Mumps is the name of an infectious disease that causes inflammation of the parotid salivary glands. Mumps is a childhood disease as it affects children between the ages of three and fifteen. It is known that mumps is especially dangerous for boys. Let's find out why.
Mumps disease in boys: symptoms
The causative agent of mumps is a virus that enters the body through airborne droplets (through the oral cavity and nasal mucosa). And then, once in the blood, the pathogen enters the salivary gland, and from there to other glands and the central nervous system.
The incubation period lasts from 1.5 to 2.5 weeks. Mumps in children is manifested by general malaise, loss of appetite, and a rise in temperature to 38-38.5°C, in rare cases up to 39-40°C. After 1-2 days, the most characteristic sign of mumps disease appears - swelling and swelling of the parotid salivary glands. The child may complain of dry mouth and pain near the ear, which gets worse when chewing or talking. The area near one ear or both at the same time swells. Maximum swelling is achieved on day 3, and then the gland gradually decreases in size.
Mumps can be mild, moderate or severe. With the first, there is an increase in temperature for several days and damage exclusively to the salivary glands. The average form of the disease is characterized by high fever lasting at least 1 week, deterioration of the child’s well-being, damage to the central nervous system and other glands (pancreas). Severe mumps is complicated by hearing loss, meningitis and orchitis - inflammation of the male gonads.
Consequences of mumps in boys
The sex glands in the male body are the testicles. With a complicated form of mumps disease in boys, inflammation is observed. The testicle turns red, swells, and increases in size. There are painful sensations in the gonad. Typically, swelling is observed in one testicle, and after a few days - in both. Sometimes orchitis ends in the death of testicular function - atrophy, which is the cause of infertility in the future man.
Mumps: treatment
There are no specific treatments for mumps. Usually all measures come down to alleviating the patient’s condition and preventing the development of complications. The boy is placed on bed rest, if possible, in a separate room. When treating mumps in children, a diet is necessary to avoid pancreatitis - inflammation of the pancreas. Antipyretic and painkillers will help bring down a high temperature. Compresses from an alcohol solution are applied to the affected salivary glands at temperatures up to 38°C. Due to constant dry mouth, you need plenty of warm drinks - fruit drinks, herbal decoctions, diluted juices, weak tea. Mumps in children, in the absence of complications, goes away in 10-12 days.
Parents need to constantly examine their son's testicles. If one or both of them is affected, you should immediately call a doctor. Since an inflamed gonad causes pain, the child should be given Nurofen or paracetamol. Applying compresses, especially warm ones, is strictly prohibited, as is the application of creams and ointments. To relieve pain, you can make a supportive hammock from bandages, 
the ends of which are attached to the belt of clothing. To prevent the development of severe mumps, the antimicrobial drug Biofon has recently been used.
How to avoid mumps in children?
If a boy has had mumps, but there is no orchitis, there can be no question of infertility. The older the child, the more difficult the disease is to tolerate. But mumps is especially dangerous during puberty. In order to avoid this disease with such severe consequences, mumps is prevented in the form of mandatory vaccination of children upon reaching 1 year and 6-7 years of age.
Mumps is the popular name for mumps, an infectious disease of viral etiology. The virus is transmitted, as a rule, by airborne droplets and affects glandular tissue, mainly the salivary glands, namely the parotid glands.
Mumps has been known for a long time and was described by Hippocrates. Another popular name is temple.
The appearance of the name “mumps disease” is due to the fact that a sick person, due to the enlargement of the salivary glands, looks like a pig. In the 17th to 19th centuries, mumps was widespread among soldiers and was called “trench disease.”
Mumps is a highly contagious anthroponotic infection. The causative agent of mumps is the mumps virus, which is very common among the human population, belongs to the family of paramyxoviruses, paramyxovirus parotidis, and is closely related to the influenza virus.
As noted above, the infection that causes such an illness is transmitted by airborne droplets, when talking, coughing, sneezing, or close breathing. The virus survives well in the cold and wet season of the year, so the incidence is high in spring and autumn. At the same time, this type of virus is easily eliminated by ventilation, drying, ultraviolet treatment, and disinfection solutions.
It is worth noting
Mumps disease occurs often in preschool children, but can occur later. Infants receive immunity from their mother through breastfeeding, which lasts until the age of five.
Cases of mumps are quite common in childhood, and, as a rule, boys are one and a half times more likely to get sick than girls. In adulthood, the disease manifests itself more severely and is much more difficult to tolerate; there is a high risk of complications and consequences.
The source of the disease can only be an infected person, a child releasing the virus into the environment. Infection usually occurs through communication, walking, or playing together with sick children. The entrance gate is the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx.
