Epidemic parotitis in children symptoms and treatment. Parotitis in children: symptoms and treatment of the disease

A disease such as mumps can be dangerous for children. Often it proceeds without noticeable symptoms, but can give severe complications. Protecting a child from contracting this infection is not easy, since in a children's team it is not always possible to distinguish a sick baby from a healthy one. Manifestations usually occur only a few days after the disease has already begun, and the person has become contagious to others. Parents should be aware of the serious consequences that can result from getting mumps, as well as the importance of getting vaccinated against it.

The causative agent is a virus of the paramyxovirus family (measles and parainfluenza viruses belong to the same family). The causative agent of mumps develops only in human body, in its various glands. It primarily affects the salivary glands (parotid and submandibular). But it can also multiply in all other glands of the body (genital, pancreatic, thyroid).

Most often, mumps occurs between the ages of 3 and 7 years, but adolescents up to 15 years of age can also get sick. Newborns do not have mumps, since they have a very high content of antigens for this virus in their blood. A person who has been ill develops lifelong immunity, so they do not get sick again with mumps.

It has been observed that mumps occurs more frequently in boys than in girls. Moreover, the defeat of the testes in adolescents leads to subsequent infertility. However, damage to the gonads occurs only in 20% of cases with a complicated form of mumps.

Types and forms of the disease

The severity of the course of mumps depends on the number of viruses that have entered the body, their activity, as well as age and physical form child, the state of his immune system.

There are 2 types of disease:

• manifest (manifested by symptoms of varying severity);
• inapparent (asymptomatic mumps).

Manifestant parotitis

It is divided into uncomplicated (one or more salivary glands are affected, other organs are not affected) and complicated (the spread of the virus to other organs is observed). The complicated form of mumps is very dangerous, since inflammatory processes affect vital organs: the brain, kidneys, sex and mammary glands, heart, joints, nervous system. With this form, mumps can, meningitis, nephritis, mastitis, arthritis, myocarditis, orchitis, pancreatitis. In extremely rare cases, deafness occurs.

Mumps of this kind flows into mild form, as well as with manifestations moderate and in severe form.

Light(atypical, with erased symptoms) form of mumps. There is a slight malaise, which quickly disappears without leading to any consequences.

Medium the disease is manifested by pronounced signs of damage to the salivary glands and general intoxication of the body with substances that the virus secretes.

heavy the form. pronounced characteristics lesions of the salivary glands, complications arise.

Inapparent parotitis

A feature of this disease is the complete absence of symptoms in a sick child. In this case, suspect the presence in his body dangerous infection difficult. The insidiousness lies in the fact that the baby is a distributor of a dangerous infection, although he feels himself as usual.

Causes of mumps in children

The mumps virus is only spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. So the likelihood of the virus getting into the surrounding air increases if the child has a cold.

The incubation period is from 12 to 21 days. About a week before the onset of symptoms, the patient becomes contagious to others and continues to remain so until complete recovery, which is diagnosed by the results of the tests.

The virus, along with air, enters the mucous membrane of the nose and upper respiratory tract, from where it spreads further - to the salivary and other glands of the body. Most often, the disease is manifested by inflammation and enlargement of the salivary glands.

The disease is promoted by a decrease in immunity in a child due to frequent colds, malnutrition, retardation in physical development. Susceptibility to the virus in unvaccinated children is very high. Children's institutions can experience outbreaks of mumps if they are visited by children who have a latent disease. In case of the appearance of the disease in several babies at the same time, the institution is closed for a 3-week quarantine. The mumps virus at a temperature of 20 ° dies after 4-6 days. It is unstable to the action of ultraviolet rays and disinfectants (lysol, formalin, bleach).

Outbreaks of the disease are especially possible in the autumn-winter period.

Signs of mumps

The disease proceeds in several stages.

Incubation period(duration 12-21 days). The following processes take place:

• viruses penetrate the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract;
• enter the blood;
• are carried throughout the body, accumulate in the glandular tissue;
• back into the blood. At this time, they can already be detected by laboratory diagnostic methods.

The period of clinical manifestations. In the normal course of the disease, there are signs of intoxication of the body and inflammation of the glands in the jaws and ears. This period lasts 3-4 days, if there are no complications.

Recovery. At this time, the symptoms of a child with mumps gradually disappear. This period lasts up to 7 days. Until about 9 days after the onset of symptoms, the baby can infect others.

First signs

The first signs of malaise occur in children a day before the appearance of swelling of the face. These include lack of appetite, weakness, chills, fever up to 38 ° -39 °, body aches, headache. All these are the consequences of poisoning the body with the products of the vital activity of microorganisms.

The child wants to sleep all the time, but cannot fall asleep. Small children are naughty. The patient's pulse may increase, decrease blood pressure. In a severe form of the disease, the temperature can reach up to 40 °.

Main manifestations

Children have pain in the earlobes, tonsils swell. Difficulty swallowing, chewing, talking, pain radiates to the ears. There may be increased salivation.

The salivary glands most often swell on both sides, although a unilateral form of the disease is also possible. Swell not only the parotid, but also the sublingual and submandibular salivary glands. Therefore, inflammation of the salivary glands leads to severe swelling of the cheeks, parotid region and neck.

The skin over the edema near the ears turns red, begins to shine. An increase in swelling is observed within 3 days, after which there is a reverse process of a gradual slow decrease in the size of the tumor. In adults and adolescents, swelling may not subside within 2 weeks; in young children, it decreases much faster. The older the child, the more severely he suffers the disease.

Features of the development of parotitis in boys and girls

In case of parotitis in boys, in about 20% of cases, a viral infection of the epithelium of the testicles (orchitis) occurs. If this happens during puberty, then infertility can become a consequence of a complicated disease.

Signs of the occurrence of such a condition are alternate swelling and redness of the testicles, pain in them, fever. Inflammation of the prostate gland (prostatitis) can also occur, the manifestations of which are pain in the groin area, frequent painful urination.

In girls, a complication of mumps may be inflammation of the ovaries (oophoritis). At the same time, nausea, abdominal pain occur, teenage girls develop abundant yellow discharge delayed sexual development may occur.

