17 Signs and Symptoms of Mumps and Treatments

We will talk about signs and symptoms of mumps and treatments here. Mumps is a disease occurring in thyroid gland because of swelling which is then causing lump at the neck.

In normal condition, we are almost unaware of this gland’s performance, as we are of other organs. Thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped gland that located around human’s neck. It produces thyroid hormones that has function for any chemical process in our body.

In fact, not all of the disease shows its signs. However, the person with mumps mostly have these symptoms of mumps:

1. Lump at The Neck

A common sign of swollen in thyroid gland is lump at the neck. Because this lump is caused by swelling around the neck, it affects the shape of neck. A mild mumps may only cause a small lump at the neck. But if it is already a severe mumps, the lump may turn bigger. You may also read: Natural Remedy for Mumps

2. Sore Throat

A mild lump usually won’t cause any significant disturbance to the patients. However, if the lump’s size is getting bigger, it will interfere the body performance, especially activities involving human neck as well as other organs around the neck, such as sore throat. The bigger the size, the severe of sore throat will be. This condition occurs because of pressure from swelling on thyroid gland. Read also: How to Relieve Soreness in Your Body

3. Pain When Swallowing

Because of pressure from swelling throat, the person will have difficulty when swallowing. This condition often leads the person with severe mumps significantly lose their appetite. If they don’t take early checking immediately, the person may lose weight as well.

4. Pain When Chewing 

The swelling on thyroid gland will strain the muscle around the neck. This condition makes the person feel pain when chewing, even when they are not doing so. Read also: Ways to Get Rid of A Blister on Your Tongue with Home Remedies

5. Voice Changing 

The patients’ voice can be more hoarse than usual because of the tension in their neck and throat as well as disruptions on their vocal fold.

6. Increasing Body Temperature

A severe mumps can increase body temperature, especially during the night. It occurs because of disruption in thyroid gland and the hormone, which is important for any chemical process in our body, affecting to other organs and increasing body temperature or even fever.

7. Excessive Sweating

Excessive sweating can occur when body is lack of iodine. 

8. Getting Tired Quickly

Lacking of nutrition, such as iodine, may interfere body condition and as a result, the body can be easily tired. It is also lowering the heartbeat as well as slowing down the distribution of food nutrition and oxygen through bloodstream. Also read: Causes of Why Your Body Get Tired Easily

9. Buzzing Ears

A tension in thyroid gland can spread to human’s ears. The ears will strain as well as the gland so sometimes the patients will have their ears buzzing. Also read: Natural Ways to Treat Blocked Ears

10. Headache

The disorder in thyroid gland will also decrease immunity system that lead to fever and headache. Read also: how  to treat post traumatic headache.

Treatments for Mumps

If the symptoms are very disturbing or even causing respiratory disorder, the patients have to take medical treatments depending on the size of the lump and the symptoms experienced by the person. Here are several method of treatments for person with mumps:

Read also: natural remedy for mumps.

1. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)

This method is conducted to cure mumps caused by hypothyroidism. It is conducted by replacing thyroid hormone and usually taken for lifetime. The drug used is levithyroxine. However, it can cause side effects, such as nausea, muscle cramp, and the increasing of heartbeat or the irregular heartbeat.

2. Thyroid Hormone-Lowering Drug

Meanwhile, if the swelling caused by hyperthyroidism, the person will take drug for lowering thyroid hormone, such as thionamide. As another drug does, it also has side effects, such as nausea, mild rash, and a sudden dropping of leukocyte.

3. Radioactive Iodine Therapy

This medical treatment is one for curing hyperthyroidism by consuming radioactive iodine so the thyroid cells destroyed. It usually decreases the lump size but can lead to hypothyroidism too.

Read also: how to prevent radiation side effects in therapy.

4. Surgery

Surgery may need to do if the symptoms are severe and have affected respiratory disorder. This method is conducted by removing a part or all of the thyroid gland, called thyroidectomy. Research has shown that approximately 15% of person with mumps have to take surgery to cure their severe symptoms.

Around 5%, their thyroid glands potentially lead to cancer since surgery is assumed as the most appropriate way to prevent the spreading of cancer cells. Surgery may cause complications, such as voice or respiratory disorder for short or long-term period. However, the risk is low so if you are about to take the surgery, don’t be too worry!

Thus, you must be aware of early signs and symptoms of mumps and treatments.

Ways to Prevent Mumps

So, those are several methods to treat mumps. Although mumps caused by hyperthyroidism is likely to happen, mumps caused by hypothyroidism has higher prevalence. To prevent mumps, here are the ways:

1. Consume foods that contain high iodine, such as fish, clams, seaweed, cereals, and milk. By consuming this, the performance of thyroid gland will increase so it can prevent you from swelling.
2. Consume foods containing high thyroxine hormone, such as spinach and cabbage since it may cause disruption on the gland.
3. Quit smoking because it does not only lead you to heart disease, stroke, high cholesterol, and cancer, but also lead to mumps. The smokes from tobacco that contain thiocyanate can affect body ability to utilize iodine. This condition causes iodine in our body unable to work optimally and then lead to mumps.

In general, mumps won’t cause a death. You can find early signs and symptoms of mumps and treatments. However, if it is not treated, the disease can be more severe and lead to disruption on daily activities. Therefore, prevention and treatment are urged to do.