Table of contents:
- How to treat mumps that works
- 1. Get enough rest
- 2. Drink lots of water
- 3. Pay attention to your food sources
- 4. Take pain medication
- 5. Apply the cold compress to the swollen neck
Mumps or parotitis is an infectious disease caused by a virus. The virus that causes mumps usually infects the parotid gland (salivary glands), causing the salivary glands to swell. Other symptoms of mumps include fever and swollen cheeks, headache, and pain when swallowing, talking, chewing, or drinking sour water. Mumps usually affects children aged 2-14 years. So, how do you treat mumps?
How to treat mumps that works
Many people mistakenly think that mumps can be treated with antibiotics. In fact, antibiotics are drugs to fight bacterial infections, not viruses. So, how to treat mumps with antibiotics is not right.
The various ways to treat mumps that exist today are more aimed at relieving the symptoms that appear until the viral infection is completely gone, and the body is declared healthy again.
Well, here are some ways to treat mumps that you can try:
1. Get enough rest
In order to boost your immune system and stop the spread of the virus, it's best to rest at home first and avoid going outside for a while.
This is also reinforced by a statement from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), that people with mumps should rest at home for about five days after the parotid gland starts to look swollen.
Bed rest also aims to prevent transmission of the virus to other people. The reason is, the mumps virus will be very contagious even up to a week after the appearance of symptoms.
2. Drink lots of water
Mumps can make your throat sore, making it difficult to chew and swallow food or drink. That is why many people lose their appetite and become lazy to consume anything, including drinking water.
In fact, drinking lots of water can help prevent dehydration during the fever you experience with mumps. Well-fulfilled fluid needs also help to smoothen your body's metabolic system.
Reporting from the Medical News Today page, consumption of any liquid is actually allowed. However, it would be ideal if you multiply water. Avoid fruit juices, because juices usually stimulate saliva production which actually makes your mumps sicker.
3. Pay attention to your food sources
Do not underestimate food choices while you are treating mumps. In fact, choosing the right food will help reduce the risk of complications from mumps and speed up the healing process.
If eating hard foods makes it difficult for you to swallow and eventually you lose your appetite, try eating other foods that are softer. Soups, yogurt, mashed boiled potatoes, and other foods that are not difficult to chew and swallow may be good choices.
As much as possible avoid eating acidic foods, such as citrus fruits, because they can increase saliva production.
4. Take pain medication
Antibiotics do not cure mumps, but you can still take pain medication to relieve the pain and fever that results from mumps. For example, such as paracetamol, ibuprofen, or aspirin. These drugs can be purchased over the counter at a drugstore or drugstore near your home. If you need a stronger type and dose, your doctor can prescribe it for you.
It is important to be more careful when giving aspirin to people with mumps who are children or adolescents. The reason is, the use of aspirin has been associated with Reye's syndrome which threatens the health of children.
5. Apply the cold compress to the swollen neck
Source: Health Ambition
Another way to treat mumps that you can do is to compress the swollen neck area using a cold compress. Apart from functioning to reduce pain, cold compresses will also help to relieve inflammation as well as provide comfort to the sore neck area.