Signs of damage to the nervous system

In rare cases, the virus affects not only the glandular tissues, but also the central nervous system. This leads to meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord). This is a disease that can pose a threat to the life of children. Its manifestations are very characteristic (tension of the muscles of the back and neck, which forces the child to take a special position), vomiting that does not bring relief, high fever.

Warning: A sign of the occurrence of complications is a sharp increase in temperature after a noticeable improvement in the patient's condition, when the temperature has already dropped to normal. Even if a child with mumps feels quite well, he should be under the supervision of a doctor until complete recovery.

Video: Signs and symptoms of mumps, the consequences of the disease

Diagnosis for mumps

As a rule, the characteristic course of the disease makes it possible to establish a diagnosis even without additional examination.

In addition to mumps, there are other causes of enlargement of the salivary glands, in which similar manifestations occur. This can happen due to the penetration of bacteria (streptococci, staphylococci), dehydration of the body, dental diseases, HIV infection.

However, in these cases, the appearance of swelling of the cheeks is preceded by any other characteristic manifestations (for example, teeth hurt, there is an injury, after which bacteria could be introduced into the salivary glands).

In order to definitively verify the presence of a contagious infection, it is necessary to carry out laboratory diagnostics: blood test for antibodies to the mumps virus, microscopic examination of saliva and pharyngeal swabs. If you suspect a defeat nervous system spinal puncture is performed.

Treatment for mumps

As a rule, treatment is carried out at home. Children are hospitalized only in case of complications.

With an uncomplicated course of the disease, no special drugs are given to children. They are only easing their condition. It is often necessary to gargle with a solution of soda (1 teaspoon per 1 glass of warm water). If the baby does not know how to gargle, then they give him warm chamomile tea to drink.

A warm scarf is wrapped around the neck, a warm compress is made (a gauze napkin is moistened with slightly warmed vegetable oil and placed on a sore spot). This will help reduce pain. Antipyretics and painkillers are prescribed.

Physiotherapeutic heating helps to relieve inflammation of the salivary glands using methods such as UHF irradiation, diathermy. Sick children must comply with bed rest. Feed them preferably semi-liquid or soft food.

Video: Signs of parotitis in children, patient care

Prevention

Vaccination is the only effective way to prevent mumps. The vaccine is given 2 times, since immunity after it lasts 5-6 years. The first vaccination is given at 1 year (along with measles and rubella), and the second at 6 years.

Children who have been vaccinated against mumps are completely protected from this disease and its dangerous complications. The vaccine is completely safe, including for allergy sufferers.

If there is a sick child in the house, then other children and adults can be prescribed antiviral drugs for prevention.

Video: Consequences of mumps, the importance of vaccination

Epidemic mumps (syn. mumps or mumps) is an acute viral infection, which is classified as "children's". According to statistics, children are more likely to get sick with mumps, and they endure it much easier. Adults can also carry mumps if they were not vaccinated as a child or the vaccination period has expired.

The disease got its name "mumps", "mumps" because with parotitis, a strong swelling occurs in the neck and behind the ears. The appearance of the patient resembles a pig. The disease has been known since antiquity, the first descriptions were given by Hippocrates, but then no one knew what caused the disease.

Progress was made in the diagnosis and treatment of mumps during the epidemics of the 17th and 19th centuries among regular army soldiers. Due to the high population density of the barracks, due to poor hygiene, the soldiers fell ill with mumps one by one. Sometimes at that time this disease began to be called "trench or soldier's disease." And only in the last century they found out the nature of the infection by isolating the virus and infecting laboratory animals (monkeys) with it. By 1945, the first vaccine against mumps had also been developed, which gave rise to the era of mass vaccination against it.

Although attempts have been made to infect animals with the virus in laboratories, mumps is a typical human disease in the natural environment. Therefore, it is impossible to get infected by contact with wild or domestic animals. Only people can pass it on to each other. Before vaccination, mumps was a serious danger in terms of the spread of epidemics. Today, there are isolated cases of mumps among those children whose parents do not vaccinate them, and also adults often get sick in whom the vaccination immunity has faded, and they did not re-vaccinate.

How infection occurs

The mumps virus belongs to the RNA viruses of the rubulavirus special group, it is not very resistant in the external environment. They can only become infected through prolonged and close contact with patients. At the same time, people, sources of infection, may not even suspect that they are sick with mumps.

• Airborne- the virus is excreted with saliva and mucus of the nasopharynx, and if the patient spoke to you, coughed, blew his nose or sneezed near you, kissed you, was in the same room with you - the risk of infection is very high
• By contact- for children, it will also be dangerous to use shared toys, lick fingers, objects that the hands of an infected baby touched, which he previously pulled into his mouth.

The disease is characterized by seasonality - in the spring there is a peak incidence, and in August-September the disease is practically not recorded. The disease is widespread everywhere, widely, but due to the fact that children are now actively vaccinated, epidemics now occur infrequently.

According to numerous studies, it has been established that people become contagious:

• a week before inflammation of the salivary glands
• 7-17 days can pass from the moment of infection
• they remain contagious for about 8-9 days from the moment of the first manifestations of the disease.

Especially many viruses are isolated by patients and they are most contagious with inflammation of the salivary glands. At this time, they must be strictly isolated from others to prevent the spread of infection.

The incubation period (from the moment of infection with the virus to the moment of manifestation of the disease) is:

• in children, on average, from 12 to 22 days.
• in adults it ranges from 11 to 23-25 ​​days, usually it is 14-18 days.
  

Who can get parotitis?

Anyone who does not have immunity to it (has not been ill before or has not been vaccinated) can get sick with mumps, due to weakened immunity, children are more likely to get sick. Of the adults, those who do not have antibodies to mumps in their blood suffer - this is no more than 10-20% of the population (the rest have antibodies to the infection in their blood). It has been noted that boys and men are twice as likely and more severely ill with partitis.

Can vaccinated people get mumps? Properly administered MMR vaccination protects almost everyone (98%) from mumps infection, only a small number of people vaccinated with one or even two doses of the vaccine can show mumps. But the course of mumps in such people is mostly mild and not complicated.

