Can mumps be treated at home?

The article was professionally consulted with Specialist Doctor II Huynh Thi Diem Thuy - Vaccine Consultant - Pediatrics - Neonatology Department, Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital.

Mumps is an acute infectious disease characterized by painful swelling of the salivary glands. Currently there is no specific treatment for mumps, mainly rest and pain relief.

Mumps is generally benign, has few complications, and usually resolves on its own without causing a permanent immune response. The most common complication of mumps is meningitis, but this complication is usually benign. Other complications such as acute pancreatitis, myocarditis, polyarthritis... are very rare. There is only one complication that worries many people, which is the complication on the genitals.
Mumps in boys or girls can understand gonadal inflammation. In boys at puberty, about 20% of children have orchitis and there is a risk of testicular atrophy (about 5% of cases) leading to infertility later if not treated properly and promptly. . In girls, there is about 7% inflammation of the ovaries and rarely infertility.
Mumps in pregnant women: Pregnant women infected with mumps in the first 3 months are likely to have fetal malformations, miscarriage, and if infected in the last 3 months, it can increase the risk of stillbirth. or premature birth.

Mumps is often confused with diphtheria and bacterial cervical lymphadenopathy. Patients need to see a doctor to get an accurate diagnosis. Mumps is a benign disease, so it can be treated at home, it is important to monitor for timely detection of complications.

When treating at home, the patient should eat soft foods and take an antipyretic and pain reliever called Paracetamol. Do not exercise much to avoid complications of meningitis, orchitis or ovarian inflammation.
Absolutely do not arbitrarily treat mumps with folk methods such as using ink, pot, applying leaves, lime or sticking to the swollen area. These ways can cause heat, burns, and allow germs from outside to enter the parotid gland, making inflammation worse, and possibly even blood infection.
To prevent spreading the disease from one person to another, sick people need to rest at home. The disease will go away on its own after about 5-7 days if there are no complications. The parotid area will gradually reduce swelling and fully recover after 10 days.
If the following symptoms appear, the child should be taken to a medical facility immediately:
There are signs of testicular swelling and pain. Headache, lethargy, convulsions. Vomiting a lot, abdominal pain. See abnormalities in eyes, ears and other organs.