The incubation period lasts from one and a half to three weeks. The virus travels from the external environment through contact with the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx, where it replicates in the glandular cells, enters the blood (viremia stage), before penetrating the glandular cells, mainly the parotid glands, with the development of inflammation. A child is considered contagious for 2-3 days before the onset of the clinical picture, the risk of infection remains until 10th day of illness.
It is worth noting
Very often, mumps occurs in an erased subclinical form, the nature of the manifestations of which resembles ARVI, but is not recognized for timely quarantine. After the disease, the body retains a strong immunity, that is, someone who has had mumps will not be able to get sick a second time.
The disease begins with an increase in temperature to subfebrile and febrile values (37.5 - 38.5 degrees Celsius). Clinically, intoxication appears - weakness, lethargy, pain in the head, aches in the muscles, legs, arms, back, lack of appetite, sleep disturbance, increased need to drink.
After 12-36 hours, symptoms associated with damage to the glandular organs appear. The mumps virus has an affinity for glandular tissue; its main target is the parotid and submandibular salivary glands. The virus can also affect the pancreas, thyroid, lacrimal, gonads, and in isolated cases, the membranes of the brain.
Characteristic signs of mumps disease
The course of the disease has characteristic signs. A special sign is an increase in the size of the parotid salivary gland, first one, and after 1-2 days symmetrical. There is swelling of this area, swelling, the diseased gland is painless on palpation, pain in the ear area can occur due to the tension of the soft tissues, and can intensify with chewing and talking.
If the submandibular and sublingual salivary glands are affected, then swelling, swelling under the lower jaw appears, the glands increase in size and can become hard when palpated.
Boys may develop orchitis - enlargement and swelling of the testicles, sometimes in 2-3 times, with their compaction, the appearance of pain in the groin area. Inflammation of the testicles, depending on age, can lead to dangerous complications.
If the pancreas is involved, signs of acute pancreatitis may appear - girdle pain in the upper abdomen, dyspeptic symptoms in the form of vomiting and nausea.
In severe cases, the central nervous system may be affected, the membranes of the brain may be affected, with their swelling and the manifestation of meningeal symptoms: patients complain of severe headache, vomiting, confusion, agitation, convulsions, and signs of diffuse polyneuritis involving large nerve trunks may be observed.
In the typical course of mumps, the severity of the condition increases within 3-5 days, then the temperature returns to normal and the recovery process begins, taking up to 10 days. After this, the patient can be considered fully recovered.
In infants, the disease is extremely rare, since with mother's milk the child receives the necessary immunity, which lasts for a period of 3 to 5 years. In any case, the disease begins with malaise, symptoms of intoxication, weakness, fatigue, muscle pain, and fever are observed. Fever is most severe at 1-2 day of illness and can last 4-7 days.
In children of preschool and primary school age, the disease often occurs in a mild form. In older people and especially adults, the disease is less tolerated. First of all, when a child begins to get sick, there is an increase in the parotid salivary gland. It swells, there is dry mouth and pain in the ear area. The swelling increases, more by the third day, first on one side, then on the other, making the face more rounded, after which it begins to subside and goes away by 7-10 days.
Complications of mumps disease
In 10% of cases, on the 5th-7th day of illness, regardless of gender, in both boys and girls, damage to the central nervous system may occur, and meningitis may develop.
It is worth noting
Meningitis occurs with a rise in temperature up to 39 degrees, meningeal signs (Kernig, Brudzinski syndromes), photophobia, headaches, fever, vomiting; signs of meningitis disappear within 10-12 days.
In adult men and adolescents, orchitis may occur - testicular damage, which manifests itself on the 5-7th day of illness, fever increases, and pain in the lower abdomen and groin area may occur. The testicles may enlarge to the size of a goose egg, and the scrotum swells. The fever lasts for another 3-5 days, and testicular swelling for another 5-7 days.
With insufficient and inadequate treatment, after a period of one to two months, signs of testicular atrophy and impaired spermatogenesis appear with the formation of a serious complication - secondary infertility.
Orchitis is especially dangerous in teenage boys aged 12 years; in them it leads to irreversible infertility due to damage to the germ cells.
Every twentieth woman with mumps may have inflammation of the ovaries, oophoritis, which can be practically asymptomatic, with nagging pain in the lower abdomen, and there is a risk of developing female infertility.
If the virus affects the pancreas, then signs of acute pancreatitis appear against the background of fever, often girdling abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. This complication is typical for adults and occurs approximately 1 time in 14 cases of the disease.
The mumps virus can affect the inner ear, which can lead to hearing loss, first of all ringing, tinnitus, then dizziness, then signs of incoordination and vomiting. More often this is a one-sided process, and after the disease passes, hearing is not restored.
