How to Treat Mumps in Children


Mumps is a viral illness that causes the salivary glands to swell on either one or both sides of the jaw. It used to be very common until the introduction of the MMR (mumps/ measles/rubella) vaccine. There is an incubation period of fourteen to twenty-one days and the child may be infectious for a week before and up to two weeks after the appearance of symptoms. Your child may seem unwell for a couple of days before the symptoms appear, when the glands will then begin to swell. They may find it difficult to swallow as the mouth dries up and have a raised temperature and headache. Painkillers may be given. In older children, the testes may be painful in boys, while girls may experience lower abdominal pain.

What you can do

Your child will be finding it difficult to swallow, due to the lack of saliva, so liquidize food so it will slip down easily. Soups, yoghurt and milkshakes are all easy for them to sip. Make sure they drink plenty of fluids.

Treatment

Medical diagnosis should be sought, but the following therapies may be beneficial:

Homoeopathy

When the symptoms are first noticed, a homoeopath may recommend Aconite to help relieve the pain, thirst and fever. Belladonna may also be prescribed if the right side of the face is affected and Rhus. tox. if the left side is swollen. The latter may also help to prevent symptoms occurring if your child has come into contact with a child already affected.

Herbal medicine

An infusion of Cleavers and St John’s Wort, which have anti-inflammatory properties, may prove benefi­cial and Echinacea may also be recommended by a herbalist to stimulate the immune system.

Osteopathy

To help boost the immune system after a case of mumps, an osteopath may work on the cranial system to alle­viate mechanical strains in the body. This can improve the flow and interchange of the body’s fluids, such as lymph (which plays an important part in the immune system) and blood.

Reflexology

A reflexologist would work on the base of the big toe that relates to the throat and neck area and the areas that relate to the head in general. Treatment would also include working on the lymphatic system to help fight off infection.

Caution

If symptoms persist for more than ten days, consult your doc­tor, as there may be complications such as meningitis.

Other therapies that may be beneficial: naturopathy, reflexol­ogy, traditional Chinese medicine.

Filed Under: Health & Personal Care

Tags:

About the Author: Andrew Reinert is a health care professional who loves to share different tips on health and personal care. He is a regular contributor to MegaHowTo and lives in Canada.

RSSComments (0)

Trackback URL

Comments are closed.