My 7-year-old who attends a nearby private school came back home this week with swelling of the both cheeks. I want to know if this is mumps and what to do if it is mumps.
Jeff (by SMS)
Mumps is a contagious disease caused by a virus that infects the salivary glands. Symptoms that might begin a few days before jaw swelling include: Fever, Headache, Muscle aches, Tiredness and Loss of appetite. Mumps is best known for causing puffy cheeks and a tender, swollen jaw. This swelling of the parotid salivary glands under the ears on one or both sides is called parotitis.
Most people with mumps recover completely within 2 weeks. In most people, mumps is pretty mild. In rare cases, mumps is deadly and can cause more severe complications. Some complications of mumps are known to occur more often in adults.
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