Cheeks are sore near the ears

If you feel soreness in your cheeks near your ears, you may have a potential disease. This is because many diseases do not just break out in the early stages, and we cannot even feel an outbreak. Only minor symptoms can remind us that there is a problem with our body. At this time, we need to judge the condition and get checked based on the symptoms.

Symptoms and signs

The incubation period ranges from 8 to 30 days, with an average of 18 days. Most patients have no prodromal symptoms, and the first symptom is swelling under the ear. A few cases may have short-term nonspecific discomfort (several hours to 2 days), and may also experience symptoms such as muscle aches, loss of appetite, fatigue, headache, low fever, conjunctivitis, and pharyngitis. In the past 10 years or so, the mumps disease in my country has become more serious than before, with symptoms such as a longer fever course, increased complications, and a higher proportion of hospitalized children to outpatients.

The onset is usually acute, with symptoms such as fever, chills, headache, sore throat, poor appetite, nausea, vomiting, body pain, etc. After a few hours to 1 to 2 days, the parotid gland becomes significantly swollen. The fever ranges from 38 to 40°C, and the severity of symptoms is also very inconsistent. Adult patients are generally more serious. Parotid gland swelling is the most characteristic, with one side swelling first, but sometimes both sides swell at the same time; it is usually centered on the earlobe, spreading forward, backward, and downward, and is pear-shaped and tough with unclear edges. When the gland is obviously enlarged, distension, pain and hyperesthesia will occur, which will be more severe when chewing with the mouth open or eating acidic foods. The local skin is tense and shiny, and the surface is burning, but it is usually not red and is painful to the touch. The cellulite around the parotid gland may also become edematous, reaching the temporal region and zygomatic arch, and down to the jaw and neck. The sternocleidomastoid muscle may also be affected (occasionally edema may occur in front of the sternum), thus deforming the face.

Usually, swelling of one parotid gland will affect the other side 1 to 4 days (occasionally 1 week later), and bilateral swelling occurs in about 75% of cases. The submandibular gland or sublingual gland may also be affected at the same time. When the submandibular gland is enlarged, the neck will be obviously swollen, and a flexible and slightly painful oval gland can be felt under the jaw. The sublingual gland may also be affected at the same time. When the sublingual gland is enlarged, the tongue and neck will be swollen, and difficulty in swallowing will occur.

The parotid duct opening (located on the buccal mucosa next to the maxillary second molar) is often red and swollen in the early stages. Saliva secretion initially increases, then decreases due to retention, but the symptoms of dry mouth are generally not significant.

Parotid gland swelling usually reaches its peak in 1 to 3 days, lasts for 4 to 5 days, and then gradually subsides and returns to normal. The entire course of the disease is about 10 to 14 days.

Atypical cases may present with symptoms of simple orchitis or meningoencephalitis without parotid gland swelling, or with only swelling of the submandibular or sublingual glands.