Mumps is an infectious viral disease most commonly affecting children between the ages of 5-15 year of age. The mumps virus above all affects one or both of the parotid glands which are the largest of the three salivary glands. These are located in the cheeks in front of and extending to just below the ears. As in most childhood diseases in normal healthy children, mumps is usually not serious and many cases are so mild that they may go undetected.
How do you catch it? Mumps is spread by droplet infection but is short-lived outside of the human body.
Is there an incubation period? Yes, the incubation period is usually 18 days although it can vary from between 18 to 28 days.
For how long is my child infectious? Your child is infectious for a few days before the first symptoms appear until a few days after they disappear.
For how long will my child be sick? Most children have symptoms ranging from 3 to 10 days.
How can I tell when my child has mumps? The first symptoms are usually a fever, headache and tiredness. Within a day the child will complain of an earache and then you will see the characteristic swelling of one or both of the parotid glands. The face and jaw can look extremely swollen.
What’s the worst thing? There can be a lot of pain on swallowing and foods that stimulate salivation are to be avoided, as this exacerbates the pain.
Are there any unusual complications? Complications are rare and are more likely to occur in cases of infection after puberty. These are secondary infections of meningitis, pancreatitis or orchitis (inflammation of the testes).
What are the treatment options?
Old fashioned bed-rest and bland food. Soups and bland liquid food as chewing is often painful.
Avoid any sour foods such as lemon drinks as this stimulates the salivary ducts and causes pain.
Mumps can be treated very well with homeopathic remedies.
Naturally contracted mumps gives life-long immunity In contrast to the unknown duration of the mumps vaccine’s protective effects. Those vaccinated as children are more likely to contract mumps as adults becoming more vulnerable to complications. The mumps vaccine is given as part of the MMR vaccine, however the mumps vaccine is not recommended for children under 1 year old or for those allergic to eggs or the antibiotic neomycin. In the vaccine data orchitis is given as a possible side effect of the vaccine.
When would I use a homeopathic remedy? a well selected homeopathic remedy will ease the pain and shorten the duration of the illness as well as helping to avoid any complications from arising.
Using homeopathic remedies.
A quick call or email to myself or your homeopath may be all you need, to help to confirm which remedy if any you should use. With homeopathic remedies it is common to administer the appropriate remedy perhaps only once or twice. If there is no change or improvement after a few doses (maximum of 5 doses), you may need to rethink your choice of remedy. When one of my children had mumps many years ago a few doses of the remedy jaborandi eased all her pain and allowed her to comfortably rest and recuperate.
Some of the more commonly indicated remedies;?
Jaborandi (pilocarbus); can be used as a prophylactic after exposure. Give one dose of a 30c for 3 or 4 days following exposure to the virus. This can help to prevent the development of the disease or to lesson the severity of the symptoms. Jaborandi is oftentimes the only remedy needed for treatment of mymps. It certainly acts very quickly and eases the pain.
Parotidinum; used as a prophylactic after exposure. Give one dose of a 30c for 3 or 4 days following exposure to the virus. This can help to prevent the development of the disease or to lesson the severity of the symptoms.
Trifolium repens; used as a prophylactic after exposure. Give one dose of a 30c for 3 or 4 days following exposure to the virus.This can help to prevent the development of the disease or to lesson the severity of the symptoms. one of the guiding symptoms for this remedy in full-blown mumps is copious salivation following pain in the parotid glands.
Belladonna; One sided mumps, usually the right-side. Where the face and the glands are bright red and hot and accompanied by a high fever. The pain is severe, the eyes are glazed and sensitive to the light.?
Bibliography;
Pointers to the common remedies. Dr M.L.Tyler. Jain Publishers.
Homeopathy for Pregnancy, Birth, and your baby’s first year. Mirandra Castro. St Martin’s Press.
Vaccine Free. Kate Birch. Narayana Publishers.
Concordant Materia Medica. Frans Vermeulen. Merlijin Publishers.
Spectrum of homeopathy. Volume 3. Narayana Publishers.