mumps

Symptoms of mumps: swollen parotid glands are typical

Mumps is a contagious infectious disease caused by the mumps virus. It is also called parotitis epidemica in technical terms, or goat peter in the vernacular. Mumps is widespread worldwide and occurs all year round, but especially often in spring and winter. In the 1960s and 70s, mumps was still widespread. Because there is now a vaccination against mumps, the disease has become much less common. Today researchers only observe isolated outbreaks in non-vaccinated people in schools, in the military or in areas with high residential density.

Mumps can be found in people of all ages - children to adults. However, mumps is very rare in a baby under one year old. Anyone who has ever gone through the mumps is usually immune for a lifetime. People rarely contract mumps a second time.

Mumps: Signs are often not very specific

Mumps usually begins with uncharacteristic symptoms that also occur with many other infectious diseases, such as the flu or cold :

• Fatigue, exhaustion, exhaustion
• Loss of appetite, general malaise
• headache
• Body aches
• fever
• After a day or two , the parotid gland swells and the earlobe stands out. This inflammation is the most typical sign of mumps. In the majority of cases, both parotid glands are thick and the swelling shows up on both halves of the face, more rarely it is only one-sided. The whole cheek appears swollen like after a visit to the dentist. The swelling usually disappears within a week.
• Pain when chewing, opening your mouth, swallowing, speaking, and pressure on the ear canal
• Sometimes the salivary glands in the lower jaw or under the tongue and the neighboring lymph nodes also swell.

In contrast to other childhood diseases such as measles or rubella , there is no rash on the skin with mumps. Doctors can usually diagnose mumps based on these symptoms.

Big cheek toddler. The cause here is swelling of the parotid glands - a typical symptom of mumps. The swollen cheek is also called hamster cheek in mumps

How long do the symptoms of mumps last?

The symptoms of mumps last for about three to eight days. But they are over again after 14 days at the latest. About 40 percents of all people who develop mumps experience only mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. So in many cases the mumps goes undetected. In children under five years of age, mumps often resembles a harmless cold (flu infection). Children under the age of two usually develop only mild symptoms. It is different with increasing age - then the mumps can be more severe.

Mumps: Mostly airborne infection

The cause of mumps is the mumps virus. This virus is only found in humans. The transmission occurs mainly through droplet infection , i.e. when coughing, sneezing or speaking. Infected people "blow" millions of tiny droplets into the air. If others breathe these in, they can become infected.

The mumps pathogen can also get from one person to another via saliva, for example when kissing. The transmission of mumps through objects to which saliva and viruses adhere, such as cutlery, glasses or drinking bottles, is less common. One reason is that the mumps virus is very sensitive to heat, light, UV rays, fat-dissolving substances and disinfectants. It cannot survive long in the environment like this.

Mumps: incubation period and how long is it contagious?

The incubation period for mumps is usually between 16 and 18 days. A period of 12 to 25 days is also possible. The incubation period states how much time elapses between becoming infected with the mumps virus and the appearance of the first symptoms.

The risk of infection is particularly high two days before the onset of the disease and four days afterwards. Overall, people with mumps are contagious seven to nine days after the swollen parotid glands appear. It should be noted that mumps is contagious even when patients are not showing any symptoms.

Mumps in pregnancy

Mumps during pregnancy is not risky for the unborn child. It does not mean an increased risk of malformations. The earlier assumption that mumps during pregnancy was linked to an increased rate of miscarriages in the first three months of pregnancy has not yet been confirmed. Pregnant women do not have to fear any harm to their baby. In addition, the vast majority of women have been vaccinated against mumps and the infection has become rarer anyway.

Mumps: course, duration and complications

The duration of the mumps is usually between three and eight days, then the symptoms subside. The course of the disease can sometimes extend to 14 days, but then at the latest the symptoms will have disappeared again. In the majority of cases, mumps heals completely and without any consequences. The course of mumps is usually favorable and the prognosis is therefore good.

Nevertheless, the mumps can have consequences and cause complications. The older the sick, the greater the risk of a severe course of the mumps.