In men, a rare complication may be inflammation of large joints, which occurs in the form of swelling and pain and appears either before the onset of inflammation of the parotid glands, or after one to two weeks, and persists for up to three months. The development of mumps in a pregnant woman in the first trimester is an indication for termination of pregnancy. In women over 40 years of age, involvement of the thyroid gland can cause tissue degeneration and lead to atrophy and tumor development.
The most reliable way to prevent mumps is vaccination. The vaccine is a weakened strain of the mumps virus that is not capable of causing disease, but contains all the necessary antigens.
Immunization is carried out for the first time - at 1 year, together with the measles and rubella vaccine; the most aggressive component of this vaccine is measles, which can cause a rash on the 7th day. This vaccination is easily tolerated and does not lead to disease. The second immunization with the mumps vaccine is carried out at 6-7 years of age for children who have not been ill.
Contraindications to vaccination:
- decreased immunity;
- AIDS;
- leukemia;
- taking medications that suppress the immune system, such as steroids or immunosuppressants;
- severe allergic reactions.
In preschool institutions, when mumps is detected, quarantine is required, the kindergarten group is closed, and the sick child must be isolated for at least 26 days so as not to spread the infection.
If you suspect mumps, you should not go to a children's clinic; during this period, you must call a doctor at home.
How is this disease diagnosed?
Diagnosis of mumps is carried out according to laboratory data and clinical picture.
Differential diagnosis must be carried out with autoimmune pathologies, leukemia, lymphadenitis, inflammatory diseases of non-viral etiology, salivary stone disease, sarcoidosis. Parotid meningitis must be differentiated from enteroviral serous meningitis, lymphocytic choriomeningitis, and tuberculous meningitis.
Sometimes mumps disguises swelling of the subcutaneous tissue and lymphadenitis in toxic forms of diphtheria, infectious mononucleosis and herpesvirus infections.
Parotid pancreatitis must be differentiated from acute pancreatitis, cholecystitis, and appendicitis, which require surgical intervention. In case of parotid orchitis, differential diagnosis is carried out with orchitis due to tuberculosis, gonorrhea, trauma, brucellosis.
Serological diagnosis
To diagnose mumps, the most reliable and reliable method is to isolate the virus from salivary gland secretions, urine, and pharyngeal swabs, but in practice, using this method is difficult, time-consuming, and expensive.
The possibilities of serological diagnostics are represented by enzyme immunoassay, RSK and RTGA. The acute period of mumps is characterized by a low titer of IgG against the background of a high titer of IgM. An increase in IgG by 4 times or more when testing antibodies 3-4 weeks after the onset of the disease has diagnostic value.
RSK and RTGA are not entirely reliable, because they can give cross-reactions with the parainfluenza virus.
PCR diagnostics
Recently, PCR diagnostics of mumps has been widely used. Also, to diagnose pancreatitis and differentiate meningitis, they use the determination of diastase and amylase activity in the blood and urine.
It is worth noting
Like most viral diseases, there is no specific treatment for this disease. Mild cases do not require special measures; it is recommended to drink plenty of fluids and take vitamins to increase the body’s resistance, mainly vitamin C.
For moderate and severe cases, antiviral, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, and antipyretic drugs are recommended. In cases of orchitis and meningitis, timely treatment with corticosteroids can prevent the development of infertility. If the pancreas is involved, taking enzymes is recommended.
Attention
For orchitis, compresses, ointments, creams, and warming are strictly prohibited. For catarrhal symptoms, you can gargle with chamomile, sea water, or treat with propolis tincture.
Often, mumps goes away without complications, leaving lifelong immunity. Complications depend on the organ involved. Orchitis and oophoritis can lead to infertility, damage to the inner ear to deafness, damage to the lacrimal glands, to their atrophy and dry eyes. If a boy has had mumps without orchitis, he is not at risk of infertility. In the case of damage to the pancreas, such a complication as diabetes mellitus is doubtful according to various sources.
How mumps disease manifests itself in men
Mumps disease can occur in men who did not have it in childhood. For such a man, an infectious person is dangerous, and airborne transmission in crowded groups contributes to morbidity.
In men, mumps is very often accompanied by inflammation of the testicle - orchitis, untimely and insufficient treatment of which can lead to infertility, but not to diseases of the penis, as many believe.
In some cases, male infertility after mumps can be cured with effort and material costs. We must remember that it is much easier to get mumps in childhood or get vaccinated than to suffer from the consequences later.
How mumps disease manifests itself in boys
Mumps disease in preschool boys can be mild and have virtually no consequences. You can only get mumps once in your life. In the case of a mild course and compliance with all rules of the regime and treatment, the occurrence of orchitis and the development of infertility can be prevented.