What happens inside the body

The virus enters the body through the mucous membranes of the nose and throat. It settles on the surface of cells, destroys them and penetrates into the blood vessels, then spreads throughout the body, penetrates into their most favorite places - these are glandular tissues and nervous tissue (primarily salivary glands). Inside them, the reproduction of the virus occurs most actively.

Simultaneously with them, the prostate and testicles in boys and men, the ovaries in girls and women, thyroid, pancreas. Along with the glands, at the same time, or somewhat later, the nervous system can also be affected, as peripheral nerves and ganglia, and head and spinal cord(when creating special conditions or an aggressive course of mumps).

As the virus multiplies in the body, the immune system begins to produce antibodies against the viruses that bind and clear the virus, promoting recovery. These antibodies remain inside the body for the rest of your life, creating lifelong immunity. Due to these antibodies, re-infection with mumps does not occur.

However, along with this, general allergization of the body can be observed, which can be observed for a long time - up to several years. Due to it, allergic reactions may occur in the future, which were not observed in a child or adult before the illness - dermatitis, asthma,.

Can parotitis go unnoticed?

Most often, this phenomenon occurs in adolescents or adults. About 20-30% of people infected with mumps carry this disease without special typical signs, in the form of SARS, or it is completely asymptomatic. With this type of infection, complications are not dangerous, but the person himself is a source of the spread of viruses among children and adults.

Symptoms of parotitis in children

AT incubation period the child looks normal and feels good, there are no external signs that he is already sick. With the accumulation of viruses in the body, the first signs of mumps appear. For children it is:

• temperature increase within 38.0-38.5°С,
• weak signs of SARS. May be slight runny nose, redness of the arches in the throat, .

After one or two days, swelling appears in the region of one parotid salivary gland. In this case, the gland itself becomes painful. The second gland can also become inflamed, their functioning is disturbed, which leads to dry mouth, bad breath and discomfort.

Saliva performs not only moisturizing and disinfecting functions in the oral cavity, it also takes part in the digestion process, wetting the food bolus and partially breaking down some components in it. By reducing the production of saliva, digestive functions may be disturbed with the development of nausea, abdominal pain and stool disorders, and stomatitis or gingivitis of an infectious nature may occur in the oral cavity.

In addition to the parotid, the submandibular and sublingual salivary glands may be involved in the process. With their inflammation and swelling, the child's face becomes moon-shaped, puffy, especially in the jaw and ears. Because of the similarity with the "pig's muzzle", the disease received a similar name.

If other glandular organs are involved in the process, complicated parotitis is formed:

• In boys of school age, with a testicular lesion, one-sided swelling of the scrotum usually occurs, the skin turns red, hot to the touch, and painful. With prostatitis, pain occurs in the perineum, with rectal examination, an edematous formation with soreness is detected.
• In girls, the defeat of the ovaries can be with the development of pain in the lower abdomen and nausea, malaise.

When the tissues of the pancreas are damaged, digestive problems arise:

• feeling of heaviness in the stomach,
• pain in the left hypochondrium,
• nausea with vomiting,
• bloating,
• diarrhea (diarrhea).

Parotitis in children can occur not only as a classic variant, but also with erased forms or even asymptomatic. With an erased form, the temperature rises slightly, not higher than 37.5 ° C, there is no characteristic lesion of the salivary glands, or it is not very pronounced and disappears in two to three days.

The asymptomatic form does not give any signs of infection at all and is dangerous only because such a child can visit the children's team and infect other children there.

Symptoms of parotitis in adults

In principle, the course and main symptoms of parotitis are similar to those in children, but often parotitis in adults is prone to a more severe course with complications (especially in young men and girls).

Before the beginning typical manifestations mumps, some adults note the state of the prodrome of the disease:

• chills occur
• muscle or joint pain
• headache
• runny nose and cough
• malaise like a cold
• dry mouth discomfort in the projection of the salivary glands
• discomfort in the neck.

By the height of the disease, adults note a gradual increase in temperature from 37.2-37.5 to 38.0 ° C and above. The duration of the febrile period as a whole is about a week. Often, in adults, parotitis can occur without an increase in temperature, which indicates a weak resistance of the immune system to the introduction of viruses. In parallel with fever, weakness with malaise and headache, insomnia may occur.

The main manifestation of parotitis in adults is inflammatory process in the parotid salivary glands, the sublingual and submandibular glands are often affected. They swell, probing them is painful, saliva practically does not separate. Due to swelling and inflammation of the glands, the patient's face takes on a swollen appearance, resembling a pig's muzzle, with pronounced swelling along the lower jaw and behind the ears. The skin in the area of ​​glandular edema is glossy, strongly stretched and does not gather into folds, but its color does not change. In adults, initially bilateral lesions are typical.

Also, pain and discomfort in the salivary glands are more pronounced:

• pain occurs when chewing and drinking
• typical pain when talking
• at night it is difficult to choose a position for sleeping due to soreness of the glands
• compression of the auditory tube by an inflamed gland gives tinnitus and pain inside the ear
• if you press on the tissues behind the earlobe, severe pain appears. This is one of the early typical symptoms of parotitis.
• in severe cases, it is difficult to chew food in general, spasms of the masticatory muscles (trismus) may occur.
• very little saliva is separated, which causes a state of severe dryness (xerostomia).

The acute period of inflammation in adults lasts no more than 3-4 days, sometimes pain at the beginning of the process can be given to the ear or neck, gradually fading by the end of the week. Simultaneously with them, the swelling of the glands disappears.

In parallel with the symptoms of the salivary glands, catarrhal phenomena also develop - runny nose, cough, sore throat, as well as digestive disorders with diarrhea, nausea and abdominal pain. They are most pronounced during the period of maximum edema of the salivary glands and gradually fade away as local inflammation subsides.

Adults with mumps may additionally have:

• rash on the body, which looks like thick and bright red spots. Localized in the face, arms, legs and torso.
• about 30% of boys and men suffer from orchitis - testicular inflammation. Moreover, the process can begin both simultaneously with the defeat of the salivary glands, and a couple of weeks after the onset of mumps. The manifestations of orchitis cannot be confused with anything, with it the temperature rises sharply to almost 39-40 ° C, there is a strong and sharp pain in the scrotum, it turns very red and swells - usually on one side, but both testicles can be affected at once.

Is parotitis dangerous?

