This is an automatically translated article.
Mumps is caused by paramyxovirus, also known as parotid gland inflammation or viral parotitis. This is a benign disease, but in men, it can cause testicular complications. Therefore, to prevent and treat the disease, it is recommended to use drugs to treat mumps containing corticosteroids or vaccinate young children.
1. What is mumps?
Mumps is caused by a paramyxovirus. The disease is also known by another name, parotid gland inflammation or parotitis caused by the mumps virus. Mumps is an acute infectious disease, spread through the respiratory tract, with a high risk of epidemic formation in children and adolescents.
The typical symptoms of the disease are usually non-purulent parotid salivary gland inflammation, the disease is quite benign. However, in some cases, the disease can cause complications such as ovarian inflammation in women and orchitis in men, the consequences can be infertility and reduced quality of life. The paramyxovirus can be spread from person to person by direct talking, coughing, and sneezing.
Mumps usually appears in the spring, especially April and May. Locations in community settings (schools, kindergartens). The disease can appear in any group of subjects, but the chance of getting the disease is higher in men than women. The age group most affected by mumps is between 10 and 19 years old. For children, the risk is higher for children 2 years of age and older.
After being exposed to the causative factor from 14 to 24 days, the patient will have symptoms such as malaise, fever, poor appetite, sore throat and jaw pain, sometimes cold,... swelling on one or both sides. The gland swells for the first 3 days then subsides in 1 week.
2. What medicine do you take for mumps?
To prevent complications, patients need to use mumps medicine from the beginning. Some drugs to treat mumps include:
Using corticosteroid-containing drugs. Corticosteroids can be prescribed for patients when complications of orchitis appear. Corticosteroids are effective in reducing pain and inflammation. At the beginning of the drug, patients can take it from a high dose, then gradually reduce the dose, using the drug continuously for 4 to 7 days, once a day.
However, corticosteroids cannot reduce the risk of testicular atrophy in patients. Besides, this drug can also cause many unwanted side effects such as gastrointestinal bleeding, peptic ulcer disease, immunosuppression, etc. Therefore, parents should only give it to their children. Use the medicine under the guidance of a specialist.
Medicines to reduce fever, relieve pain The most common symptoms of mumps are inflammation of the salivary glands and inflammation of the testicles. Therefore, treatment can be combined with supportive methods such as gargling with salt water, warm compressing the painful area (in severe cases, pain relievers and fever reducers can be used). When treating mothers, you should follow the doctor's instructions and should not give the patient an overdose, because this can cause many other side effects.
Mild dose sedative Usually doctors prescribe this drug with the aim of helping patients reduce fatigue, ease sleep and reduce stress.
Cardiac drugs and antibiotics Only apply this drug for severe complications such as encephalitis, meningitis,...
Electrolyte supplements for patients When the patient has a fever, it can make the body sick. dehydration along with electrolytes. Therefore, your doctor may ask you to give the patient fluids and electrolytes.
Supplement with vitamins B, C, E Many studies have shown that supplementing with vitamins will increase the body's resistance, strengthen the immune barrier. Thereby, helping the body quickly repel pathogens out of the body.
Some other combined measures Only using drugs to treat the disease is not enough, so mothers need to provide the patient with adequate nutrients (vitamins, minerals) needed to improve resistance. . Applying a warm compress at the painful and swollen site will help the patient feel more comfortable when the patient is too sore, fever and swelling.
Daily personal hygiene for the sick, teach the sick how to wash their hands with soap. Clean ears, nose, throat and eyes on a regular basis to reduce harmful agents. Mothers can use physiological saline or antiseptic solution to clean the patient.
Mumps can be a disease that is not too strange to the people of our country, they often appear around the beginning of the year, mainly in sick people. The disease can be cured in a short time, but in some cases complications can appear. Therefore, early use of mumps drugs will reduce the risk of complications.
Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.