In moderate to severe forms, swelling and inflammation of the testicle may develop. This usually occurs 3-5 days after the onset of the disease, the testicles increase in size, become swollen, and pain appears in the lower abdomen and groin area. Moreover, if one testicle is affected, then problems with conception can occur in 20% of cases, if two, then in 70% of cases. This is most often observed in conditions of untimely and insufficient treatment.
This insidious complication manifests itself over time and can appear after puberty. If there was no orchitis, then we can say that the future man is definitely not at risk of infertility due to the disease.
Mumps disease (mumps) is an acute viral disease caused by paramyxovirus. The source of the spread of the virus is an infected person.
A healthy patient can become infected as early as 12 days after the infection enters the body. Most often, mumps disease is transmitted by airborne droplets, but it can also be transmitted through household objects.
Mumps disease has various causes. Salivary gland infections are usually the result of an obstruction such as salivary duct stones or poor oral hygiene. Medicines that cause dry mouth, such as some antihistamines, may increase the risk of developing mumps, as can cancer treatments, such as radiation therapy.
A number of factors increase the risk of developing mumps. Not all people with risk factors will get mumps. Risk factors that are more likely to cause mumps:
- close contact with a person infected with mumps;
- cystic fibrosis;
- dehydration;
- HIV AIDS;
- medications and medications (anticholinergics, antihistamines, antipsychotics);
- lack of MMR vaccination;
- poor oral hygiene;
- Sjögren's syndrome and others.
Mumps often develops due to a lack of vitamins and weakened immunity in early spring or late winter.
Symptoms and signs
The pig shows external and internal signs. The symptoms of mumps in adults are almost impossible to miss. The most common symptoms of mumps are related to the throat and neck and include:
- unpleasant taste in the mouth;
- swelling caused by inflammation of the salivary glands;
- difficulty opening the mouth;
- dry mouth;
- facial pain;
- fever;
- flu-sickness;
- pain, especially when swallowing and chewing;
- redness on the face or upper neck;
- sore throat;
- swelling in the jaw area (temporomandibular region).
Signs of a serious condition
In some cases, mumps can be a serious condition that needs to be immediately assessed in an emergency situation. Serious symptoms of mumps in adults:
- labored breathing;
- difficulty swallowing;
- high temperature (above 39 degrees).
Mumps disease in children - symptoms
The symptoms of mumps in children are not much different from those in adults. Mumps disease in children may have the following symptoms:
- high body temperature - about forty degrees;
- inflammation of the salivary glands;
- swelling spreads to the neck;
- swelling of the face;
- malaise;
- decreased appetite;
- the child is often capricious for no reason;
- headache.
Features for boys and girls
Mumps disease in boys can cause orchitis - this is when the virus affects the testicles. This can subsequently lead to infertility. Signs of this phenomenon against the background of the symptoms described above:
- redness of the testicles;
- swelling of the testicles;
- prostatitis.
Mumps in girls can also affect the reproductive system causing oophritis - inflammation of the ovaries. In addition to the symptoms described above, signs of this problem may include:
- abdominal pain;
- nausea;
- yellow vaginal discharge.
Diagnostics
Mumps should be diagnosed by an experienced doctor at the first signs of the disease. The difficulty of diagnosis is that mumps disease is often similar in symptoms to the following diseases:
- meningitis;
- diphtheria;
- autoimmune diseases;
- leukemia;
- sarcoidosis;
- lymphadenitis;
- various inflammatory diseases.
Diagnosis is based on examination, symptoms and various tests. The following tests can be performed:
- PCR diagnostics of mumps 0 is the most traditional diagnostic procedure.
- Analysis of biological material (saliva, urine) for the presence of a virus. Despite its accuracy, such an analysis is not cheap and takes quite a long time.
- Enzyme immunoassay may not be accurate, as the reactions are similar to some other viruses.
- Analysis of diastase and amylase in blood and urine.
Treatment methods
Except for severe cases, mumps can be treated at home. Antibiotic therapy is the mainstay of treatment for mumps caused by a bacterial infection. Additionally, if a secondary infection occurs in the mouth due to dysfunctional salivary glands, antibiotics may be prescribed.
This infection is diagnosed by fever or the presence of pus in the mouth. If complications such as an abscess occur, surgical drainage or aspiration may be required.
- Brush your teeth frequently throughout the day and practice good oral hygiene;
- drinking fluids;
- eating soft foods;
- rinsing your mouth with warm salt water;
- abstaining from smoking or other types of tobacco use.
It is necessary to observe bed rest. UHF irradiation is used to relieve inflammation.
Consequences and complications
You can minimize the risk of serious complications by following the treatment plan developed by your doctor. Complications of mumps:
- salivary gland abscess;
- meningitis;
- pancreatitis;
- infertility;
- facial paralysis;
- chronic pain or discomfort;
- infection of other organs;
- spread of bacterial infection;
- side effects of mumps treatment.
