Mumps
The illness usually starts with a fever, headache, and muscle aches. These are usually followed by swelling on one or both sides of the face and neck of the parotid salivary glands, which are just in front of and below the ears. Talking, eating, and drinking may be painful. Mumps is usually mild in children, but teenagers and adults may develop potentially serious complications.
Make an appointment to see your doctor to confirm mumps and check for complications.
✨ What you can do yourself
There is no specific treatment for mumps, but you can make yourself or your child more comfortable.
- Rest until symptoms begin to ease.
- A warm compress, such as a washcloth soaked in warm water, applied to the side of the face, can help relieve pain in swollen glands.
- Drink plenty of fluids, but avoid acidic fruit juices because they stimulate saliva and may make the enlarged glands more painful. Use a straw if opening your mouth is painful.
- Have soup, yogurt, and other soft, bland foods that are easy to swallow.
- An analgesic will help reduce fever and relieve aches and pains (see Drug Remedies section).
- If mumps affects the testes, stay in bed and wear supportive clothing, such as two pairs of close-fitting underpants, until symptoms ease.
- If there are no complications, a child can usually go back to school, or an adult return to work, 5 days after the onset of the illness. Full recovery, however, can take 1–2 weeks.
- Severe headache and avoidance of bright light
- Vomiting, seizures, or excessive drowsiness
💊 Drug Remedies
Analgesics will bring down a fever and relieve muscle aches and the pain of swollen glands.
- For a child: acetaminophen (available as liquid medicine or chewable pills) or ibuprofen (available as liquid medicine). Ask your pharmacist to recommend an appropriate product for your child.
- For adults: acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
🛡️ Prevention
Immunization to protect against mumps is given as part of the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine. Make sure your child is immunized.
Arrange to see your doctor if you or your child develops:
- Pain in the abdomen or chest
- Swelling and pain in the testes
💡 Remember: Most children recover fully from mumps with rest and home care. Immunization with the MMR vaccine is the best way to prevent mumps and its complications.