Mumps
Educational information. Individual clinical review of this presentation by Dr. Ehsan is not yet documented. It does not replace personal medical evaluation.
Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine. Read the original source
MedlinePlus data edition September 26, 2026. Imported September 27, 2026. These dates do not indicate a new clinical review of the article.
Mumps is an illness caused by the mumps virus. It starts with:
- Fever
- Headache
- Muscle aches
- Tiredness
- Loss of appetite
After that, the salivary glands under the ears or jaw become swollen and tender. The swelling can be on one or both sides of the face. Symptoms last 7 to 10 days. Serious complications are rare.
You can catch mumps by being with another person who has it. There is no treatment for mumps, but the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine can prevent it.
Before the routine vaccination program in the United States, mumps was a common illness in infants, children and young adults. Now it is a rare disease in the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Symptoms, tests and care options
Further reading selected by MedlinePlus. Links open the original organizations’ websites.
- Measles and Mumps Tests · National Library of Medicine
- Mumps Symptoms and Complications · Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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For a life-threatening emergency, call 911 in the U.S. or your local emergency number.
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