Parotitis or mumps, a swollen neck condition caused by a viral infection

What is mumps (parotitis)?

Mumps or parotitis is a condition of swelling of the salivary glands (parotid) due to an infectious viral infection. Dragging is a common disease experienced by children.

Viral infection of the salivary glands that are located under the ear can cause inflammation. As a result, the cheeks and the area around the jaw appear to be swollen and cause pain. The swollen cheeks usually feel warm as well.

The main way to treat parotitis is through supportive home remedies to boost your immune system. The symptoms of mumps can then subside on their own.

The virus that causes mumps is very easily transmitted from one person to another through droplets or saliva splashes. Fortunately, this disease can be prevented by maintaining personal hygiene and vaccination.

How common is mumps?

Everyone can experience mumps, but it is generally more common in children aged 2 to 12 years. However, adults who are infected may experience more severe symptoms than children.

You can avoid this viral infection by reducing the risk factors. For more information, please discuss the complaint with your doctor.

Mumps signs and symptoms

When you catch it, you may not feel sick right away. The incubation period for the virus that causes parotitis can last for 7-21 days before finally the virus infection shows symptoms.

Some of the symptoms of mumps that are commonly experienced include:

Pain in the face or on both sides of the cheeks
Pain when chewing or swallowing
Fever fluctuates
Headache
Sore throat
Swelling of the jaw or parotid gland
Testicular pain, swelling of the scrotum

The initial symptoms of parotitis are characterized by a low fever. Then the fever will go down and rise again until the body temperature reaches 39 ° Celsius. Swelling of the salivary glands occurs a few days later, usually on the third day after the first fever symptoms appear.

Swollen glands can generally last for 10 to 12 days. This mumps will cause pain when swallowing, speaking, chewing or when the swelling is compressed.

Symptoms of mumps in children and adults are almost the same. However, the symptoms in adults tend to be more severe.

However, the symptoms of mumps can vary widely. Each person may experience different symptoms. Some patients may even experience no symptoms of parotitis at all.

That is why many people do not realize that they have been infected and only become aware of it after the swelling has occurred.

When should I see a doctor?

You should watch out for signs and symptoms of parotitis. Do home care first by increasing fluid intake and getting plenty of rest.

However, if the symptoms of mumps do not go away and get worse, consult a doctor immediately.

Complications

If left untreated, this parotitis can cause inflammation and swelling in several parts of the body, such as:

1. Inflammation of the brain

The causative viral infection can cause inflammation of the brain (encephalitis). This condition will cause symptoms of high fever, stiff neck, headache, nausea and vomiting, drowsiness, and seizures.

Usually symptoms will begin in the first week after the salivary glands become swollen. This condition is very dangerous for the patient's life.

2. Pancreatitis

Viral infection can cause the pancreas to become inflamed or it is also known as pancreatitis. Disorders such as symptoms of mumps accompanied by abdominal pain at the top and nausea and vomiting.

3. Orchitis

Men who are pubescent can experience complications from this swollen salivary gland.

Swelling can affect one or two testicles (orchitis). It is very painful, but rarely causes infertility in men.

4. Meningitis

Viral infections that cause parotitis can spread through the bloodstream and infect the membranes and fluids in the spinal cord. This condition is also known as meningitis.

5. Oophoritis and mastitis

Women who are pubescent can experience complications of parotitis. Inflammation will spread to the ovaries (oophoritis) and breasts (mastitis). However, this condition rarely affects female fertility.

6. Other complications

Although rare, the viral infection that causes parotitis can spread to the cochlear area and can cause permanent hearing loss in one or both ears.

In addition, mumps can increase the risk of a pregnant woman having a miscarriage compared to healthy pregnant women.

Causes of parotitis

The cause of mumps is a viral infection paramyxovirus. The spread and transmission of this virus is the same as flu, namely through saliva.

When an infected person sneezes or coughs, the virus that causes mumps will come out with a splash of saliva and be inhaled by a healthy person. According to a 2016 study entitled Mumps Virus Pathogenesis, this is the most common mode of transmission of mumps.

The virus that causes parotitis can also spread through eating utensils, pillows, clothing, or other objects and infect people who come in contact with these objects. However, transmission in this way is less common.

The more often and the closer you come in contact with people who are sick, the risk of transmitting the virus that causes mumps will be even greater.

