[Treatment Review] Mumps and other parotitis, how are they different?

Hello. This is Sunja :)

 

Do you know the disease called mumps?

 

Parotitis Nursing Dictionary

Inflammation of the submandibular gland. There are acute (chronic) submandibular glanditis and mumps. Sometimes the submandibular gland is affected alone, but it can also be part of sialadenitis involving other salivary glands.

Foreign language notation: parotitis (English), 耳下腺炎 (Chinese characters), Parotitis (German) Related terms: acute parotitis, chronic parotitis, mumps

 

 

You are probably more familiar with it as something to see. Especially for those raising children, you might be more accustomed to seeing it as a disease.

 

Mumps is a contagious disease characterized by inflammation of the salivary glands, accompanied by fever and pain. When diagnosed, children are naturally prohibited from attending daycare, school, or similar institutions.

 

 

 

One night, I woke up to a low, quiet, and plaintive voice saying, "Mom, mom, mom." When I opened my eyes, I saw the child sitting alone and looking at me. Then the child said, "Mom, it hurts and feels stiff," pointing to the area just below both ears.

When I turned on the night light and checked, my jawline had disappeared, a firm lump was felt, and I experienced a sensation of heat.

 

Can you also confirm with a photo?

 

 

When I turned on the light and checked, there was a bigger swelling difference than I thought 😱, on both sides! So I immediately gave her an anti-inflammatory painkiller from the Maxibuphen family, applied a cold compress, and put her to sleep.

 

And I visited the hospital first thing in the morning. However, by the time I arrived at the hospital, the condition had already significantly improved. The attending doctor immediately said, "Again?" This was the fourth time. Our child was not suffering from mumps (parotitis), but from [acute (chronic) submandibular gland inflammation]. The symptoms are the same, but the difference lies in whether it is contagious or not.

 

Until the day before the heart-wrenching call to my mother, the child had been taking cold medicine for a sore throat accompanied by a high fever. This child often develops acute (or chronic) submandibular sialadenitis at the end of a cold. Or on days when they have exhausted all their energy playing and get scolded by their mother, or on days when they cry a lot, these symptoms invariably appear. And when they take an anti-inflammatory painkiller from the Maxibuphen family, the symptoms subside within a few hours.

 

Of course, it is not contagious, but since it has the same symptoms as mumps (parotitis), I couldn't attend school altogether.

 

And that's how I am. Since I was young, whenever I experience stress, physical exhaustion, or illness, I have had acute (or chronic) submandibular sialadenitis. A few days before writing this, I experienced the same symptoms. Of course, I take anti-inflammatory painkillers and rest for about a day, and it subsides. There is no specific medication for acute (or chronic) submandibular sialadenitis. The key is to eat well and rest properly.

 

Of course, there are also cases caused by salivary gland stones and such. These can be resolved with surgery, but in cases like mine and my child's, where it occurs repeatedly, the likelihood of stones is said to be significantly lower.

 

Acute (chronic) parotitis is not contagious. It is definitely different from mumps (epidemic parotitis). It doesn't harm you 🤣 but it hurts. So, good everyday care is the best medicine.

 

Hoping to become a healthy Cash Doctor community, today and tomorrow, let's stay healthy!