Treatment of mumps should be immediate, since the infectious disease can be transmitted by airborne droplets and household contact.
Consequences of mumps in men and women
It is worth noting that in addition to the complications and problems described above, one of the possible unpleasant consequences of mumps in men is infertility, as in women.
Infertility occurs due to infection of the testicles in men and ovaries in women. For this reason, immediate consultation with a doctor will help minimize the possible consequences of mumps.
Mumps disease and its types
The parotid glands are small exocrine glands that rarely attract attention to themselves. Dry mouth, drooling, swelling and pain are essentially the only symptoms caused by dysfunction of the salivary glands. The main ones and their ducts are located on both sides of the occlusal planes of the teeth for irrigation and saturation with saliva during chewing. They also contact the lower jaw and muscles that stimulate the gland during chewing. Mechanical compression and the parasympathetic nervous system, which analyzes a range of sensory inputs, cause the glands to introduce the appropriate quantity and quality of saliva into the oral cavity.
Mumps is the name given to inflammation and infection of the largest salivary gland, known as the parotid gland. This is mumps disease. The inflammatory process leads to tissue swelling, redness and pain. The glands are responsible for producing saliva in the mouth, which has an important function in cleaning the mouth. Inflammation of these organs reduces their ability to function properly and can lead to oral infections.
Mumps can be caused by many things, including infection, drugs, radiation and various diseases. Mumps was once the most common viral cause of mumps, but vaccination has made the disease rare today. Mumps, caused by a bacterial infection, is somewhat common in the United States.
Mumps comes in many forms, and symptoms range from mild to prostrative. Reading numerous journal articles reveals frequent inconsistencies in the classification, etiology, and treatment of disorders.
The bacterial infection of mumps occurs as a result of the accumulation and growth of bacteria in the salivary glands. Among the most common causes of the disease are obstruction of the salivary duct or poor oral hygiene. Drugs that cause dry mouth and other substances, such as some antihistamines, may increase the risk of mumps. Also, cancer treatment and radiation therapy can be one of the reasons for the development of the disease.
Signs and symptoms of mumps may vary among individuals. Some people with this condition may not realize they have the disease, while others may experience severe swelling and pain. Fortunately, mumps can be successfully treated with medications. You can reduce your risk of developing the disease by practicing good oral hygiene, drinking plenty of fluids, washing your hands, and getting the MMR vaccine to prevent the epidemic form of the disease.
Seek immediate medical attention (call 911) if symptoms are severe: high fever (above 39 degrees) and difficulty breathing or swallowing.
Seek prompt help if you are being treated for mumps but mild symptoms recur or persist.
The disease may vary in intensity among individuals.
Acute bacterial form
Acute bacterial mumps is now rare, but its historical significance and occasional occurrence today require the in-depth knowledge of the otolaryngologist. Mumps and mumps were differentiated in 1800, but neither was effectively treated. The mortality rate for the disease was 80%. Before antibiotics and intravenous fluids were available, mumps occurred in postoperative or other critically ill patients who became dehydrated and contributed to their demise.
In the early 20th century, surgeons were hesitant to open abscesses and often used ineffective conservative measures until the process was irreversible. They feared the consequences of unsightly scarring and facial paralysis. Inflammatory swelling of the gland can present a serious diagnostic problem.
Mumps in newborns
This rare form of mumps is fatal without treatment. In January 2004, Spiegel et al. Reviewed the literature and stated that only 32 cases had been reported in journals over the previous three decades. The typical clinical picture was a sick premature baby with a unilateral parotid tumor and inflammation. Seventy-five percent of cases were in boys. Glus is expressed in the canal of cultured Sureus in more than half of the cases. Most of the cultured bacteria were from organisms present in the oral cavity, indicating an ascending infection from the mouth.
Mumps disease in children usually requires such treatment - rapid administration of gentamicin and antistaphylococcal antibiotics plus adequate hydration, with cure in approximately 80% of cases. Failure to improve after 2448 hours of treatment requires surgery. Repetition is rare. Acute bacterial mumps in children between the ages of one year and adolescence is extremely rare, and only a few have reported it. Mumps disease has the same symptoms in children and adults.
Chronic bacterial
Chronic bacterial parotitis may exist in the presence of calculi or canal stenosis secondary to trauma. A number of articles and book chapters have suggested that infection is a consequence of the acute form of the disease, but the evidence is sparse.
Most authors have suggested that decreased salivary flow is the common denominator, but it may also be associated with inflammation. In many cases, the chronic disease is either autoimmune or of unknown etiology with bacterial infections present.