For the most part, mumps occurs in children and most adults without any complications and is not dangerous. But in 5 people out of 1000 cases, especially with reduced immunity, mumps takes an aggressive course. However, it can lead to serious complications:

• spread to the tissue of the spinal cord or brain with the formation of meningitis and encephalitis. They are relatively well treated, only rare cases lead to death or give paralysis, hearing loss.
• about 5% of all patients develop pancreatitis (the pancreas is affected). Most often, this type of pancreatitis is mild and resolves completely. Previously, it was believed that type 1 diabetes could form after mumps, but today this opinion has been refuted!
• about 30% of men or boys who carry mumps with orchitis (testicular inflammation) become infertile ().
• There may also be complications from internal organs in the form of pneumonia, myocarditis, joint lesions, thyroid gland, view.

Signs of an aggressive course of parotitis

If you or your child has mumps, you should immediately contact your doctor if you have aggressive symptoms or complications such as:

• severe headaches
• various visual impairments
• nausea and vomiting
• severe pain in the abdomen or left side
• numbness, weakness in certain parts of the body
• seizures or loss of consciousness
• hearing loss or severe ringing in the ears
• change in the color of urine (it is dark and there is not enough of it)
• pain in the scrotum in men.

How is the diagnosis made?

In a typical course, the diagnosis is clear on examination of the patient. But, to confirm the viral nature of inflammation is carried out:

• PCR blood test to detect mumps virus
• detection of antibodies to mumps
• a set of analyzes to assess the functions of internal organs.

It is especially important to determine antibodies to mumps in atypical or asymptomatic cases.

quarantine measures

Prevention of mumps includes quarantine measures with strict isolation of a sick child or adult from people who are not ill or not vaccinated.

• Adults or children with mumps should be isolated from other people for 9 days from the onset of inflammation.
• In the children's team, when a sick person with mumps is detected, quarantine is imposed for a period of 21 days from the moment of the last sick person.
• All contact and unvaccinated babies are examined daily by doctors, if they have symptoms of parotitis, they are immediately isolated.
• In children's institutions, disinfection is carried out according to all the rules with the processing of dishes, toys and bed linen.
• The room where the patient was located must be carefully checked and a general cleaning and disinfection of all objects with which the patient could come into contact should be carried out.

During quarantine, elementary hygiene methods are necessary - washing hands with soap, especially after contact with the patient and his things. It is also necessary to isolate the patient, to provide him with separate hygiene products, bed linen and towels.

Treatment Methods

Specific drugs for parotitis have not been developed, treatment is based on severity and symptoms. If there are no complications, the mumps is treated at home, in compliance with the quarantine terms.

• Strict bed rest up to 7-10 days from the onset of symptoms so that there are no complications
• Diet - due to the soreness of the salivary glands, as well as the prevention of pancreatitis, food should be light, semi-liquid and warm, without fatty, spicy and fried foods (cabbage, animal fats, pasta and white bread are excluded, a dairy-vegetable table is preferable).
• Apply dry heat to the site of inflammation of the glands.
• Gargling boiled water or weak solutions of antiseptics, treatment of colds.

The use of medications is indicated only in the presence of complications, usually this is done in a hospital. All treatment for parotitis should be prescribed and monitored by a doctor.

Prevention of mumps

Specific prevention is the vaccination of children and adults against mumps. The mumps vaccine is administered as part of the MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, rubella) or as a separate live attenuated vaccine.

• According to the national vaccination calendar, it is administered at the age of 1 year and then at 6-7 years, before entering school. The drug is placed under the shoulder blade or in the shoulder area.
• If a child did not receive the vaccine as a child due to medical rejection or parental refusal, it is possible to vaccinate as early as adolescence or adulthood. This is done according to epidemiological indications (in the focus of infection) or at will.

Vaccination is carried out only for healthy children who do not have contraindications:

• in the presence of a cold
• exacerbations chronic diseases or the child's weaknesses don't make her
• Vaccination is contraindicated for children with diseases of the hematopoietic system
• immunodeficiencies
• if treated with hormones.

According to individual indications, emergency vaccination can be carried out. It must be performed within 72 hours, and preferably on the first day after contact with the patient. This will lead to the production of antibodies and the course of the disease in a mild form, and sometimes the complete prevention of its development.

Parotitis (epidemic) is viral disease, which is characterized by an inflammatory process in the salivary glands. According to parotitis statistics ( vernacular name diseases - mumps) most often affect children aged 5 to 15 years, very rarely the virus affects adults. The disease is quite severe and can lead to serious consequences.

Degrees of the disease and characteristic symptoms

Parotitis epidemic is well studied - this disease has been known to science for two centuries. In medicine, it is customary to classify it according to the severity of the course:

1. Light degree. It is characterized by the development of the inflammatory process in the salivary glands. In this case, the child's body temperature will rise suddenly and quickly to medium levels.
2. Average degree. In addition to fever, fever is characteristic of such a severity of mumps - the child is “shaking”. With a moderate severity of the disease, the inflammatory process affects not only the salivary glands, but also other glandular organs. The patient will complain of headache, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, insomnia.
3. Severe degree. This degree of the considered viral disease is considered the most dangerous for the health and even the life of the child, because both the salivary glands and the central nervous system are affected by the inflammatory process.

Signs of parotitis in children

The considered viral disease always begins suddenly and develops rapidly:

• body temperature rises to critical levels;
• the child experiences "ache" and weakness throughout the body;
• doing elementary swallowing and chewing movements with the jaw becomes very painful;
• appetite completely disappears.

Hyperthermia (increased body temperature)

This symptom is present from the very beginning of the disease and subsides only after the disappearance of pronounced symptoms of mumps. Parents do not need to worry about this - this is considered the norm, even if a decrease in body temperature does not occur after the use of antipyretic drugs by a sick child medicines. But if it continues to be present after the symptoms of mumps disappear, then you must immediately inform your doctor about it - such a sign may indicate the development of a new pathological process in the body.

An interesting observation was made by doctors and scientists who investigated the viral disease in question - the body of a sick child tries to fight the mumps virus on its own, producing specific antibodies. By the way, they can be detected in the blood even after a complete cure for mumps.

