Mumps in children: symptoms and treatment, photo, prevention

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Mumps, or mumps, as it is popularly called, refers to viral diseases. The organism is affected by paramyxovirus, which at the beginning of the disease manifests itself as a common fever, and then there is an increase in one or two salivary glands. In the process of the development of the disease, other organs are also affected, as well as, which is especially dangerous, the central nervous system. In the article we will try to analyze in detail what mumps is in children, symptoms and treatment, prevention of the disease and many other aspects of it.

A bit of history

Even 400 years before our era, Hippocrates described parotitis and singled it out as a special nosological unit. Further studies of this disease were carried out only in the eighteenth century. And for a long time, mumps was considered as a lesion exclusively of the salivary glands without any complications. And only in 1849 the scientist A. Romanovsky found that this virus also affects the central nervous system. But another scientist, Filatov, considered mumps to be a viral disease, and developed his activities towards the defeat of the gonads. For several decades, Troitsky actively studied the symptoms, areas of damage and methods of infection with mumps, who was able to find out almost everything about this disease. We also use his achievements in modern medicine.

Description

The disease can only be transmitted from person to person. Moreover, not only a patient with an open form can infect you, but also just a carrier of the virus. A person is considered especially dangerous within one or two days from the moment of infection and before the first symptoms of the disease appear. And also the first five days from the moment of the onset of the disease, you can catch the infection. As soon as the symptoms of the disease begin to disappear in the patient, then it becomes absolutely safe for he althy people.

The human body is quite susceptible to this infection. You can get infected by airborne droplets, but no one excludes the possibility of catching the disease through common objects, such as toys.

Mumps (mumps) symptoms in children are much more common than in adults. And also interesting is the fact that girls get sick much less often than boys. In addition, the disease is seasonal and its peak falls on March-April, and the fewest visits to specialists are observed in August-September.

Almost 90% of adults have antibodies to the virus, which can only mean one thing- the disease is quite common.

Why do children get sick

There are several factors that have a very strong influence on the spread of the disease. These factors must be mentioned:

1. The disease is seasonal and reaches its peak in the spring. It was during this period that the children's body is extremely weakened after the winter and is in great need of vitamins.
2. Many mothers have begun to refuse vaccination, thereby endangering not only their own he alth, but also the he alth of other children.
3. The child's immunity may be reduced. This happens not only because spring has come, perhaps the baby was sick for a long time, took antibiotics, which have no benefit for the young body. In addition, the presence of chronic diseases is strongly influenced.
4. Neglect of quarantine rules by patients during illness.
5. Parents of preschoolers and younger schoolchildren should be on the alert, since in 90% of cases the disease is childish.

How the disease progresses

Consider parotitis in children, the symptoms and treatment of the disease must begin with how the virus enters the body, and what happens after that. So, the virus will get through the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract, it is possible that this can also happen through the tonsils. Further, in a hematogenous way, the pathogen penetrates the salivary glands and quietly spreads throughout the body. He will choose for himself the most optimal conditions for reproduction. Mostcases, the central nervous system and glandular organs become such a place.

It is interesting that the nervous system is affected much earlier, even before the pathogen got into the salivary glands, the same applies to the glandular organs. But in medical practice, there were cases when this did not happen at all.

As the disease develops, the body begins to actively produce antibodies that can be found in the blood for several years. And also there is an allergic restructuring of the body, which can last for the rest of your life.

Easy form

Symptoms of parotitis in children (pictured) of the initial stage: a sharp increase in body temperature, and then its same sharp decline. At this time, only the salivary glands of the body are affected.

Moderate

The baby has a fairly long fever. Now, after the salivary glands, other glandular organs are also affected. Children have loss of appetite, general weakness, poor sleep.

Severe form

This is the stage when damage to the central nervous system is possible. Everything happens so fast that it literally counts for hours. The result of this form of the disease can be meningitis. And also there are various complications: deafness, pancreatitis.

Children often have mumps in a mild form and have no serious complications, but there are cases when it becomes a serious threat to he alth. So, parotitis can develop into the following diseases:

1. Pancreatitis. Occurs in those caseswhen the virus infects the pancreas and some structural changes occur there.
2. Orchitis. One of the most serious consequences is the defeat of the testicles. Occurs in boys who were not vaccinated as children. If the disease process is extremely severe, it can cover two testicles at once, which quite often leads to infertility. And it is already impossible to cure it.
3. Diabetes. During mumps, insulin production can be disrupted in the body, which, in turn, leads to the development of type 1 diabetes.
4. Oophoritis. This disease is typical for adolescent girls when their ovaries become inflamed. Such a complication is extremely rare and, as a rule, does not lead to infertility.
5. Thyroiditis. It is extremely rare - it is a lesion of the thyroid gland. However, if it occurs, it leads to an autoimmune process.
6. Meningitis. If adequate therapy is carried out, then the disease is completely curable and the child can continue a quiet life.
7. Labyrinthite. Since the salivary glands around the ears swell, this can lead to the fact that the ear nerve is affected. In most cases, with a decrease in edema, this complication also disappears, but if this does not happen, then complete deafness may occur.
8. Arthritis. When the virus affects several large joints at once.

Symptomatics

Symptoms of mumps (mumps) in children (photo in the article) at the very beginning of the disease may look like a common cold. The temperature rises at the beginningbody, a slight chill begins, the baby feels pain in the muscles and joints. But after a few days, the inflammatory process begins in the salivary glands. Next, we will take a closer look at the symptoms of mumps in children (we cannot provide a photo of the rash for aesthetic reasons):

• During the rise in temperature, its performance can reach forty degrees. And this can go on for about a week. Then, after a drop in temperature, you can observe a new rise in a few days, but not by such high rates. This can only mean one thing - new lesions.
• Parotid salivary glands greatly enlarge, hurt and swell. The earlobes are directed in different directions, and the face swells so that it resembles a pig in shape, from which the second name of the disease comes from. This symptom appears only with mumps, so it is rather difficult to confuse it with any other virus.
• Swelling develops, it becomes painful for the child to speak and chew. The swelling lasts for about ten days, but as soon as it starts to go down, the pain gradually recedes.
• Changes the fit of the head. Since it hurts the child to move his head, he tilts it to the side where the edema has formed, and if there are two of them, then he slightly pulls his head to his shoulders.

There are a few more additional symptoms of parotitis in children (you could see the photo earlier):

1. There is chills all over the body.
2. General weakness sets in.
3. Appetite is severely disturbed, mainly due to pain.
4. Severe dryness appears duringmouth.
5. Sweating increases.
6. Child suffering from headaches.
7. Sleep is disturbed.

Diagnosis

Symptoms of parotitis in children help to quickly and accurately establish the diagnosis. When a patient is contacted, the doctor first of all listens to all his complaints, studies the anamnesis and examines. In case of emergency, tests such as a virological examination of blood and saliva, as well as a serological blood test are prescribed.

If you suspect that your child has mumps, then you need to contact an infectious disease specialist. If there are complications, he may refer you to an endocrinologist, otorhinolaryngologist, neurologist, or rheumatologist. Another specialist is appointed depending on the nature of additional symptoms or the presence of chronic diseases in a particular area. And the listed specialists often prescribe additional tests and studies.

Treatment

Treatment of parotitis in children (symptoms, photo - in the article) does not have a single algorithm of actions aimed at getting rid of the virus. Doctors are faced with the task of at least slightly alleviating the suffering of the patient and preventing the development of various complications that may well be. So, the right treatment takes place in three stages:

• proper child care;
• diet;
• taking medication prescribed by a doctor.

The task of parents during this period is to immediately isolate the child if theynoticed the onset of inflammation of the salivary glands. Regarding childcare features:

• Compliance with bed rest. Until the main symptoms disappear, which is approximately ten days, the child should be in bed.
• You can not allow hypothermia baby. Protect him from physical, mental and emotional stress.
• Regularly ventilate the room where the sick person is. So that the concentration of the virus in the room gradually decreased.
• It is recommended to introduce a mask regime so that the infection does not spread.
• Prepare a separate towel and separate dishes for the baby so that only he can use these items.

As far as dietary nutrition is concerned, in order to avoid pancreatitis, doctors prescribe diet number five. It is very simple:

1. A child can eat no more than five, but no less than four times a day.
2. Food should have the lowest calorie content.
3. A child should drink one and a half liters of water per day, maybe even more.

Completely exclude from the menu: fresh bread, any kind of legumes, canned foods, chocolate, fried and smoked foods, fatty meats, radishes, onions and garlic, as well as spicy seasonings. Only the attending physician can tell you more about the lists of allowed and prohibited foods.

All of the above activities answer the question: how to treat the symptoms of mumps in children to parents? But what is required of a doctor? Doctors prescribe good antipyretics first of all, becausethe temperature rises quite high, as well as vitamins, painkillers, immune drugs. If, in addition to the salivary glands, the pancreas were also affected, then a strict diet must be followed, analgesics and antispasmodics are prescribed. If the form of the disease is severe, then drugs will be required that will be aimed at suppressing the activity of the gland. There may be a violation of the digestion of food, in such cases, drugs with enzymes and those that can restore the intestinal microflora are prescribed. If meningitis is suspected, immediate hospitalization in the intensive care unit is needed.

Prevention

The best prevention of parotitis in children (symptoms and treatment are discussed in the article) remains vaccination at all times, but, unfortunately, many modern mothers neglect this method, which endangers the he alth of their child. To date, there are several different vaccines that are absolutely safe for children. During vaccination, an antigen is introduced into the body and, after a short period of time, antibodies begin to be produced in the blood. Thus, a vaccinated child is almost one hundred percent protected from this disease. Most often, doctors use the combined mumps, rubella, and measles vaccine, which is given first at one year and then repeated at six years.

Some parents worry that mumps can affect fertility. Yes, such complications are observed, and mainly in boys who were not vaccinated in childhood. But things like this happenextremely rare, more often in children the disease proceeds in a mild form and, apart from the salivary glands, nothing else affects.

Very dangerous mumps for pregnant women. And especially in the first three months. It has long been established that at such a time a miscarriage or fetal fading can occur. At a later date, mumps does not carry such a danger, but hemolytic jaundice in a newborn can be provoked.

Based on everything, it is difficult to say how dangerous mumps is in children. Symptoms in younger schoolchildren and preschoolers are usually not very pronounced. The disease is mild and almost without complications. Only parotid swelling is observed. In older children, parotitis is fraught with consequences. Why does the disease occur? Because many mothers do not want to vaccinate their children. There is no need to refuse mandatory vaccinations, especially since the symptoms of mumps in children after vaccination do not appear throughout their lives. They will protect the life of not only you and your child, but also the people who are in your environment. One need only imagine what might happen if there were about ten unvaccinated children in one auditorium, and one of them already had mumps. Almost every one of them is guaranteed parotitis, and it is not known how easily the disease will pass in each of them. After all, for five people everything can end well, and the sixth will remain disabled for life. Don't be afraid of vaccination, but be afraid of the consequences of not getting it.