Mumps in adults can cause pain and swelling in the salivary glands, fever, body aches, headache, sore throat, and swelling in the testicles or ovaries. Complications like meningitis or pancreatitis can also occur.
When adults contract the paramyxovirus that causes mumps, they can experience a variety of symptoms. One of the main indicators of mumps in adults is pain or swelling of the salivary glands located around the neck and face. The infection is often accompanied by a low-grade fever with associated body aches, chills, and a feeling of tiredness; patients may also have symptoms such as headache or sore throat. Sometimes men will experience swelling in the testicles and women’s ovaries may also be swollen due to an infection. Complications like meningitis or pancreatitis that can result from a case of mumps can lead to further problems as well.
Typically, mumps in adults causes swelling of the parotid salivary glands, which are located around the jaw, cheeks, and under the ears. The swelling is often associated with some level of discomfort or pain and can occur on one or both sides of the face. Depending on the patient, this symptom can range from mildly annoying to extremely painful, making it difficult to speak or chew.
Another common indication of mumps is a low-grade fever. This typically lasts for two to three days while the body is fighting off the infection. Many people also experience other fever-related symptoms, including lethargy, body aches, and chills.
Mumps in adults can also lead to a variety of other unpleasant symptoms. Many patients develop headaches and sore throats from the virus, and some may also experience ear pain. Some patients may even lose their appetite while they are sick.
A less common symptom that can also indicate mumps in adults is swelling and discomfort in the tissue of the gonads. In a fairly small percentage of men, the testicles can swell, become painful, and increase their temperature during a mumps infection; this is known as orchitis and can potentially affect fertility. Women may experience oophoritis or swollen ovaries, although it is still rarer than testicular swelling in men and is not associated with infertility.
Additional symptoms may occur in adult patients whose mumps infections are complicated by pancreatitis or meningitis. People who develop meningitis in conjunction with mumps may develop neck stiffness, become very sensitive to light, or be more likely to develop headaches. Those suffering from pancreatitis, a much less common situation, might notice pain in the upper abdomen or experience nausea and vomiting.
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