In the list of childhood diseases, mumps in boys is listed as one of the most dangerous health problems. The danger lies not even in the very fact of infection or the course of the disease, but in the long-term consequences. Negativity may appear 10-15 years after recovery. The main problem is male infertility.
The disease often manifests itself in childhood
What is mumps
Another name for the disease is mumps. It is caused by the introduction of a virus into the body. Despite the fact that both boys and girls can get sick, the consequences and complications are found only in the stronger sex. The disease is transmitted by a virus with RNA in its composition. Its name is Paramyxovirus.
The main sign of a problem is inflammation of the salivary glands. Other formations (pancreas, testes or prostate gland) are practically not affected by the inflammatory process. According to doctors' observations, the course of the disease can be either mild or with complications. Prediction is difficult to do, since the consequences may not appear in childhood and adolescence.
Mumps is transmitted from a sick person to a healthy person (anthroponous form). In some cases, it is possible to become infected from the carrier, while he does not have visible symptoms. Infection occurs by airborne droplets. According to statistics, this method of transmission is recorded in 90% of cases.
In order for the virus to find a new host, it is enough to talk to the carrier of the disease for a few minutes. Contact-household transmission is also present in the clinical picture. It is less common than respiratory (airborne).
Important! The most dangerous age is 3-5 years.
Disease in the weaker sex
Parents often have a question as to whether girls have mumps. Doctors note that they are also susceptible to infection. Unlike boys, the consequences for them practically do not come. Female infertility is not recorded as a consequence of a disease suffered in childhood.
Mumps and Reproductive Function in Boys
Mumps in childhood and the consequences in boys are associated with infertility. They occur if inflammatory processes appear in the testicular area (orchitis). Then treatment is required as early as possible. The neglected form of mumps leads to serious damage to the reproductive organs.
Disease symptoms
Mumps disease in a child whose symptoms appear on the 8-21 day after infection, proceeds with characteristic symptoms. The weekly period is an incubation period, therefore a virus may be present in the body, but not visually manifest itself.
During the incubation period, there are no pronounced health problems. Symptoms appear later, when they end, respectively, 1-3 weeks after exposure to the virus. The main symptom is inflammation of the parotid glands.
You will need to pay attention to the following violations:
- The rise in body temperature to 38-39 degrees (in some cases, the process proceeds quickly, sometimes slowly).
- Intoxication syndrome is present.
- Severe weakness appears.
- Decreased appetite.
- Muscle pain and joint problems appear.
- Fatigue increases.
- Sleep disturbance occurs.
Note. In infancy, babies refuse to eat, cry a lot. Children can wake up several times at night. During the daytime, they have increased sleepiness.
A dangerous disease of mumps in girls and boys is accompanied by similar manifestations: in 90% of cases, inflammation of the glands is observed only on one side in 1-3 days after the incubation period, then pathological processes move to the other side. During a visual examination, swelling is clearly visible in the area of the lower corner of the jaw. In some cases, it spreads to the ear.
The main manifestation of the problem is the inflammatory process.
Since the salivary glands are inflamed, the chewing process is disrupted. There is severe pain and discomfort. Babies have additional difficulties with the process of swallowing food. Touching the earlobes, the tops of the mastoid processes, as well as the lower jaw leads to unpleasant sensations ("Filatov's points").
On days 4-5, mumps in boys and girls manifests itself in the form of inflammation in the sublingual and submandibular glands. In most cases, severe inflammation persists for the first 7 days. This symptom completely disappears after 21-27 days from the onset of the disease.
Also, the virus can be localized in the reproductive organs. In most cases, problems are observed if the disease manifests itself in adolescence. Statistics indicate that the symptom (inflammation with mild swelling) is present in 25% of cases.
Less commonly, there is another symptom - inflammation of the thyroid gland (thyroiditis). In babies, most of the manifestations occur a week after the onset of the disease. If treatment is started in a timely manner, then the disease goes away on average in a month.
Diagnosis of the disease
Before you start treating a child, you need to go through a diagnostic procedure. If the main symptom is present in the form of inflammation of the parotid glands, pain, then the problem is quickly identified. When such manifestations are absent, then you will need to take a blood test (leukopenia is being investigated). The virus is also isolated from saliva. Additionally, you will need to pass a urine test.
When to see a doctor
A visit to an infectious disease specialist or pediatrician is required immediately after the first symptoms appear. It is best to call a specialist home so as not to infect other children.
Timely access to a doctor is a must
Preventive measures
To prevent mumps in young boys from becoming a problem in adulthood, prevention is recommended. Appropriate safety measures should be taken even when the child is under one year old.
Dr. Komarovsky points out that a timely vaccination can have a positive effect on the likelihood of a disease (it will not appear, or its course will pass in a mild form without subsequent complications). If you still have symptoms of the disease, then isolation will be required for a period of about 2 weeks.
The medical prognosis for mumps is in most cases favorable for the patient. Among the negative consequences, not only infertility stands out, but also deafness or significant hearing impairment. The main condition is a timely visit to a doctor if the first suspicions of the development of mumps symptoms appear.
Important! The vaccine is given for the first time a year, then repeated at the age of 6 years.
Mumps or mumps in boys, the consequences of the disease and the course of its course largely depend on when the visit to a specialist followed. Good quality and timely home treatment may not give the desired result. Seeing a doctor and undergoing a diagnostic examination are important steps towards recovery. Based on the test results, the specialist will understand how to treat the disease with maximum effect and what to do.
