Mumps is an acute, contagious, viral illness characterized by painful enlargement of the parotid glands, just below and in front of the ear, and at times, the salivary glands under the jaw and sometimes of the pancreas, ovaries, or testes.Together with the likes of measles and chickenpox , mumps was once considered one of the inevitable infectious diseases of childhood. This disease, mainly affecting children, can be prevented by vaccination.

It used to be quite common until the mumps vaccine was licensed in the 1960s. Since then, the number of cases has dropped dramatically, as most children would have been vaccinated against mumps. However, outbreaks of mumps still occur and is still common in developing countries. So, getting a vaccination to prevent mumps is a must.

The symptoms of mumps are not always visible in every case. However, when symptoms do arise they can include tiredness, swelling of glands-particularly the salivary glands which can cause ones face and neck to appear swollen. Children between the ages of four and ten are more prone to getting mumps but it does occur in adults too. Pregnant women need to be particularly cautious as mumps has been known to cause miscarriages if the woman is in her first trimester.

All of three of these diseases are spread through the air and are extremely contagious. If one child does not get their vaccination, they can spread it to anyone else who has not had the vaccine. Measles can cause minor things like a cough, cold like symptoms, and fever. However, more serious side effects can be infection in the lungs, causing pneumonia, seizures, high fevers that cause brain damage, and death in some serious cases.

Rubella or German measles is a mild, febrile viral disease characterized by a rash and fever. The rash is clinically indistinguishable from those produced by measles, parvovirus B19 and scarlet fever. This highly communicable disease is contagious from about 1 week before and four days after onset of the rash.

Though the symptoms themselves may last a week on average, the process of catching this rash can occur over a period of time if not careful. It usually starts when a person with the measles virus coughs or sneezes into the air. The infected mist is contagious for at least two hours, whether it stays in the air or lands on a surface. The measles virus can be spread four days before getting a rash and four days afterward.

A hydrocele is a painless buildup of fluid around one or both testicles that causes the scrotum or groin area to swell. Even though the swelling may be unsightly or uncomfortable, it is not painful. An acquired hydrocele can occur at any age but is most common in men older than 40.

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