Understanding Mumps: Symptoms, Risks, and Prevention

Mumps is a viral infection caused by the mumps virus, a type of paramyxovirus that primarily affects the parotid glands, which are located in front of each ear and produce saliva. The virus spreads through respiratory droplets from coughs and sneezes, as well as through contact with contaminated items and surfaces. Once the virus enters the body, it can circulate through the bloodstream and potentially infect various glands and organs, including the testes, ovaries, pancreas, and brain.

The parotid glands are most commonly affected, leading to painful swelling and tenderness in front of the ears, known as parotitis. This can make chewing and swallowing uncomfortable, often resulting in reduced appetite. In males, mumps can lead to swelling and pain in one or both testes, a condition called orchitis, which may cause discomfort and, in rare cases, permanent shrinkage but seldom affects fertility. Women may experience pain in the lower abdomen due to ovarian involvement, although it does not generally lead to infertility. The virus can also cause inflammation of the pancreas, known as mumps pancreatitis, leading to abdominal pain. In rare cases, the virus may affect the brain, causing conditions such as meningitis or encephalitis, which can result in serious complications like deafness, paralysis, hydrocephalus, and seizures.

Pregnant women who contract mumps may face an increased risk of fetal death and miscarriage, particularly in the first trimester, but the infection is not commonly associated with birth defects. Individuals with mumps are contagious from approximately 48 hours before the onset of symptoms until 6 to 9 days afterward. Before the introduction of the mumps vaccine in the late 1960s, the United States saw nearly 190,000 reported cases annually. Today, the incidence of mumps has dropped by more than 99% due to widespread vaccination.

Symptoms of mumps typically emerge 14 to 18 days after exposure and may include fever, headache, sore throat, muscle aches, poor appetite, and malaise. The hallmark symptom is parotitis, which causes pain and swelling in the area in front of the ears. In some cases, individuals may develop more severe complications such as mumps pancreatitis, aseptic meningitis, or mumps encephalitis, though these are relatively rare.

Diagnosis of mumps involves evaluating a patient’s exposure history, vaccination status, and symptoms. Tender parotid swelling and a history of exposure to someone with mumps support the diagnosis. Blood tests can detect specific antibodies against the mumps virus, and the virus can be identified in urine, saliva, or cerebrospinal fluid obtained through a lumbar puncture.

Mumps symptoms usually resolve within about 10 days, and once recovered, individuals are generally immune for life. Prevention is primarily achieved through vaccination with the mumps component of the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine. The vaccine is not recommended for pregnant women or those with certain medical conditions that suppress the immune system. Although mumps patients are contagious before symptoms appear, isolating them once symptoms are present is often unnecessary as household members are likely already exposed. Children with mumps should be excluded from school or childcare for five days after the onset of symptoms, and public health officials may be involved in managing outbreaks.

Treatment for mumps in otherwise healthy individuals includes using acetaminophen or ibuprofen to alleviate fever and discomfort, applying warm or cold compresses to reduce pain and swelling, consuming a soft diet to minimize chewing, and using cool compresses for testicular pain. Aspirin should be avoided in children due to the risk of Reye’s syndrome, a serious condition associated with certain viral infections treated with aspirin.

It is important to consult a healthcare provider if symptoms of mumps develop or if there is concern about exposure or vaccination status, especially in the context of an outbreak or before pregnancy. With appropriate care, individuals typically recover fully from mumps, though there is a minor risk of sterility in cases of bilateral orchitis.