The period of transmission of the virus is highest to other people, namely 2 days before the appearance of symptoms and the first 5 days after the salivary glands begin to swell.

Risk factors

The virus that causes mumps can infect at any time, but this disease is more commonly experienced during the rainy season. This mumps disease can also affect anyone, but is generally more common in children.

However, people with certain conditions can be more susceptible to parotitis, such as:

Do not vaccinate.
Approximately 2-12 years old.
Having a very low immune system such as people with HIV / AIDS or cancer.
Travel to outbreak areas with high transmission rates of the virus that causes mumps.
Undergo chemotherapy treatment or take long-term steroid drugs.

More details

Diagnosis

As with any disease, the doctor must clearly know the cause of the swelling of the salivary glands in order to get a proper diagnosis.

During the initial examination, the doctor will evaluate what symptoms of mumps you feel. You may be advised to do a blood test to find out if the swelling is really caused by a type of virus paramyxovirus or other viruses.

The reason is, swelling of the salivary glands can also indicate other diseases. If from a blood test it is found that the cause of the swelling is not a viral parotitis infection, you may have other diseases such as:

Blockage of the salivary glands
Tonsils (tonsillitis)
Salivary gland cancer
Sjögren's Syndrome
Side effects of using thiazide diuretic drugs
Sarcoidosis
Diseases or disorders in IgG-4

Treatment of mumps

There are no antiviral drugs that are specific to the cure of mumps. Fortunately, this disease can be cured with simple remedies.

As long as the virus that causes parotitis has not spread and is not causing complications, you can do self-care at home. Prioritize getting plenty of rest and drinking water to keep your body hydrated.

Parotitis drugs that are usually used are pain relievers such as acetaminophen or paracetamol and ibuprofen. For aspirin, it should not be used in patients under 16 years of age. These drugs can be found easily at the pharmacy.

This medication can lower your body temperature so that it returns to normal and reduce pain in your cheeks or jaw due to swelling.

It is not recommended to use antibiotics in treating mumps because it is caused by a virus, not bacteria.

For parotitis that has already caused complications, using regular pharmacy drugs is not effective enough to cure it.

You need to get further treatment of mumps. If the symptoms of mumps are severe or there are complications, you may need to be hospitalized.

Home remedies

Since parotitis drugs are not available, treatment will focus on reducing symptoms and boosting the immune system.

Home remedies for mumps that you can take include:

Rest as much as possible until the swelling in the glands goes away and other symptoms subside.
Drink lots of water and nutritious foods. Choose foods that are soft and easy to swallow, such as soup, porridge, scrambled eggs or mashed potatoes.
Avoid fruit juices that taste sour because they can irritate the salivary glands.
Compress the swollen area with a soft warm or cold towel. This method can reduce pain in the swollen salivary glands.

How to prevent mumps

There are many ways to prevent you from transmitting the virus that causes parotitis. Here are ways you can do to keep your body healthy and avoid mumps.

1. Get the MMR vaccine

How to prevent transmission of the viral infection that causes mumps can actually be done from an early age, namely by administering the MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccine as a baby.

This vaccine is given twice the dose, namely in children aged 12-15 months and ages 4-6 years. In Indonesia, the MMR vaccine is mandatory to be given to children and it is scheduled for administration in basic immunization.

Vaccines are effective, but they don't apply to everyone. There are people who are still infected with the disease even though they have been vaccinated. However, the symptoms of parotitis will not be as severe as in people who don't get vaccinated.

2. Avoid contact or stay away from infected people

When a family or friend has parotitis, it's best to keep yourself or your child away from that person. Because the virus that causes mumps can be transmitted through droplets of saliva when the patient sneezes or coughs.

Also, don't use the same eating utensils or avoid sharing the same food or drink with people who have mumps.

3. Maintain personal hygiene

The patient's saliva can hit surrounding objects or stick to the hand and transfer to toys, tables, or doorknobs.

To be clean from the virus that causes mumps, always prioritize washing your hands with soap and rinse thoroughly with running water.

If you have mumps, avoid prolonged direct and close contact with other people for at least 5 days after the salivary glands begin to swell. Because at that time, you can quickly spread the virus to other people.

Use a mask or tissue when sneezing or coughing, so that the virus does not spread easily.

If you have any questions, consult your doctor for the best solution to your problem.