Hi, my 8 years old son got mumps. I never had this disease, so I don’t know anything about it. Can you tell me how is it treated and transmitted? Are there any complications that could develop?
Hi, mumps is a viral disease that is transmitted through saliva. It often infects parotid salivary glands, but also the other parts of the body. These glands are located toward the back of each cheek, and usually become painful and swollen over a period of 3 days. Mumps almost never affect the same person twice. One of the common symptoms is a fever of up to 103 degrees Fahrenheit. There are also a loss of appetite and a headache. Mumps could lead to few complications, such as meningitis and encephalitis. Sometimes, it could even lead to orchitis, an inflammation of the testicles. I don’t think your son could develop this complication, because it usually appears in adolescents and adults.
I don't know how much the understanding of mumps has changed since the mid-sixties, but back then our mothers (of me and other boys my age) thought it was best for their sons to get the mumps before we (and our testicles from what I am reading here) started on the way to sexual maturity. The boy in question is 8, so our mothers' fear of mumps raising hell and causing permanent damage in sexually mature testacies shouldn't be an issue for him. The other effects of mumps will still be there, but most likely, "It ain't gonna kill ya." Just remember, this is old information.