The most common complications include:

• Inflammation of the meninges ( meningitis ): In many cases it goes unnoticed and is mild. Meningitis manifests itself as headache, stiff neck and vomiting . Inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) is less common and can cause permanent damage such as paralysis and can sometimes be fatal.
• Temporary hearing loss due to inflammation of the inner ear or auditory nerve, sometimes permanent deafness
• Inflammation of the testicles (orchitis) and inflammation of the epididymis (epididymitis): In men after puberty, one or both testicles can become inflamed. Orchitis is relatively common and occurs about four to eight days after the parotid glands become inflamed. It takes about one to two weeks. The inflammation of the testicles can reduce fertility and rarely leads to infertility.
• In women: breast inflammation (more common) and ovarian inflammation (rarely)
• Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) with abdominal pain , nausea and vomiting. It is rare and usually heals up after one to two weeks.
• Anemia, thyroid, spinal cord, heart muscle, joint, kidney and eye inflammation are very rare

 

Mumps-measles-rubella vaccine

The most effective protection against the infectious disease is the mumps vaccination. There is no single vaccine that only protects against mumps. A triple vaccine has been available since 1976 that protects against three childhood diseases at the same time: mumps, measles and rubella. The mumps, measles and rubella vaccine is also called the MMR vaccine for short. In 2006 a new vaccine came onto the market that, in addition to these three diseases, also protects against chickenpox (varicella). Since then, doctors have been able to protect children from measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox with a single vaccination.

Mumps, measles and rubella vaccination - who, when and how often?

The Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO) of the Robert Koch Institute first recommended in 1976 that every child should be vaccinated against mumps once. However, since 1991 she has recommended two mumps vaccinations because this improves vaccination protection. The following STIKO recommendations apply to the question of how often the mumps vaccination should be given:

• The first mumps vaccine should receive baby between the ages of eleven and 14 months, your. A vaccination in the ninth month of life is possible if your child goes to a community facility (day care center, etc.) before the age of eleven months.
• The second vaccination against mumps should get your child earlier than four weeks after the first vaccination, ie 15 to 23 months. It takes ten to 14 days for the body to build up protection.

It is no longer necessary to have the vaccination against mumps, rubella and measles boosted.

Primary vaccination with two vaccinations greatly reduces the likelihood of mumps infection, but does not completely rule out the outbreak of the disease. It can happen that adults get mumps despite a vaccination.

Anyone who did not receive the vaccination as a child or who is incompletely vaccinated can still get the vaccination later - preferably as soon as possible. There is no age limit.

Vaccinate once there are people who were born after 1970 and have only one or does not get a vaccination should leave if they:

• Caring for patients
• work in community or training facilities for young adults.

Doctors advise against women who want to have children that they should be vaccinated against mumps during pregnancy. Although many studies have shown that vaccination does not affect the child during pregnancy, there is still a need for research. This is why doctors recommend that expectant mothers get vaccinated at least one month before the start of pregnancy.

Mumps, measles and rubella vaccination - possible side effects

Vaccination against mumps, measles and rubella can cause a vaccination reaction - this is possible with any vaccination.

• The puncture site can swell and redden slightly.
• A slight fever is possible.
• Mumps breaks out (one to two percent of cases) because the MMR vaccine is a live vaccine. However, the administered vaccine is weakened, which is why the symptoms are also weaker than with "normal" mumps.

The theory has been circulating for some time that the MMR vaccine causes autism . That's not true. Numerous studies show that there is no connection whatsoever.

Mumps: treat symptoms only

The treatment of the mumps is aimed exclusively at the symptoms. There is no therapy that addresses the cause - namely the mumps virus. The following therapy tips help with mumps to better survive the disease:

• Rest and rest are advisable until the fever has subsided.
• Drink enough , for example water, herbal teas or fruit juice spritzers. Avoid acidic drinks that stimulate the flow of saliva.
• Eat soft, mushy foods that don't require great chewing and are easier to swallow. Soups are also good with mumps.
• Cold or warm compresses reduce swelling on the face.
• Cool calf compresses can lower the fever. Antipyretic medication may also help.
• Maintains good oral hygiene : brush your teeth and disinfecting mouthwashes that get rid of germs are good.
• Painkillers are sometimes helpful: Examples are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) with the active ingredients ibuprofen, diclofenac or acetylsalicylic acid (ASA). The drugs relieve pain and reduce inflammation at the same time.
• Men who have swollen testicles should lie down as much as possible and use a pillow to raise the affected area.