Viral or mumps
Mumps is one of the classic childhood infections, spread directly from oropharyngeal secretions that contain paramyxovirus. Universal immunization, beginning in 1977, has reduced clinical disease in developed countries. A child should receive the first measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine at one year of age and the second at age 46.
Occasional outbreaks of mumps have occurred, mainly in adolescents or patients in their 20s who have not received a second vaccine. Before vaccination was available, exposure was almost universal, and clinical disease resulted in 60-70% of those exposed to become ill.
Mumps disease was characterized by severely dilated and moderately inflamed parotid glands. The attacks caused pain in the gland and ear. Mumps was a benign disease in the vast majority of cases, but was sometimes complicated by meningoencephalitis, pancreatitis, orchitis, or deafness, especially in young people.
Treatment was and is symptomatic and supportive.
For HIV and AIDS diseases
Generalized lymphadenopathy has long been associated with HIV, but localized parotid enlargement is less well known. HIV mumps is much more common in children than in adults. A characteristic feature is a hard and chronically enlarged gland (unilateral or bilateral). Lymphoepithelial cysts are less common in children than in adults. Xerostomia with reduced salivary flow usually occurs in the latter, but is rare in a child.
Infiltration of CD8-positive lymphocytes, possibly as a result of HIV, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), or an interaction between the 2, enlarges the glands. The diagnosis of HIV infection is usually clinical with typical findings. Other forms of chronic mumps in children are rare.
The picture is not typical for an acute bacterial infection. There is no specific treatment for this mumps, and it is usually not required. Some evidence suggests that parotid gland involvement is a good prognostic indicator.
The name lymphoepithelial lesion is often applied to HIV mumps and adds confusion to the many names of inflammatory diseases of the parotid gland. A group at the State University of New York presented a series of 50 patients with HIV and a mass in the tail of the parotid gland. Most patients were prisoners and drug users. Parotidectomy was performed in 35 patients, patients previously in the lateral lobectomy group and then those undergoing local excision of the involved tissue.
Prevention
Mumps vaccination is the best means of prevention. The vaccination is given at one year and at six years. Vaccination eliminates the disease and the dangerous consequences associated with it. The vaccine is considered safe even for allergy sufferers.
If there is a sick person in the house, then to prevent the mumps disease from spreading to the rest of the household, the doctor prescribes antiviral drugs.
Video
The childhood disease mumps is a disease whose consequences may not be childish at all. Is this really true? This question quite often torments mothers and fathers of male children who have had to suffer from such an unpleasant illness. So it will be useful to know at least a little whether there is any connection between this terrible mumps and the same frightening infertility for those families where boys are growing up. The disease, popularly referred to as mumps (consequences are likely), is medically called mumps. This is a viral disease, and this virus is closely related to viruses such as influenza. It can be transmitted by ordinary airborne droplets, but the mumps virus quickly dies in the normal external environment, preventing it from spreading as widely as the flu and turning into an epidemic. But still, at low temperatures, the dangerous mumps virus can remain active for quite a long time, which leads to the rapid spread of this disease in the cold. As a rule, mumps mainly affects children from 2 to 14 years old, but cases of possible infection of the fetus in a pregnant woman cannot be ruled out. About one and a half times more often boys suffer from this disease than girls, and, however, as with many other childhood diseases, its course is much more difficult when the patient is older.
Mumps (disease) can have quite unpleasant consequences. You can become infected with it from toys, dishes, and other objects, but, however, these cases are much less common than through direct contact with a patient. But still, what gives us much reason to assume that the consequences of mumps in boys may be associated with the impossibility of reproductive function and infertility? It is believed that yes, since the virus is able to move quickly in the body, stubbornly localizing in different places, including in the testicles. Having established itself here, the virus can cause complications, which is called orchitis, which very often ends in infertility.
Mumps itself is not very dangerous, although it is quite unpleasant, since the salivary glands ignite, causing acute painful sensations. But this stops and does not entail particularly tragic consequences, which cannot be said about the complications associated with possible infertility. With orchitis, the scrotum swells, and the affected testicle may increase in size. Such a patient is subject to mandatory and urgent hospitalization. This complication usually immediately becomes noticeable to the child’s parents, because the swelling and redness that begins in a boy on one testicle can actively move after 2-3 days to the second. At the same time, the body temperature increases sufficiently, and the general condition is most often poor.
