swelling of the testicles.
Complications
Although rare, serious complications can occur if the disease is left untreated. The mumps virus can poison the protective fluid of the spinal cord, attacking the brain, pancreas and reproductive organs.
Complications that can occur in children include:
- Acute pancreatitis. This complication is characterized by pain in the middle of the abdomen, fever, diarrhea, nausea, and loss of appetite. Although it is a mild complication, the doctor will advise the patient to be treated until the pancreas recovers.
- Meningitis . Mild meningitis occurs due to complications of the mumps virus, the symptoms are like flu, headache, stiff neck, and eyes are sensitive to light. However, it is not fatal because it is different from the dangerous meningitis virus.
How to Prevent Mumps?
Mumps can be prevented if the child has been immunized with the MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) vaccine.
So, make sure your child receives this vaccine to prevent mumps virus infection .
The MMR vaccine is usually given when a child is 12-18 months old, and repeated once more when he or she is 6 years old.
Prevention can also be done by always maintaining cleanliness. Washing hands before and after eating, and after going to the toilet. Not sharing eating utensils and bathroom equipment with other people, and wearing a mask .
If you have been infected with the mumps virus , reduce outdoor activities until you recover. Because the virus is very easily transmitted to others, especially if salivary gland swelling has occurred.
Likewise, when the sufferer sneezes or coughs, use a tissue or hand to cover your mouth and nose.
So that saliva doesn’t spread in the air, throw away the tissue and wash your hands thoroughly, so that the virus doesn’t stick to other objects you touch.
To help prevent spreading mumps to others, take the following precautions:
- Keep your child away from school or daycare until symptoms resolve.
- Wash your hands thoroughly before and after caring for your child.
- Make sure other household members wash their hands frequently, especially before eating.
- Ask your child to cover his mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing.
- Clean hard surfaces, toys, and doorknobs with disinfectant.
- Make sure the childcare center encourages hand washing.
Adults born before 1957 who have not had mumps may want to be vaccinated. Those who work in high-risk settings, such as hospitals or schools, should always be vaccinated against mumps.
However, people who have a weakened immune system, are allergic to gelatin or neomycin, or are pregnant, should not receive the MMR vaccine.
Consult your family doctor regarding the immunization schedule for you and your children.
Key Points about Mumps in Children
The following are important points about mumps as quoted from the Cedars Sinai page :
- Mumps is a highly contagious viral disease that infects a pair of salivary glands in front of the ears.
- Mumps is spread through contact with fluids from the mouth, nose, and throat when an infected child coughs, sneezes, or talks.
- Mumps can be prevented with a vaccine. Protection against mumps is provided by the combination vaccine against measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR). MMR provides immunity for most people.
- The most common symptoms of mumps include pain and swelling of the salivary glands, especially in the jaw area. Other symptoms include difficulty speaking and chewing, earache, and fever.
- The goal of treatment is to help relieve symptoms. Treatment may include rest, fluids, and acetaminophen for discomfort or pain.
- Keep your child home from school or daycare until symptoms are gone. Wash hands well before and after caring for your child. Have your child cover his or her mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing.
These are the things that are necessaryParentsLearn about mumps in children and how to treat and prevent it.
Hopefully this information is useful, Parents.
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Republished with permission from theAsianParent Indonesia
