Mumps is an illness caused by the mumps virus. Beginning symptoms include:
- Fever
- Headache
- Muscle aches
- Tiredness
- Loss of appetite
After the initial symptoms, the salivary glands under the ears or jaw become swollen and tender. The swelling can be on one or both sides of the face. Symptoms last seven to 10 days. Serious complications are rare.
You can catch mumps by being with another person who is infected. There is no treatment for mumps, but the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine can prevent it. Before the routine vaccination program in the United States, mumps was a common illness in infants, children and young adults. Now it is a rare disease in the United States.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention