What Causes Mumps In Adults?

When a person has mumps infections, the organ that generally gets affected is salivary glands. The condition is caused by the mumps virus and it is an air-borne disease. Symptoms experienced by the patient include pain and inflammation on face, weakness, muscle pain, fever, and mild headache. Prevention of mumps can be done through MMR vaccination.

[Also Read: When To See Neurologist For Headache]

Mumps In Adults

Mumps is a type of viral infection which affects mainly the salivary glands. Salivary glands are located near the ear and are responsible for saliva production. Mumps is caused by the mumps virus. Mumps virus is a type of paramyxovirus which spread through droplets of saliva. Because of mumps infection, salivary glands become inflamed resulting in pain in one or both sides of the face. In some cases, mumps can also cause pain and inflammation in testis, pancreas, ovary, and meninges (membranes which surrounds the brain and spinal cord). There are various stages of mumps.

Symptoms Of Mumps In Adults

• Headache: Headache can develop during mumps because mumps infection causes swelling in the membrane surrounding the brain.
• Fever: Patients with mumps suffers from high fever. This may last for three to four days.
• Pain In One or Both Sides Of The Face: Pain is also experienced by the patient as the mumps virus causes inflammation in salivary glands located near the ears.
• Pain In Joints: If mumps affects the joints, it causes stiff, inflamed and painful joints.
• Dry Mouth: Mumps mainly affects the salivary glands and causes inflammation of the gland. Inflammation in salivary glands can reduce the saliva secretion resulting in dry mouth.
• Trouble In Swallowing: Inflamed salivary gland can cause difficulty in swallowing.

[Also Read: Causes Of Pain When Swallowing]

Mumps In Adults Also Can Cause Some More Symptoms Such As

• Body aches
• Weakness
• Fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Trouble in eating and drinking

Causes Of Mumps In Adults

Mumps is an airborne viral disease. The disease can spread when the infected person coughs or sneezes. This results in the release of tiny droplets of saliva containing the virus. These droplets of saliva, when inhaled by the healthy person during breathing, resulting in infection.

Following Are The Condition Which Increases The Risk Of Spreading Of Mumps Infection

• Droplets from sneezing and coughing
• Sharing food and drinks with someone who is infected with this disease
• Using plates and cutlery of infected person
• When an infected person touches their nose and mouth and passes it on to a particular place and another person touches that place.

Sometimes, people who have the virus in their body but does not show any symptoms can also spread the disease. Such people are known as the carriers of the disease.

Treatment Of Mumps In Adults

Mumps is a viral infection so antibiotics are neither indicated nor they have any significant effect on viral infection. As there is no effective treatment available for mumps viral infection, the treatment aims to reduce the symptoms and improving the quality of patient’s life. Some of the measures adopted to manage symptoms of mumps infections are

• Use plenty of fluids and water
• Avoid fruit juice because they inhibit the secretion of saliva which can cause pain in both sides of the face.
• Apply ice pack on inflamed area to reduce pain and inflammation.
• Use warm and salty water for gargles
• Take soft food which does not require more chewing
• You can also use some painkillers such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen to reduce pain.

Complications

Mumps infection may also lead to complications such as

1. Pancreatitis

In this condition, the pancreas becomes inflamed which may cause belly pain. This is a very rare complication of mumps infection.

2. Orchitis

In orchitis, there is an inflammation in the testes. Orchitis develops because of bacterial and viral infection. During this disease, commonly the inflammation develops in both testicles simultaneously but in some cases only one testicle becomes inflamed.

3. Parotitis

In this condition, ovaries become swollen and the patient experiences pain. Mumps infection rarely results in parotitis.

4. Encephalitis

Mumps infection causes inflammation in the meninges. The patient may feel mild flu-like symptoms such as headache and fever.

5. Miscarriage

If mumps infection occurs in the early stage of pregnancy, the risk of miscarriage is increased.

Mumps Prevention

For prevention of mumps infection, MMR vaccine should be administered. MMR vaccine protects missals, rubella, and mumps viruses. It has been estimated that one dose of MMR is 78% effective while two doses are 88% effective.

While traveling abroad, particularly to those areas where many cases of mumps infections are reported, the person should leave the home country after getting the vaccination done.

Other preventive measures include covering the mouth and nose with tissues when sneezing or coughing, washing hands with soap and water, do not share things that carry the risk of having saliva such as water bottles, and always following healthy hygienic habits.

Rohit Jain

Rohit Jain is an IPR Specialist and Medical Content Writing Expert. For over a decade, he has written several articles in the areas of female infertility, Erectile dysfunction, hemangioma, cervical cancer, monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance, mononucleosis, mitral valve disorder, shin splints, mild cognitive impairment, cellulitis, lymphoma, sepsis, cardiac rehabilitation and more.