Many parents know that even if their children suffer from mumps and do not seek treatment at the hospital, they will automatically recover by taking some medicine or resting for a few days at home. For this reason, they often do not take mumps as a matter of fact. Indeed, mumps is a self limiting disease that can self heal, but once complications of mumps occur, it may lead to future infertility in the child.
Teenagers suffer from mumps, beware of infertility!
According to Xu Yi, the director and deputy chief physician of the infectious disease area at Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, mumps is usually divided into two types: viral mumps and purulent mumps. Epidemic (viral) mumps is an acute respiratory infectious disease caused by the virus invading the parotid gland, which usually results in lifelong immunity after a single infection. Suppurative mumps is caused by bacterial infection and can be repeatedly infected. Generally speaking, most children suffer from viral mumps, and there are relatively few children with purulent mumps
Although both are mumps and their symptoms are generally the same as judged by ordinary people, there are significant differences in their nature and treatment methods. So, how much do you know about mumps, a commonly used earthwork disease in the folk?
Viruses Most Likely to Attack Adolescent Gonadas
Although mumps is a self-limited disease, some children may experience complications such as pancreatitis, parotid encephalitis, myocarditis, orchitis, and oophoritis due to the virus's potential to invade other glandular tissues and even the nervous system, causing significant harm to the child. In severe cases, it may even leave sequelae or result in death.
Among them, it is particularly noteworthy that adolescent children are in the developmental stage, when the virus is particularly prone to invading the gonads, leading to ovarian inflammation or orchitis. If this inflammation is not treated in a timely manner, it may lead to future infertility in children.
Xu Yi reminds me, If a child experiences persistent fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, testicular pain, or testicular swelling in the early stages of mumps, it should be taken seriously by parents. Although few children with mumps may experience complications, many parents cannot accurately assess their child's condition. Therefore, it is best to send the child to the hospital and undergo ultrasound and blood routine tests if necessary to avoid avoidable harm
Many parents are concerned about what kind of children are prone to complications? Regarding this, Xu Yi explained that on the one hand, the physical condition of the patient may be a cause of complications; On the other hand, some children themselves suffer from a certain disease, which leads to a decrease in their own immune system, allowing complications to take advantage of the situation. In clinical practice, I once encountered a child with mumps who suffered from leukemia. Due to his weak immune system, he developed multiple complications after suffering from mumps. In fact, the occurrence of complications is not scary, and many complications can be controlled and cured with timely intervention from doctors
Is self medication reliable or not?
Recently, a netizen inquired online, "My child has mumps, and the doctor has prescribed a traditional Chinese medicine anti-inflammatory tablet made from Andrographis paniculata. I would like to consult Mr. Fang, is this useful. Regarding this, the famous anti counterfeiting fighter Fang Zhouzi responded, "Mumps is caused by a viral infection, and most people will self heal. In foreign countries, except for pain relief and fever reduction, treatment is generally not given (and there is no medicine to treat), so do not use traditional Chinese medicine for this. Eating traditional Chinese medicine can actually have side effects
Fang Zhouzi's remarks have caused quite a stir online. Xu Yi does not agree with his viewpoint, because for two different types of diseases, epidemic (viral) mumps and purulent mumps, the treatment methods are not the same, and we cannot all hope that the disease will heal itself. For example, purulent mumps often requires injection of antibiotics. Even if the child has been diagnosed with viral mumps, it is necessary to ensure that the child has no other complications in order to "let go" appropriately and help them self heal through diet, rest, and other methods, otherwise it may lead to more serious consequences. Life is precious, and we cannot ignore the possibility of one tenth or one hundred percent, "Xu Yi emphasized.
As for the saying 'don't use traditional Chinese medicine for this', it still needs to be discussed. In fact, many rural children who suffer from mumps do not go to the hospital for treatment, but instead use local remedies such as cacti or cactus balls that are beneficial for promoting blood circulation and resolving blood stasis, or take indigo root and houttuynia cordata. Many doctors also use some traditional Chinese medicine formulas to promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis when treating viral mumps.
Xu Yi suggested, "Moderate treatment on your own is possible, but it is best to use medication under the guidance of a doctor. Children who have been determined to have no complications can self heal as long as they cooperate with reasonable rest and diet. However, due to mumps, which can cause local swelling of the face and there is a duct opening in the parotid gland, children should not eat acidic, spicy or other irritating foods to avoid stimulating the duct opening and causing severe pain
Why do you still suffer from mumps after receiving the vaccine?
The best way to prevent mumps is to get vaccinated. However, some parents find that they have taken their children to get mumps vaccine. Why do children still suffer from mumps?
"The current mumps vaccine is aimed at epidemic (viral) mumps. If a child suffers from suppurative mumps, the vaccine will not work at all, because suppurative mumps is caused by bacterial infection, which can occur repeatedly. Unlike viral mumps, it can be immunized for life once." Moreover, because the essence of the vaccine is the inactivated mumps virus. This virus is not as toxic as the viruses that people come into contact with in their daily lives. Sometimes, after vaccination, the body does not produce an effective immune response and produces antibodies, thus failing to have a preventive effect. It also has a certain relationship with personal constitution.
Although children with mumps require isolation treatment, mumps has a latent period of 2 to 5 weeks. During this period, the symptoms are not obvious, and if the patient is not quarantined, the virus can be transmitted to others through droplets. So, once a child at home is diagnosed with mumps, complete isolation should be implemented immediately to ensure that the child can stay alone in a space. Otherwise, the middle-aged and elderly people with weak health in their families will often become the next "host" of mumps virus.