Common Illnesses & Injuries

Mumps

Mumps is a viral disease that causes painful swelling of the salivary glands along the side of one or both cheeks. Mumps can be very serious, especially for teenagers and adults. Permanent hearing loss can occur. More serious cases may result in inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. Mumps may cause swelling of the male testicles and female ovaries. The disease spreads when germs pass in the air from an infected person’s coughing to the nose or throat of others. Up to 13,000 cases of mumps have been reported each year. More than 85 percent of the cases develop before the age of 15 and most occur between the ages of six and 10 years.

The infected child is contagious a few days before the swelling begins and until the swelling is gone. The swelling lasts at least nine days after the first sign of inflammation.

The symptoms usually disappear within seven to 10 days and include the following:

Swelling of the glands along the side of one or both cheeks
Fever between 101 and 104 degrees Fahrenheit
Loss of appetite
General tiredness
Headache and listlessness

Complications may include:

Stiff neck
Nausea and occasional vomiting
Abdominal pain
Swelling of the testicles

Treatment is focued on relieving the child’s discomfort. Follow these guidelines:

Make sure the child gets lots of rest and drinks plenty of fluids
Keep a glass of water or non-citrus juice next to the child
Give acetaminophen to control fever (Never give aspirin to a child under 18 years.)
Apply a warm or cold compress to the swollen gland for relief
Feed soft foods that are easy to chew and swallow (Citrus fruits and drinks may sting the mouth.)
Keep the child away from anyone not immune to the illness
Call your pediatrician if the child’s symptoms worsen with complications like severe abdominal pain, extreme listlessness, or painful testes

Immunity against mumps comes with having had the disease or with vaccination to prevent it. Children should receive the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) series of two shots with one given between 12 and 15 months, and one between four and six years. Children or adults who have not had mumps or been vaccinated should contact their healthcare provider.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have set up several hotlines that provide immunization information by phone, fax, or mail. Call 1-800-CDC-SHOT. Their National Immunization Information Hotline number is 1-800-232-2522 for English, or 1-800-232-0233 for Spanish.