Mumps is a viral disease that is commonly picked up by children, though adults are also prone. It is contracted and spread through saliva, and primarily affects the glands located below and in front of the ears, also called the parotid glands. Fatigue and weakness coupled with an increasing difficulty with chewing and swallowing are symptomatic indications that one has contracted the mumps.
If fever and swollen glands (on one or both sides of the face) occur, causing the cheeks to appear puffy, it presents more symptoms of the mumps infection. For two or more of these symptoms, a trip to the doctor is recommended, as these symptoms could also be of other illnesses. Because the mumps are a viral illness, anitbiotics are not effective for the infection, and therefore the illness has to just run its course. In both adults and children, this usually takes about two weeks.
This illness is highly contagious, and an infected person should not be in close contact with others. A simple cough or sneeze too close to another person can spread the infection, since it is spread through saliva. On the positive side, one a person has had the mumps it is extremely rare for that person to contract another case ever again, since the first mumps illness usually gives a lifelong protection against a second. These days, though, mumps infections are not at all as common as they used to be, especially because of the MMR vaccine (measles-mumps-rubella) that is given to children.
The possible complications resulting from a mumps infection are even less common, but include meningitis, pancreatitis, hearing loss, miscarriage, and inflammation of the spinal cord, ovaries, testicles, or brain.