Mumps is a viral illness which causes the salivary glands to swell up and creates difficulty chewing and swallowing. Symptoms may include a severe fever or noticeable weight loss. Chweing and swallowing are most affected because the salivary glands produce saliva, a liquid in your mouth which helps you chew and swallow. If these glands are effected, the saliva can no longer be produced as much, which then causes chewing and swallowing to become a lot harder to do. Free imunisation against mumps is available for people all ages. Symptoms of mumps may not occur for 15-25 days in an ifected person.
Above is a boy with Mumps. His salivary glands are all swelled up, one significantly more swelled than the other.
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Symptoms of Mumps include:
- painfull swallowing/chewing - swollen face (one or both sides) - developing fever/temperature - severe weight loss - swollen salivary gland - fatigue - a headache Prevention/treatment: If left untreated, Mumps can cause serious problems to the brain and heart muscles. Mumps can also spread throughout the body to areas such as the ears, liver, spinal chord, thymus, brain and heart tissue, pancrea and can even cause a miscarriage for a first time mother diagnosed with mumps. It is passed on from one to another by inhailing/ingesting the cough or sneeze droplets produced by an infected person. If everyone was immunised against mumps, this could easily stop the spread. You can help cure mumps by keeping your fluids up, making sure you get plenty of rest and once again, keeping isolated as it reduces the risk of the disease spreading. Medication of a specific kind has not been issued for Mumps and antibiotics can not be used for mumps, as it is viral. |