Swelling behind the ears

Perhaps the most striking symptom of mumps for children is swelling behind the ears. Moreover, it reaches a fairly large size, on palpation it is painful and interferes with chewing and talking. In some cases, swelling behind the ears extends to the neck - this is the norm and no additional therapeutic measures need to be taken.

Epidemic parotitis greatly affects appearance child - the cheeks seem to "swell" and "fall", the upper tips and middle of the ears protrude due to the existing swelling behind the ears - the patient's face resembles a pig snout (hence the popular name for mumps - mumps).

The swelling behind the ears, as the viral disease in question is treated, becomes less and completely disappears after 8 days.

Treatment of mumps

Almost all patients diagnosed with mumps are treated at home. Hospitalization is indicated only for those patients in whom the viral disease in question is extremely severe. There is no specific treatment for parotitis, it is enough to adhere to the following rules:

Important:if mumps is severe and the doctor diagnoses the child with signs of severe intoxication (poisoning) of the body, then the treatment will take place in medical institution using detoxification therapy.

ethnoscience

In no case should you rely on the treatment of parotitis only on folk methods- they are designed only to help, support the body in the fight against a viral disease and relieve pain. The most effective means in this case will be:

Features of the treatment of mumps in children

There are some drugs that really help with mumps. Main condition: they are used at the initial stage of development of the considered viral disease and only after agreement with the attending physician. These include:

• Belladonna;
• Aconite;
• Pilocarpus jaborandi;
• Ferrumphosphoricum.

Important:all of the listed drugs are very effective, and if one of them has already been prescribed by the attending physician, then it is not advisable to experiment with the use of several others at once. You can't make appointments on your own!

Complications of mumps and the consequences of parotitis in men

Mumps is not dangerous because of its severe course - this can be adjusted medicines and bed rest folk recipes. The viral disease under consideration is characterized by the development serious complications :

• pancreatitis - an inflammatory process in the pancreas;
• meningitis - inflammation of the meninges;
• encephalitis - inflammation of the soft tissues of the brain;
• oophoritis - inflammation of the ovaries in girls;
• hearing loss, often complete irreversible deafness.

Important:the most dangerous epidemic parotitis for boys - they develop ocheritis (inflammation of the testicles) as a complication of the disease, which leads to further. Previously, it was believed that every boy who had mumps in childhood was doomed to infertility, but in the course of research it was found that such a complication is diagnosed only in 15% of cases, which is also quite a few.

Algorithm for diagnosing complications in mumps:

Preventive measures

Since the disease in question has a viral etiology, the only reliable preventive measure is vaccination. Mumps vaccination is given twice - at 12 months and at 6 years. The vaccine administered twice makes it possible to develop lifelong immunity against the mumps virus.

If the child had contact with a child with mumps, then you need to visit a pediatrician or infectious disease specialist for preventive examination after 10 days - during this time the virus, if it has entered the body, will give the first manifestations.

In the early childhood babies from 3 to 7 years old may show the first symptoms of a disease called mumps. Girls get sick much less often than boys. Infection occurs through contact with a sick person. Shared toys, utensils, anything that is passed from one person to another. People who have been ill with mumps receive permanent immunity for life.

The occurrence of the disease, mumps, is due to exposure to paramyxovirus. It proceeds in an acute form. Children are exposed to fever, intoxication, salivary glands noticeably increase in size. Without timely medical care, mumps can affect the central nervous system, as well as other internal organs.

The virus penetrates inside, infects the mucous membrane of the mouth, nose and nasopharynx. The incubation period is from 2 to 12 days after infection.

The carrier of the disease is a person who is in a state where the form of the disease is pronounced. Infection of a person occurs within the first two days after contact with an infected person, then symptoms of mumps appear.

Ways of infection

The viral disease is transmitted by airborne droplets when an infected person is nearby. Toys, utensils, having been with the patient, also become carriers of the disease. People who have not previously been exposed to the virus have a very high chances infections, especially children. Boys get sick with mumps more often than girls, and this disease manifests itself based on the current season: it is almost impossible to get infected in the fall, and in the spring it worsens.

The spread of the virus begins with the tonsils, upper respiratory tract, and later passes to the salivary glands. Over time, when it appeared initial sign, the symptoms of mumps in children have become more noticeable, but there is no treatment, then the disease spreads to the central nervous system and other organs. An allergic reaction of the body, manifested in external changes in the face, can remain forever.

At first symptoms there is a strong swelling and inflammation of the salivary glands located near the ears, spreading to the area in front of the ears, cheeks, enlarges the face (it looks like a pig).

Symptoms

The initial 1-2 days after infection are accompanied by the following symptoms:

• There is a headache;
• The child or teenager is shivering, there is a dryness in the mouth;
• Muscles and joints hurt a lot.

Adults feel the symptoms more than children.

• Often the body temperature increases to 40 degrees in a short period of time, does not decrease for a week;
• Headaches become unbearable;
• The person experiences severe chills;
• There is weakness in the whole body.

Symptoms of mumps in adults and children are expressed by swelling located near the auricles, submandibular and sublingual glands. When pressing on the inflamed area, strong painful sensations appear, and with the course of the disease, the face becomes pear-shaped. The pain intensifies when a person absorbs food, it is felt more strongly at the onset of night time. This swelling subsides a couple of days after it passes. sharp pain, in adults, the period lasts up to 14 days. The disease is not accompanied by a rash of the face or body.

Effects

When the first symptoms of the disease are detected, parents should immediately contact for medical care: the consequences are detrimental to the child, they must be promptly treated. Mumps entails terrible complications, and the consequences can be fatal:

• There is an acute inflammation of the pancreas;
• The work of the central nervous system is disrupted;
• Pancreatitis appears;
• There is an acute form of serous meningitis;
• Meningoencephalitis affects the baby's body;
• A child affected by mumps has lesions in the middle ear, which can lead to complete deafness.

Illness in boys

Boys with mumps are at particular risk. The older the child, the greater the likelihood of complications and pathologies, including infertility. After the defeat of the glands, the nervous system, the disease in 20% of cases passes to the male genital organs, destroying and affecting the spermatogenic epithelium of the testicles. The testicles become inflamed, the boy experiences unbearable pain in the inguinal region, gonads. Severe redness, swelling and an increase in the size of the testicle is accompanied by pain, and soon passes to the second testicle, which leads to atrophy, dysfunction, and as a result, infertility that cannot be treated.

