All About Mumps: The Painful Virus Explained

Mumps infections are rare in the U.S. thanks to vaccinations. But mumps outbreaks still occur from time to time. Outbreaks are more likely in places where people spend a lot of time together, like dorms, workplaces, sports teams, and church congregations. 

While most people with mumps make a full recovery, some may experience significant medical issues. 

What are the most common mumps symptoms?

Some people with mumps don’t have any symptoms. But most people have symptoms like:

• Fever

• Muscle aches

• Fatigue (feeling tired)

• Headache

• Loss of appetite

These symptoms start between 12 and 25 days after exposure to the mumps virus and last for 3 to 4 days. 

After these initial symptoms, some people develop swelling of their salivary glands. The salivary glands are the three sets of glands in your mouth that make saliva. They include:

• Parotid glands

• Sublingual glands

• Submandibular glands

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The parotid glands are the most likely to get swollen. But some people develop swelling in all of their glands. The swelling is very painful and can make it hard to swallow, eat, and drink. The swelling and discomfort can last from 5 to 10 days. 

What causes mumps?

Mumps is an illness caused by the mumps virus. The virus spreads from person to person through respiratory droplets, like the flu and COVID-19. You can get mumps when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks and you breathe in the droplets. This is why outbreaks are more likely in places where a lot of people are in close contact, like dorms, schools, and churches. 

What health issues are associated with mumps?

Mumps infection sometimes leads to other health conditions, including different types of inflammation. The following are some common types.

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Testicle inflammation (orchitis)

Orchitis is when your testicles become red, swollen, and painful. About 1 in 3 men with mumps experience orchitis. 

The good news is that studies haven’t linked mumps orchitis to male infertility. But it can cause testicular shrinkage, leading to decreased sperm count.

Ovary inflammation (oophoritis) and breast inflammation (mastitis)

Oophoritis is when your ovaries become swollen, causing severe abdominal pain. Mastitis is swelling of your breasts that’s also very painful. About 1% of women with mumps experience these painful symptoms. 

Brain swelling (encephalitis) and meningitis

Mumps can also cause swelling of your brain (encephalitis) and the lining that surrounds it (meningitis). These conditions cause:

• Headaches

• Fever

• Neck pain

• Confusion

People with meningitis and encephalitis usually need to be monitored in a hospital. These conditions may lead to complications like hearing loss and seizures. 

What is the treatment for mumps?

There’s no treatment for mumps. People have to wait for their immune system to fight off the virus. In the meantime, they may experience a lot of pain. So, the focus is on managing symptoms.

Here are some ways to ease symptoms and discomfort at home:

• Use over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers: Acetaminophen or ibuprofen can help relieve pain. 

• Apply a cold or warm compress: Putting a warm or cool compress on the swollen area may help lessen pain. 

• Get plenty of rest: Your body will be working hard to fight the infection, so you’ll need extra rest.

• Stay hydrated: It may be uncomfortable to swallow, but it’s important to drink plenty of water. Try to avoid fruit juice and other acidic drinks, which may further irritate your throat.

How can you prevent mumps?

Vaccination against mumps is the best way to prevent a mumps infection. The MMR vaccine is a two-dose vaccine available for children and adults. It offers protection against mumps, measles, and the rubella virus.

People with mumps usually remain infectious for 5 days after swelling begins. If you do have a mumps infection, it’s important to isolate and avoid contact with other people during this time.

Do people have a natural immunity to mumps?

Studies suggest that people born before 1957 have natural immunity to mumps. That’s because outbreaks happened quite often before 1957. Most people born during this era were likely infected with mumps at some point in their lives and developed immunity. 

In contrast, people born after 1957 are unlikely to have natural immunity to mumps. That’s because mumps outbreaks are rarer, thanks to widespread vaccinations. So nowadays, getting the MMR vaccine is the best way to prevent mumps.

Can you get mumps even if you’ve been vaccinated?

You can still get mumps even if you’ve received the MMR vaccine. But you are much less likely to catch the virus if you’ve been vaccinated. 

Plus, people who’ve been vaccinated have fewer symptoms if they get mumps. And they’re less likely to develop complications, like meningitis or orchitis. 

Why do mumps outbreaks still happen?

Even with high vaccination rates, mumps outbreaks still happen. Scientists believe this happens for a few reasons: 

• Better testing: In the past, there weren’t tests for mumps. Healthcare professionals based a mumps diagnosis on symptoms. So, people who didn’t get sick enough to seek medical care never got diagnosed. Now, with easily available testing, more people are being diagnosed with mumps.

• Decreasing immunity: Most people get the mumps vaccine as children. This helps them develop antibodies against the virus. But these antibodies slowly disappear over time. This is probably why fully vaccinated people can still get mumps. It’s important to remember that the antibodies don’t completely disappear. This is why vaccinated people have fewer symptoms if they get sick with mumps.

• Vaccine hesitancy: More people are opting out of vaccinations. This decreases herd immunity and makes outbreaks more likely. 

When to see a healthcare professional

Since mumps spreads easily, it’s important to contact a healthcare professional as soon as possible if you think you have mumps. They can help keep you and your community safe. 

While some people with mumps don’t have any symptoms or only mild symptoms, serious complications can happen, including meningitis. See a healthcare professional right away if you notice fever, neck stiffness, or confusion.

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Written by:

Shiv Sudhakar, MD

Shiv Sudhakar, MD, is a fellow of the Infectious Disease Society of America and works as a physician in California. He has co-authored over 10 peer-reviewed research articles, published several short stories, had a script recently optioned, and presented 20 scientific presentations, two of which placed in the top 3 at the American College of Physicians.

Edited by:

Alex Eastman, PhD, RN

Alex Eastman, PhD, RN, is a California-based registered nurse and staff medical editor at GoodRx, where he focuses on clinical updates and Latino health.

Reviewed by:

Jennifer Sample, MD

After a fellowship, Dr. Sample worked as the medical director at the University of Kansas Hospital Poison Center (The University Of Kansas Health System Poison Control Center), which served the state of Kansas for poison exposures. In 2007, she returned to Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, as a consultant in clinical pharmacology and medical toxicology.

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