100 Grapevine Hwy Hurst TX 76054

Mumps Treatment in Weatherford, TX

Mumps Treatment in Weatherford, TX

Do you have a sore throat, swollen neck glands, fever, headache, and fatigue? It could be mumps, a viral infection that affects your salivary glands.

Since the release of a mumps vaccine in 1967, this disease is now rare. However, if you’ve never gotten the vaccine or the mumps, you’re still susceptible.

If you have not yet received the mumps vaccine or are displaying mumps symptoms after traveling abroad, speak with a mumps specialist in Weatherford today by calling (817) 203-2760 or contact Ms. Jessica Stangenwald online.

What are the symptoms of mumps?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there has been a more than 99% decrease in mumps cases in the United States since the US mumps vaccination program began. Yet mumps outbreaks still occur among the unvaccinated (the majority of 2017 cases being in New York, Texas, Montana, Washington, Hawaii, and Arkansas), and the virus is still common in places like Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Symptoms typically appear about 12-25 days after the initial infection. The most defining symptom of mumps is swollen and tender salivary glands under one or both ears (parotitis), which in turn causes puffy cheeks and a swollen jaw.

Other symptoms—especially symptoms of mumps in adults—include:

  • low-grade fever that turns into a high fever
  • headache
  • fatigue
  • pain when chewing or swallowing
  • muscle aches
  • loss of appetite

Symptoms of mumps in children can also include runny nose and stomach pain. Call your healthcare provider if your child has:

  • a fever over 103°F
  • trouble eating or drinking
  • confusion or disorientation
  • abdominal pain
  • swollen testicles

You may have such mild symptoms that you don’t know that you have the disease. Mumps complications are rare but can include:

  • deafness
  • encephalitis
  • meningitis
  • cerebellar ataxia—the inflammation of the cerebellum—that causes coordination and movement problems
  • inflammation of the testicles (orchitis) in pubescent males, ovaries (oophoritis), or breast tissue (mastitis)
  • pancreatitis

If you’re a male past puberty (about 17-19 years old), getting mumps treatment as early as possible is extremely important. About 30% of mumps cases occurring in post-puberty males causes testicle inflammation, called orchitis. Orchitis can negatively affect your fertility later in life. However, total infertility is very rare.

What causes mumps?

Mumps infection occurs through the spreading of saliva or mucus. You can become infected through:

  • coughing
  • sneezing
  • talking
  • sharing items with infected people

When an infected person coughs or sneezes, liquid droplets carrying the mumps virus enter the air. If you inhale these droplets, or if they land on your lips, nose, or eyes, you can get infected. Or if the infected droplets touch objects like eating utensils, doorknobs, or keyboards, and you touch these objects without washing your hands after, you can get infected.

How is mumps diagnosed?

When you have a virus or infection, your immune system responds by creating antibodies to help it fight the disease. If it’s suspected that you have mumps, your healthcare provider can take a blood sample and examine it for mumps virus.

How is mumps treated?

As with most viral infections, mumps treatment consists mainly of fever reducers and pain relief. If you are diagnosed with mumps:

  • stay home from work or school for at least a week to prevent spreading the virus
  • rest when tired or if you have a fever
  • take over-the-counter, nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory medications like acetaminophen and ibuprofen to treat your fever—but never give aspirin-based painkillers to patients under 18 years old
  • drink water and fluids to prevent dehydration from your fever
  • soothe your swollen glands with warm or cold packs
  • eat soft foods like soup and yogurt
  • avoid acid foods like orange juice and citrus fruits
  • wear an athletic supporter and use cold compresses to ease testicle pain (if needed)

Most people who have mumps completely recover in a few weeks, and start feeling well within about 10 days. Once you recover from mumps, you can’t get sick from it again.

How are mumps prevented?

If you believe you have mumps or live with someone who has mumps, it is important to practice good hygiene: cover your mouth when coughing, wash your hands frequently, and don’t touch your face. It’s also very important to maintain a strong immune system.

One way to boost your immune system is to take antiviral herbs – plant-derived substances that boost the immune system and inhibit the development and spreading of viruses. Compared to medications, they’re basically harmless and typically cause few or no side effects.

Unlike antibiotics (which cannot treat viruses) or even vaccinations, antiviral herbs don’t target one specific type of pathogen but instead work to build the immune system’s ability to protect the body from threats naturally.

Many of these herbs also have additional health benefits, such stress management and digestion support: elderberry, echinacea, calendula, astralagus root, garlic, oregano oil and olive leaf extract. These remedies can be ingested as herbal teas, soups, or smoothies.

The most common way to prevent infection is with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) (for children and adults) and measles-mumps-rubella-varicella (MMRV) vaccines (to prevent mumps, measles, rubella, and chickenpox in children). Two doses are recommended, separated by at least 28 days. You should not get vaccinated if you are pregnant or have already had mumps.

According to the CDC, two doses of mumps vaccine are said to be 88 percent effective at preventing the illness while one dose is only 78 percent effective.

If you have any of these conditions, talk to your healthcare provider before receiving the vaccine, as they can cause complications:

  • vaccinations for other diseases that were taken within the past month
  • cancer
  • HIV/AIDS
  • medications that affect your immune system
  • blood disorders or blood transfusions

According to the CDC, any vaccine can cause “serious problems, such as severe allergic reactions.” One out of 4 get temporary pain and stiffness in the joints (mostly teenage or adult women), 1 out of 6 get a fever, 1 out of 20 get a rash, 1 out of 3,000 suffer a seizure, and several other severe problems have been reported after a child gets MMR vaccine, including deafness, long-term seizures, coma or lowered consciousness and permanent brain damage.”

The decision to get vaccinated and vaccinate a child is highly personal. In the majority of cases they can help protect from a potentially dangerous disease — however, vaccines aren’t for every person and aren’t without risks.

If you have an allergic reaction to the vaccine, which can include wheezing, hives, swollen throat, and dizziness, don’t wait—call 911 or go to the emergency room right away.

Reserve Your Appointment Now

Mumps can cause lots of pain and disrupt your daily life. Although rare, severe complications of both the virus and the vaccine have occurred. If you start displaying symptoms, call (817) 203-2760 or contact Ms. Jessica Stangenwald online to find treatment in Weatherford today.

Map Icon
Hours and Directions
The New You Medical & Infusion Clinic
+

Address

100 Grapevine Hwy
Hurst, TX 76054
(817) 203-2760
https://www.newyoumedclinic.com/

Hours

Mon: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Tue: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Wed: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Thu: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Fri: Closed
Sat: Closed
Sun: Closed

Areas We Service:

Tarrant County, TX, DFW, TX, Las Colinas, TX, Carrollton, TX, Dallas, TX, Irving, TX, Richardson, TX, Sunnyvale, TX, Frisco, TX, Roanoke, TX, Weatherford, TX, Arlington, TX, Bedford, TX, Colleyville, TX, Euless, TX, Fort Worth, TX, Grapevine, TX, Haltom City, TX, Keller, TX, North Richland Hills, TX, Southlake, TX, Watauga, TX