Medicine is not able to offer options for getting rid of pathology, doctors create conditions so that the disease does not diverge further. Requires strict bed rest, careful care of the child in a separate room. To prevent pancreatitis, the baby is prescribed a special diet. Without the appearance of complications, the disease is cured in ten days.

The older the patient, the more difficult it is to get rid of the viral disease. For a boy who has been ill with mumps, not accompanied by orchitis, infertility will not occur and will not become a sentence for life. The greatest danger of the disease is for adolescents during puberty. In order to avoid infection in the first year of life, as a preventive measure, vaccination is done, repeated at the age of 6-7 years.

disease in adults

The onset of the disease in adulthood is a rare occurrence, but when the disease is detected, complications cannot be avoided. With strong immunity, a person will more easily endure the disease and undergo a course of treatment, but in any case, vaccination is necessary as early as early childhood. The symptomatology of a disease that manifests itself in an adult man or woman is no different from a child’s: swelling of the ears, cheeks, neck, fever, pain. The work of the pancreas worsens, the genitals are affected. Doctors strongly do not recommend self-medication.

If there are deteriorations in the field of digestion, a person loses his appetite, experiences an acute sharp pain, diarrhea, vomiting. Complications in men are manifested in testicular atrophy, and for female representatives it threatens with strong changes and violations of the menstrual cycle.

It is dangerous for men over 30 to get sick with mumps, since the form of the disease will be severe, complications, including orchitis, will greatly affect health. The duration of the acute form of the disease, accompanied by vomiting, fever up to 40 degrees and other manifestations, is three, and in rare cases more than a week.

• With damage to the central nervous system, the virus penetrates into the brain tissue, and the development of meningoencephalitis leads to partial or total loss hearing;
• Violations in the work of the reproductive organs occur in 30% of cases of infection in men, regardless of the form. An adult feels intense heat, swelling and pain in the area of ​​​​the reddened scrotum. If left untreated, the disease worsens, orchitis occurs, the man loses the opportunity to become a father in the future;
• If the thyroid gland is inflamed, the appearance of encephalitis, meningitis is likely.

Treatment Methods

The entire treatment process, with the exception of the occurrence of complications, takes place at home. If the situation requires medical intervention, the patient is hospitalized in the infectious diseases department. Conditions are created at home to alleviate the condition of the infected.

• Compresses are applied to the throat and cheeks, a warm scarf is used for dressing;
• Use of oil compresses is allowed. To create it, heat a couple of tablespoons of oil, moisten a gauze bandage in the resulting solution. It is important to ensure that the liquid is not too hot, otherwise the skin can be burned;
• The throat is rinsed with water, with pre-added and thoroughly mixed soda. The proportions are: a teaspoon of soda in a glass of warm water;
• Strict observance of bed rest, starting from the first day and until the complete recovery of the infected. If the rule is not followed, complications will arise that affect the patient's condition as a whole;
• The patient must have his own set of dishes, cutlery, hygiene products, he must be placed in a separate room so that the virus does not pass to the rest.

medical supplies

• To reduce the temperature, antipyretics are used: no-shpu, suprastin, analgin;
• If complications occur, consult a doctor. He prescribes a course of antibiotics so that there is no purulent discharge;
• If the glands are festering, the patient is immediately hospitalized with surgery. A person is observed for ten days;
• To get rid of asthenia, intoxication, special preparations are prescribed, as well as antihistamines;
• When a patient has heart problems, drugs are prescribed to maintain and improve his condition and work.

Parotitis is one of the most threatening viral diseases, the victims of which are mainly children. During the period of growing up, the body is especially vulnerable to the action of its pathogen, so it is very dangerous to refuse vaccination, which is now mandatory.

Parotitis often causes serious complications that require long and expensive therapy, so it is very important to identify it at an early age. early stage and start treatment as soon as possible. To do this, it is worth getting to know the disease in more detail.

Parotitis is a disease of viral origin, in most cases it is quite acute and is accompanied by an inflammatory process in the salivary glands. It most often affects children aged 5 to 15 years, although cases of infection have been reported in adults. Other names for the disease are mumps or mumps.

What is the mumps virus?

The mumps virus contains RNA elements and belongs to the Rubulavirus genus of microorganisms and the paramyxovirus family. Virions (full-fledged elements of the virus, including nucleic acid and a protein-lipid shell) are characterized by polymorphism, and rounded particles have a diameter of 120-300 nm.

The virus is characterized by hemolytic, neuraminidase and hemagglutinating activity. It is able to agglutinate red blood cells belonging to dogs, guinea pigs, some types of poultry. In the laboratory, the causative agent of mumps is cultivated on cell cultures and chicken embryos aged 7-8 days.

The virus is not very resistant and is destroyed in the following cases:

• with strong heating;
• when exposed to UV rays;
• when treated with 1% Lysol solution, 2% formalin solution, fat solvents.

A specific strain of attenuated type virus is used as a live vaccine.

How does the virus behave in the child's body?

The initial focus of infection when the mumps virus enters the body occurs on the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract (most likely, the tonsils serve as the "gate" for it). The pathogen enters the salivary glands exclusively through the hematopoietic system, bypassing the parotid duct.

The virus spreads throughout all organ systems with blood and is capable of reproducing in almost all glands - salivary, genital, as well as the pancreas and thyroid gland.

In many of them, the inflammatory process is not accompanied by pronounced symptoms, however, the salivary glands are affected first and, as a rule, most of all.

Also, the causative agent of mumps can lead to disorders in the work of the central nervous system. The consequence of the disease is the production of specific antibodies and allergic sensitization of the body, which persists for a long time: up to several years.

Features of the classification of the disease

In medicine, parotitis is classified not only by the severity of the course of the disease, but also by the severity of the symptoms. Allocate inapparent (asymptomatic) and manifest forms of mumps.

