Where is the swelling for mumps

These glands are responsible for producing saliva. There are three sets of salivary glands on each side of your face, located behind and below your ears. The hallmark symptom of mumps is swelling of the salivary glands. Symptoms of mumps usually appear within two weeks of exposure to the virus. Flu-like symptoms may be the first to appear, including:. The glands may not all swell at once. More commonly, they swell and become painful periodically. You are most likely to pass the mumps virus to another person from the time you come into contact with the virus to when your parotid glands swell.

Most people who contract mumps show symptoms of the virus. However, some people have no or very few symptoms. These include:. You can usually return to work or school about one week after a doctor diagnoses your mumps, if you feel up to it. Mumps usually runs its course in a couple of weeks. Ten days into your illness, you should be feeling better. Having the virus once protects you against becoming infected again.

Complications from mumps are rare, but can be serious if left untreated. Mumps mostly affects the parotid glands. However, it can also cause inflammation in other areas of the body, including the brain and reproductive organs. Orchitis is inflammation of the testicles that may be due to mumps. You can manage orchitis pain by placing cold packs on the testicles several times per day. Your doctor may recommend prescription-strength painkillers if necessary.

In rare cases, orchitis can cause sterility. Females infected with mumps may experience swelling of the ovaries. However, if a woman contracts mumps during pregnancy, she has a higher-than-normal risk of experiencing a miscarriage. Mumps may lead to meningitis or encephalitis , two potentially fatal conditions if left untreated. Back to Mumps. The symptoms of mumps usually develop 12 to 25 days after becoming infected with the mumps virus this delay is known as the incubation period.

The average incubation period is around 17 days. Swelling of the parotid glands is the most common symptom of mumps. The parotid glands are a pair of glands responsible for producing saliva.

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