How to distinguish between toothache and mumps

Written by Wang Peng

Dentistry

Updated on September 23, 2024

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Tooth pain and mumps are easy to distinguish. First, when a tooth has a deep cavity, it becomes sensitive to hot and cold stimuli, producing transient pain. If there is periapical periodontitis or pulpitis, the pain becomes spontaneous and persists, worsening at night and becoming intolerable. If a patient has mumps, there is usually swelling and pain in the head and face, centered around the earlobe. Upon examination, the opening of the parotid duct inside the mouth is visibly swollen and pus is discharged when pressed.

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Written by Wang Ji Zhong

Internal Medicine

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What are the early symptoms of mumps?

Mumps has a significant impact on the human body, especially in children. Its complications include orchitis, pneumonia, etc., seriously affecting human health. Mumps can be categorized into purulent, immune, and epidemic types. Generally, when we refer to mumps, it is usually epidemic mumps, which has a relatively sudden onset and is caused by the mumps virus. Early symptoms include swelling of the parotid gland, with early redness and swelling at the opening of the parotid duct, and as it progresses, swelling around the earlobe. This can also lead to a lack of strength in the masseter muscles, affecting eating, localized skin heating, and severe cases may have headaches, fever, and loss of appetite among other systemic manifestations.

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Written by Wang Ji Zhong

Internal Medicine

48sec

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Is mumps contagious?

The mumps commonly referred to is epidemic mumps, which is highly contagious, caused by an infection of the mumps virus leading to inflammation and swelling of the salivary glands, constituting an acute respiratory infectious disease. It is primarily transmitted through saliva, with individuals suffering from mumps serving as the contagion source. Viruses can be secreted via the saliva of infected individuals about two weeks before and after the onset of infection, hence its contagious nature. After developing symptoms, patients should be promptly isolated and treated to prevent transmission to others or to individuals with low immunity. Particularly during the spring and winter seasons, efforts should be made to avoid viral infections and seek timely treatment upon symptom onset.

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Neurology

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Can mumps cause facial paralysis?

Mumps generally does not cause facial paralysis. This disease is an inflammation caused by a viral infection of the salivary glands. Patients mainly exhibit symptoms of redness, swelling, heat, and pain in the area of the salivary glands, primarily located behind the ears. It occurs mostly in children, but adults can also contract the disease. Treatment mainly involves antiviral medications and drugs that clear heat and detoxify, as well as possible physical therapy. Facial paralysis, also known as facial neuritis, is caused by a viral invasion that leads to the demyelination of the facial nerve. This might also be related to exposure to cold winds. The main symptoms include paralysis of the facial expression muscles affecting the eyelids and other facial features, which may lead to widened eye slits, disappearance of forehead lines, flattening of the nasolabial fold, and deviation of the mouth corner. There may also be issues such as air leakage while whistling.

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Written by Zhang Cui Xiang

Pediatrics

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Symptoms of mumps

There are many types of mumps, with acute suppurative mumps being common. In the early stages of inflammation, the symptoms are relatively mild and not obvious. If the condition continues to develop, pain in the parotid region becomes apparent, with slight swelling and tenderness in the parotid area, and mild redness and pain at the duct opening. As the disease progresses further to the stage of suppuration and necrosis of the parotid tissue, continuous pain in the parotid area, or throbbing pain, becomes evident. The swelling centered around the parotid area and earlobe becomes more prominent. At this point, massaging the gland can exude pus from the duct opening. Treatment mainly involves maintaining oral hygiene and administering systemic anti-inflammatory treatment. If an abscess forms, incision and drainage are performed.

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Written by Wang Ji Zhong

Internal Medicine

38sec

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How is mumps caused?

There are several causes of mumps, which can be infectious, immune, obstructive, and idiopathic. The commonly referred mumps primarily refers to epidemic mumps, a prevalent infectious disease caused by the mumps virus infection in humans. Additionally, there is suppurative mumps, an acute bacterial condition mainly caused by Staphylococcus aureus, followed by Streptococcus. Some immune types of mumps, like Sjögren's syndrome, can cause chronic, autoimmune, and immune mumps. Therefore, identifying the cause of mumps and providing timely symptomatic treatment is essential.