Which glands swell with mumps

Mumps is a contagious disease caused by a virus. It spreads through direct contact with saliva or respiratory droplets from the mouth, nose, or throat. An infected person can spread the virus by. An infected person can spread mumps from a few days before their salivary glands begin to swell to up to five days after the swelling begins. A person with mumps should limit their contact with others during this time. For example, stay home from school and do not attend social events. Females infected with mumps may experience swelling of the ovaries.

However, if a woman contracts mumps during pregnancy, she has a higher-than-normal risk of experiencing a miscarriage.

Mumps may lead to meningitis or encephalitis , two potentially fatal conditions if left untreated. Meningitis is swelling of the membranes around your spinal cord and brain. Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain. Contact your doctor if you experience seizures, loss of consciousness, or severe headaches while you have mumps. Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas, an organ in the abdominal cavity.

Mumps-induced pancreatitis is a temporary condition. Symptoms include abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. The mumps virus also leads to permanent hearing loss in about 5 out of every 10, cases.

The virus damages the cochlea, one of the structures in your inner ear that facilitates hearing. Vaccination can prevent mumps. Most infants and children receive a vaccine for measles, mumps, and rubella MMR at the same time. The first MMR shot is generally given between the ages of 12 and 15 months at a routine well-child visit. A second vaccination is necessary for school-aged children between 4 and 6 years old.

With two doses, the mumps vaccine is approximately 88 percent effective. The rate of effectiveness of only one dose is about 78 percent.

Those who work in a high-risk environment, such as a hospital or school, should always be vaccinated against mumps. Consult your family doctor about an immunization schedule for you and your children. The MMR vaccine helps prevent the measles, mumps, and rubella German measles.

This vaccine was a huge development in the battle to prevent these…. People who catch the measles develop symptoms like a fever, cough, runny nose, and the telltale rash that is the hallmark of the disease. Vaccines help protect children against many dangerous diseases. Find out what vaccines are recommended and when they should be given. Vaccines help keep…. You have three pairs of major salivary glands — parotid, sublingual and submandibular.

Each gland has its own tube duct leading from the gland to the mouth. Mumps is a viral infection that primarily affects saliva-producing salivary glands that are located near your ears. Mumps can cause swelling in one or both of these glands. Mumps was common in the United States until mumps vaccination became routine. Since then, the number of cases has dropped dramatically. However, mumps outbreaks still occur in the United States, and the number of cases has crept up in recent years.

These outbreaks generally affect people who aren't vaccinated, and occur in close-contact settings such as schools or college campuses. Complications of mumps, such as hearing loss, are potentially serious but rare.

There's no specific treatment for mumps. Mumps is characterized by swollen, painful salivary glands in the face, causing the cheeks to puff out. Some people infected with the mumps virus have either no signs or symptoms or very mild ones.

When signs and symptoms do develop, they usually appear about two to three weeks after exposure to the virus. The primary sign of mumps is swollen salivary glands that cause the cheeks to puff out. Other signs and symptoms may include:. See your doctor if you or your child has signs and symptoms of mumps.

Mumps is highly contagious for about nine days after symptoms appear. Tell your doctor's office before you go in that you suspect mumps so arrangements can be made to avoid spreading the virus to others in the waiting room.

Mumps has become uncommon, so it's possible that another condition is causing your signs and symptoms. Swollen salivary glands and a fever could indicate:. Mumps is caused by a virus that spreads easily from person to person through infected saliva. If you're not immune, you can contract mumps by breathing in saliva droplets from an infected person who has just sneezed or coughed.