The manifest form of the disease, in turn, is:

• uncomplicated, when only one or several salivary glands are affected;
• complicated, which is characterized not only by the inflammatory process in the salivary glands, but also by serious concomitant diseases of other organs: nephritis, meningitis, meningoencephalitis, arthritis, myocarditis, orchitis, mastitis, pancreatitis. This form may be non-infectious when mumps occurs against the background of other diseases.

The classification also includes residual (long-term) manifestations of the disease, the signs of which persist in children who have been ill for a very long time, and sometimes for life. These include:

• deafness;
• testicular atrophy;
• diabetes;
• infertility;
• dysfunction of the central nervous system.

Types of pathology for mumps

The disease can proceed in different ways depending on how the mumps virus behaves in the body. According to this criterion, the following types of mumps are distinguished:

• Typical.

It is characterized by all the standard symptoms of the disease. In this case, mumps can be classified as isolated (only the classic signs of mumps described in the medical literature are noted) or combined (the pathogen also affects the gonads or the brain, leading to the development of concomitant orchitis or meningitis).

• Atypical.

Mumps is asymptomatic or with erased symptoms, which makes it difficult to diagnose.

Variety of forms

Each organism reacts to the mumps virus individually, so the child can endure the disease practically on his feet or end up in the hospital in serious condition.

According to the severity of parotitis, the following forms are distinguished:

• Light.

With it, there are practically no complications, the temperature does not rise above subfebrile numbers, and the symptoms of intoxication are insignificant or not observed at all.

• Medium.

In this case, an elevated temperature of 38-40 degrees, prolonged febrile conditions, a significant increase and inflammation of the salivary glands (usually on both sides), headache, chills, myalgia and arthralgia, as well as the development of complications are recorded.

• Heavy.

It is easy to distinguish by clearly manifested symptoms of intoxication of the whole organism. They are expressed in the rise of the thermometer up to 40 degrees and prolonged febrile states, total weakness, anorexia, sleep problems, arterial hypotension, tachycardia.

How can you get swine?

This infectious disease is transmitted only from person to person, in most cases by airborne droplets (during communication, coughing, sneezing), although some researchers mention the possibility of infection through household items, such as toys.

A sick child is dangerous to others 1-2 days before the first signs of mumps appear and for 9 days after diagnosis. The causative agent is released into environment in the maximum amount from the 3rd to the 5th day of the disease.

Who is at risk of getting mumps?

Although absolutely every child can become infected with mumps, regardless of gender, age and health status, experts still distinguish a separate category of children for whom the risk of getting sick is much higher. These include boys and girls who:

• recently interacted with children with mumps in kindergarten, school or on the street, not observing the quarantine regime;
• have a weakened immune system due to frequent acute respiratory viral infections, prolonged antibiotic therapy, treatment with glucocorticosteroids, inadequate irregular nutrition, or the presence of chronic diseases;
• were not vaccinated against mumps at the time specified in the vaccination schedule.

Possible dangers of mumps

This is a fairly serious infectious disease, so it is not worth refusing to treat it and medically monitor the condition of a small patient. Even with the most favorable development of events, children with mumps are at risk of earning such dangerous complications, how:

• meningitis;
• pancreatitis;
• orchitis;
• oophoritis

General information about mumps, complications that may arise, how you can protect yourself from the disease, says the doctor.

Why does parotitis occur?

The only cause of mumps is the penetration into the body of the corresponding pathogen. Infection occurs:

• in close contact with a sick child;
• with frequent stay in places of high population density;
• with regular diseases of acute respiratory infections and influenza, which greatly undermine immune system child.

The main symptoms of the disease

The incubation period for mumps is 11-23 days. Most often, the first signs of the disease appear 15-19 days after the introduction of the virus into the child's body.

initial stage

Symptoms that may suggest that your child has mumps often appear a couple of days before entering the acute phase of the disease. Parents should suspect something is wrong if the baby complains about:

• discomfort in the salivary glands located behind the ears;
• dryness of the mucous membranes of the oral cavity;
• headache;
• chills;
• bad sleep;
• loss of appetite;
• pain in muscles and joints.

For acute stage pigs are characterized by an increase in temperature to 39-40 degrees, severe weakness, excessive salivation, pain in the area of ​​​​one or both ears, as well as in front of them (especially when chewing and further swallowing food).

The sharpest "shoots" occur if a small patient eats foods that cause increased production of saliva (for example, something sour).

What do the late signs of parotitis look like?

The most typical symptoms of the disease include an inflammatory process in the parotid, and sometimes sublingual and submandibular salivary glands. At the initial stage of mumps, these places swell slightly and are painful on palpation (especially in the central part), and the gland itself has a pasty structure when touched.

On the 5-6th day, the increase in the parotid salivary gland becomes so noticeable that the face takes on the shape of a pear, and Auricle on the affected side rises. Skin in the place of swelling they are strongly stretched, they shine, as if from fat, but there is no hyperemia.

The lesion can be unilateral, but more often after 1-2 days it also covers the second parotid salivary gland. In her area, pain and a feeling of tension are often felt. Often, mumps is also accompanied by pain and tinnitus, and with pressure behind the earlobe, the patient experiences severe discomfort.

The nuances of the flow of mumps in infants

In infants, the symptoms of parotitis are somewhat different from those in older children. Its features are:

• increased density of the salivary glands;
• sharp crying of the baby when pressing or probing this gland, associated with pain;
• the process of the so-called "melting" of the salivary glands, which may be of a purulent-necrotic or purulent type. When the gland is felt, areas filled with pus are determined, leaving through the salivary ducts.

Differences in symptoms of mumps in girls and boys

The mumps virus can infect the gonads in children of both sexes. In boys, mumps sometimes leads to inflammation of the testicles, which can be determined very easily by such obvious signs as a new increase in temperature, redness and soreness of this organ.

In girls, the inflammatory process often spreads to the ovaries, but it is difficult to notice this because of the almost total absence symptoms. In addition, they get sick 1.5 times less often than members of the opposite sex.

Methods for diagnosing mumps

To prescribe adequate treatment, it is very important to determine the presence of the causative agent of parotitis in the body in time. This will help blood and urine tests. It is also possible to differentiate the virus by examining the cerebrospinal fluid, as well as the secretion of the salivary glands and swabs from the pharynx.

