Mumps virus Pictures

Method 1 Identifying Symptoms

Check for swollen cheeks. The best known symptom of a mumps infection is also often the last to present itself. The mumps virus affects the salivary glands in the mouth, which makes them swell and creates the appearance of swollen cheeks.

The mumps virus will cause the cheeks to look swollen or puffy and feel warm to the touch.Mumps is actually named as such because “mumps” was the term used to describe the puffy lumps or bumps in the cheeks.

Look for flu like symptoms. The mumps virus might seem like a the common cold or a mild case of the flu when you first start to experience symptoms. In this early stage of infection, the only way you may be able to determine that your symptoms indicate the mumps is if you know you have been exposed to the virus recently. Common symptoms include:

Fever and headacheWeakness, muscle aches and fatiguePain in the throat while chewing or swallowing and a loss of appetiteSwollen, painful testicles in adolescent boys, or swollen ovaries in adolescent girls, which can cause abdominal pain.

Pay attention to the timeline of your symptoms. The mumps virus can be nearly impossible to diagnose until symptoms present themselves. Unfortunately, symptoms of the mumps virus can take weeks to become apparent, and tend to be rather minor early on.

Symptoms of the mumps virus usually do not present themselves until two to three weeks after exposure to the virus.Symptoms may seem rather mild and are often misidentified as the flu or even just the common cold.

Seek medical treatment if you suspect you have the mumps. Schedule a doctor's appointment immediately if you exhibit these symptoms or if you have reason to believe someone you interacted with had the mumps. Most people get vaccinated to prevent the mumps, but if you are unsure if you you received the vaccine as a child, see a doctor to be sure.

There are other illnesses such as inflamed tonsils, another viral or bacterial infection, or blockage of the salivary glands that could produce similar symptoms. See a doctor if you have any reason to suspect that you have the mumps.Let your doctor know about your concerns before you arrive at the doctor’s office to avoid long waits where you could possibly infect others.

Method 2

Get vaccinated against the mumps. The mumps virus is no longer particularly prevalent today because most people are vaccinated as children. The mumps vaccination is usually combined with the vaccinations for measles and rubella, in the MMR vaccine. People who receive the vaccine are commonly considered to be immune to the virus.

The vaccine is usually provided to children in two doses: one between twelve and fifteen months in age, and another at either age four to six or eleven to twelve.Adults that have not been vaccinated should also receive the vaccine in two doses. A single dose does not seem to provide sufficient protection against the virus.

Avoid contact with the saliva of infected people. The mumps is most commonly transmitted from person to person through infected saliva. It's important to avoid the saliva of anyone infected with the mumps virus.

The mumps can be transmitted through the air via tiny droplets of saliva released through coughing or sneezing.Do not drink from the glass of anyone you suspect to be infected with the mumps virus.