Mumps is a viral attack

By Angela WiltshireMumps is a disease caused by a virus that enlarges the salivary glands. Mumps mainly attacks children although it can occur in adults too.Dr Angelina Kakooza a paediatrician at Mulago hospital explains “Mumps often attack children at the age of three to twelve years though it can attack a child in any age bracket.Once infected children will present with a headache, lack of appetite, moderate fever, drooling, and feeling chilly.The above symptoms are displayed two to four weeks after exposure to the virus.The worst complication is when the sex organs are infected, most especially in boys. In this case the testes become inflamed and this may cause sterility, depending on the severity of infection. At other times the virus may attack the pancreas and this leads to nausea, vomiting and abdominal pains.Dr Kakooza says there is no specific treatment for a child infected with mumps. However parents of the child must: l Keep the child at home, away from other children until the swelling of the salivary glands has gone down.l Keep the child warml Place ice bags or a hot water bottle over the swollen glands to ease the pain. The choice of cold or warm water depends entirely on the child’s comfort.l Feed the child with light foods which can be swallowed easily to avoid pain.lThe child should rinse his mouth with warm salt solution every two to three hours.l Make sure the child gets ample rest so as to recover quickly.There is also a vaccine for mumps.