Detailed description of the infectious period of mumps

Friends who have had mumps should all know that this disease is highly contagious and generally requires isolation for treatment. Do you know how many days mumps is contagious? The contagious period is from one day before the onset of symptoms to three days after the symptoms disappear.

The incubation period of mumps ranges from 8 to 30 days, with an average of 18 days. Most patients with mumps have no prodromal symptoms, but instead develop ears. Swelling of the lower part is the first symptom. In a few cases, there may be short-term nonspecific discomfort (several hours to 2 days), and symptoms such as muscle aches, loss of appetite, fatigue, headache, low fever, conjunctivitis, and pharyngitis may occur. 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.

Mumps is mainly transmitted through direct contact, droplets, inhalation of saliva, etc. Its incubation period is generally 8 to 30 days, with an average of 18 days. The onset is usually acute, with no symptoms before. Parotid gland swelling usually reaches its peak in 3 to 5 days and gradually subsides and returns to normal in 7 to 10 days. When the parotid gland is swollen, the body temperature usually rises to moderate fever, which returns to normal in about 5 days. The course of the disease is 10 to 14 days. Patients may experience symptoms such as fever, chills, headache, myalgia, sore throat, poor appetite, nausea, vomiting, and general discomfort. After about a few hours, the parotid gland will begin to swell and ache, and the patient's body temperature may sometimes reach above 39°C.

The infectious period of mumps is from the day before onset of symptoms to the third day after symptoms disappear. During this period, the patient should be isolated and treated, and can only be released after the symptoms disappear for three days. Patients with mumps must be isolated immediately to prevent the disease from spreading to other people.

To treat mumps, the isolated patient should be kept in bed until the parotid swelling has completely subsided. Patients should always pay attention to oral hygiene. The diet should be mainly liquid or soft food, avoid acidic food, and ensure adequate fluid intake for the group. In addition, patients can be treated with ribavirin and Chinese herbal medicine. Patients can use Zi Jin Ding or Ru Yi Jin Huang San at home, mix them with vinegar and apply them externally. For patients with fever, antipyretic and analgesic drugs should be used to reduce body temperature.