Often, experts, when answering the question of whether there is a connection between male infertility and mumps, say that improper independent treatment often leads to an almost 100% impossibility of having children in the future. So, in this case, it is extremely important to follow all the doctor’s instructions and use only those medications that were suggested to them. In this case, even slight overheating of the testicles is extremely dangerous, so doctors sometimes advise using cool compresses that are applied to the organ. In most cases, orchitis leads to infertility, so the child’s health should be taken seriously. But there is no need to panic, making independent premature conclusions that a boy who has had orchitis will not definitely be able to become a father later. Treatment and proper care in many cases give a positive result, and then mumps (disease), the consequences of which could be worse, does not become the cause of male infertility.
consequences in boys
The consequences of this disease, as mentioned above, can be quite dire, so the main thing is that if you have any signs of mumps, contact a specialist who will prescribe good, adequate treatment. Why is it dangerous for boys? This is due to the fact that mumps can often affect the spermatogenic epithelium in the testicles, and this can, in turn, lead to infertility. Unfortunately, boys suffer more from this disease than girls. And the consequences for them are more dangerous.
A disease such as mumps can be dangerous for children. It often occurs without noticeable symptoms, but can cause serious complications. Protecting a child from contracting this infection is not easy, since in a group of children it is not always possible to distinguish a sick child from a healthy one. Manifestations usually occur only a few days after the disease has already begun and the person has become infectious to others. Parents should be aware of the serious consequences that can result from mumps and the importance of getting vaccinated against it.
The causative agent is a virus of the paramyxovirus family (measles and parainfluenza viruses belong to the same family). The causative agent of mumps develops only in the human body, in its various glands. It primarily affects the salivary glands (parotid and submandibular). But it can also multiply in all other glands of the body (genital, pancreas, thyroid).
Most often, mumps occurs between the ages of 3 and 7 years, but teenagers under 15 years of age can also get sick. Newborns do not get mumps, since their blood contains very high levels of antigens to this virus. A person who has recovered from the disease develops lifelong, strong immunity, so they do not get mumps again.
It has been observed that mumps occurs more often in boys than in girls. Moreover, damage to the testes in adolescents leads to subsequent infertility. However, damage to the gonads occurs only in 20% of cases with a complicated form of mumps.
Types and forms of the disease
The severity of mumps depends on the number of viruses that have entered the body, their activity, as well as the age and physical fitness of the child, and the state of his immune system.
There are 2 types of disease:
- manifest (manifested by symptoms of varying severity);
- inapparent (mumps that is asymptomatic).
Manifest mumps
It is divided into uncomplicated (one or more salivary glands are affected, other organs are not affected) and complicated (the virus spreads to other organs). The complicated form of mumps is very dangerous, since inflammatory processes affect vital organs: the brain, kidneys, reproductive and mammary glands, heart, joints, and nervous system. With this form, mumps can cause meningitis, nephritis, mastitis, arthritis, myocarditis, orchitis, pancreatitis. In extremely rare cases, deafness occurs.
Mumps of this type occurs in a mild form, as well as with manifestations of moderate and severe forms.
Lightweight(atypical, with erased symptoms) form of mumps. A minor discomfort occurs, which quickly disappears without leading to any consequences.
Moderate the disease manifests itself with clearly expressed signs of damage to the salivary glands and general intoxication of the body with substances secreted by the virus.
Heavy form. The characteristic signs of damage to the salivary glands are clearly expressed, and complications arise.
Inapparent parotitis
A feature of this disease is the complete absence of symptoms in the sick child. In this case, it is difficult to suspect the presence of a dangerous infection in his body. The insidious thing is that the baby is a spreader of a dangerous infection, although he himself feels as usual.
Causes of mumps in children
The mumps virus is only spread through respiratory droplets when a sick person coughs or sneezes. So the likelihood of the virus getting into the surrounding air increases if the child has a cold.
The incubation period ranges from 12 to 21 days. About a week before the onset of symptoms, the patient becomes infectious to others and continues to remain so until complete recovery, which is diagnosed based on test results.
The virus, along with the air, enters the mucous membrane of the nose and upper respiratory tract, from where it spreads further - into the salivary and other glands of the body. Most often, the disease manifests itself as inflammation and enlargement of the salivary glands.
The disease is promoted by a decrease in the child’s immunity due to frequent colds, poor nutrition, and retarded physical development. Unvaccinated children are very susceptible to the virus. In children's institutions, outbreaks of mumps may occur if they are attended by children in whom the disease occurs in a latent form. If the disease appears in several children at the same time, the institution is closed for 3 weeks of quarantine. The mumps virus dies in 4-6 days at a temperature of 20°. It is not resistant to ultraviolet rays and disinfectants (Lysol, formaldehyde, bleach).
Outbreaks of the disease are especially possible in the autumn-winter period.
Signs of mumps
The disease occurs in several stages.
Incubation period(duration 12-21 days). The following processes occur:
- viruses penetrate the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract;
- enter the blood;
- spread throughout the body, accumulate in glandular tissue;
- again come out into the blood. At this time, they can already be detected by laboratory diagnostic methods.