With the help of immunofluorescent analysis, the pathogen, which is grown on cell cultures, is detected already 2-3 days after the test. With solid-phase enzyme immunoassay do two studies of serum: one at the onset of the disease, and the other after 2-4 weeks. An increase in titer by 4 times or more is considered proof of the diagnosis of mumps.

All about the treatment of mumps in children

Although parotitis is considered quite dangerous infectious disease, modern medicine learned to cope well with the virus and minimize the risk of consequences.

Who to contact for treatment?

If your child has mumps, you will have to see an infectious disease specialist. In case of serious complications, consultations are recommended:

• rheumatologist;
• endocrinologist;
• otolaryngologist;
• neurologist.

If necessary, specialists can send a small patient for an MRI of the brain, an ultrasound of the heart, etc.

Is it possible to do without hospitalization?

Treatment of patients with mumps is often carried out at home, but in some cases, doctors strongly recommend that parents send the child to the hospital. The indications for this are:

• severe forms of the disease, accompanied by pronounced intoxication, severe swelling of the tissues, an abnormally large increase in the size of the salivary glands;
• complications of parotitis, consisting in disruption of the genitourinary (cystitis), cardiovascular (myocarditis), nervous system, testicles, pancreas;
• social conditions: child living in a boarding school or family hostel;
• moderate and severe forms of parotitis in children under 2 years of age and boys under 12 years of age.

Effective medicines for parotitis

There is no specific therapy that would have a detrimental effect on the mumps virus, so experts prefer symptomatic treatment. It includes:

• Antipyretics.

They are given if the temperature does not subside for several hours and the baby suffers from nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness.

The most effective are Ibuprofen, Paracetamol, Panadol, etc.

• Antihistamines.

Assign to children with hypersensitivity and increased tendency to allergic reactions: Suprastin, Claritin, Diazolin.

• Multivitamin complexes to strengthen immunity: Biomax, Complivit, etc.
• Prednisolone.

It is prescribed for orchitis and meningitis, which may accompany mumps, in doses of 40-60 mg 1 time per day for 5-7 days, gradually reducing the dose by 5 mg per day.

• Papaverine, atropine, with vomiting - chlorpromazine, if pancreatitis has developed as a complication of parotitis in a child.
• Antiviral drugs (isoprinosine), immunostimulants and immunomodulators (interferon, cycloferon (only from 4 years old), viferon in the form of suppositories) to improve the functioning of the immune system.

Folk methods of treatment

AT traditional medicine many safe and effective means, allowing you to quickly cope with the disease and avoid unpleasant consequences. Among them:

Brew 1 tbsp. l. lime flowers with a glass of freshly boiled water and leave to brew for a quarter of an hour, then strain and let the child drink for 1 day. It is advisable to give the baby an infusion of lime flowers at least three times a day.

• Rosehip infusion.

1 st. l. pour dried rose hips with a glass of boiling water and leave to infuse until the infusion acquires a rich dark red color. It should be drunk as needed.

• Decoction of sage and chamomile.

0.5 l. water must be poured 1 tbsp. l. each type of herb, bring to a boil, boil for 10 minutes, insist until completely cooled and rinse with broth oral cavity as often as possible throughout the day. You can also brew 1 tsp. sage in a glass of boiling water like tea and drink 50 ml three times a day in a heated form.

When the temperature subsides, warm compresses can be applied to the area of ​​the warm glands: with vegetable oil, ichthyol ointment, vodka, linseed gruel (50 g of the latter is boiled in 200 ml of water).

Home nursing

Even at home, parents can significantly alleviate the condition of a sick child. For this you need:

• provide bed rest for at least 10 days;
• give as much warm drink as possible: juices, fruit drinks from cranberries and lingonberries, rosehip broth;
• after cupping acute inflammation and normalization of body temperature, apply dry warm compresses to the area of ​​​​the salivary glands and periodically massage them;
• ventilate the room as often as possible, while preventing hypothermia of the child;
• give him separate dishes and other personal hygiene items;
• prevent physical and moral overwork of the child;
• After each brushing of teeth in the morning and evening, rinse the mouth with antiseptic solutions.

diet for treatment

Let the sick baby eat often, but in small portions. From the menu it is necessary to exclude all bakery and confectionery products, fatty and spicy foods.

To recover faster will help the introduction of foods that increase salivation into the diet, such as:

• fruit;
• crackers;
• sour drinks.

What can not be done until complete recovery?

• Do not walk with your child in crowded places during the period when he can still be contagious.
• Do not refuse the mask regime even at home: if one of the family members did not have mumps and does not have immunity, the risk of becoming another victim of the virus is very high.
• Do not give your child legumes, hot spices, canned food, chocolate, garlic, onions, radishes.
• Do not put compresses on the area of ​​the salivary glands until the temperature drops steadily;
• Do not leave the baby at home if concomitant diseases have joined the infection.

Rehabilitation after illness

Recovery from mumps is a long process, but the child will return to cheerful, cheerful and energetic faster if you do the following:

• Give your baby multivitamin complexes that help restore immunity.

You can prepare a general tonic from raisins, dried apricots and figs by mixing them in equal proportions, after grinding them. It is necessary to take the mixture in 1 tsp. in a day.

• Start hardening.

Conduct air baths, arrange contrast foot baths and contrast douches from the shower. Not bad if the child regularly performs feasible gymnastic exercises.

• Walk more often and take sunbaths with your child.
• If there are no contraindications, take the child for a massage or physiotherapeutic procedures such as diathermy, UHF, Darsonval currents, inhalation of air with negatively charged ions, solux, etc.

Possible risks

Running parotitis or refusing to treat it is fraught with very unpleasant consequences for the child in the future. Among them are:

• male and female infertility due to inflammation of the testicles or ovaries;
• development of diabetes;
• encephalitis;
• hearing loss without the possibility of its regeneration;
• cerebral edema with a possible fatal outcome;
• pancreatitis;
• acute meningitis.

Preventive measures

The only sure way to prevent mumps is vaccination. The mumps vaccine is administered simultaneously with the measles and rubella vaccines twice: at 1 year and at 6 years.

Parotitis is a very common viral disease that mainly affects children. Therefore, parents should carefully monitor the health of their children and in no case skip scheduled vaccinations.