Period of clinical manifestations. In the normal course of the disease, signs of intoxication of the body and inflammation of the glands in the jaws and ears appear. This period lasts 3-4 days, if no complications arise.
Recovery. At this time, the child's symptoms of mumps gradually disappear. This period lasts up to 7 days. Until about 9 days after the onset of symptoms, the baby can infect others.
First signs
The first signs of illness appear in children a day before the appearance of facial swelling. These include lack of appetite, weakness, chills, fever up to 38°-39°, body aches, and headache. All these are consequences of poisoning the body with waste products of microorganisms.
The child always wants to sleep, but cannot fall asleep. Little children are capricious. The patient's pulse may increase and blood pressure may decrease. In severe forms of the disease, the temperature can reach 40°.
Main manifestations
Children experience pain in the earlobes and swollen tonsils. It is difficult to swallow, chew, talk, the pain radiates to the ears. Increased salivation may occur.
The salivary glands most often swell on both sides, although a unilateral form of the disease is also possible. Not only the parotid glands swell, but also the sublingual and submandibular salivary glands. Therefore, inflammation of the salivary glands leads to severe swelling of the cheeks, parotid area and neck.
The skin over the swelling near the ears turns red and begins to become shiny. An increase in swelling is observed for 3 days, after which the reverse process of a gradual slow decrease in tumor size occurs. In adults and adolescents, the swelling may not subside within 2 weeks; in young children it decreases much faster. The older the child, the more severely he suffers from the disease.
Features of the development of mumps in boys and girls
When boys develop mumps, in about 20% of cases, viral damage to the testicular epithelium occurs (orchitis). If this occurs during puberty, the consequence of a complicated disease can be infertility.
Signs of this condition are alternate swelling and redness of the testicles, pain in them, and increased temperature. Inflammation of the prostate gland (prostatitis) may also occur, resulting in pain in the groin area and frequent painful urination.
In girls, a complication of mumps can be inflammation of the ovaries (oophoritis). In this case, nausea and abdominal pain occur, teenage girls develop profuse yellow discharge, and delayed sexual development may occur.
Signs of damage to the nervous system
In rare cases, the virus affects not only glandular tissues, but also the central nervous system. This leads to meningitis (inflammation of the membranes of the brain and spinal cord). This is a disease that can be life-threatening for children. Its manifestations are very characteristic (tension of the muscles of the back and neck, which forces the child to take a special position), vomiting that does not bring relief, high fever.
Warning: A sign of complications is a sharp increase in temperature after a noticeable improvement in the patient’s condition, when the temperature has already dropped to normal. Even if a child with mumps feels quite well, he should be under the supervision of a doctor until complete recovery.
Video: Signs and symptoms of mumps, consequences of the disease
Diagnosis of mumps disease
As a rule, the characteristic course of the disease makes it possible to establish a diagnosis even without additional examination.
In addition to mumps, there are other causes of enlargement of the salivary glands, in which similar manifestations occur. This can happen due to the penetration of bacteria (streptococci, staphylococci), dehydration, dental diseases, HIV infection.
However, in these cases, the appearance of swelling of the cheeks is preceded by some other characteristic manifestations (for example, teeth hurt, there is an injury, after which bacteria could be introduced into the salivary glands).
In order to finally verify the presence of a contagious infection, it is necessary to conduct laboratory diagnostics: a blood test for antibodies to the mumps virus, microscopic examination of saliva and pharyngeal swabs. If damage to the nervous system is suspected, a spinal cord puncture is performed.
Treatment for mumps
As a rule, treatment is carried out at home. Children are hospitalized only if complications arise.
If the disease is uncomplicated, children are not given any special medications. All that is being done is to alleviate their condition. It is necessary to gargle frequently with a soda solution (1 teaspoon per 1 glass of warm water). If the baby does not know how to gargle, then he is given warm chamomile tea to drink.
Wrap a warm scarf around the neck and make a warming compress (a gauze cloth is moistened with slightly warmed vegetable oil and placed on the sore spot). This will help reduce pain. Antipyretic and painkillers are prescribed.
Physiotherapeutic warming using methods such as UHF irradiation and diathermy helps relieve inflammation of the salivary glands. Sick children should remain in bed. It is advisable to feed them semi-liquid or soft food.
Video: Signs of mumps in children, patient care
Prevention
The only effective measure to prevent mumps is vaccination. The vaccination is done 2 times, since immunity after it lasts 5-6 years. The first vaccination is given at 1 year of age (together with measles and rubella), and the second at 6 years of age.
Children who have been vaccinated against mumps are completely protected from this disease and its dangerous complications. The vaccine is completely safe, including for allergy sufferers.
If there is a sick child in the house, then antiviral drugs may be prescribed to other children and adults for prevention purposes.
Video: Consequences of mumps, the importance of vaccination
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