Complication The tow commonest complication of mumps are mild meningitis and orchitis. Meningitis is inflammation or the tissues surrounding the brain and the spinal cord, orchitis is inflammation of the testes Meningitis may occur at the same time, a few days after or even a few days before the facial swelling develops in it. The first sings are a severe headache, stiffness or difficulty in bending the neck and a marked dislike of looking at bright lights (photophobia). Occasionally the person may become confused or even unconscious. Any age group can be affected by this difficulty. Where meningitis is suspected, a lumber puncture is performed which involves taking a sample of fluid from around the spinal column and brain. Orchitis only occurs in boys after they have reached puberty. About 20 % of adult males who catch it are pretentious. It begins as hurt and swelling of the testes about three to five days after the salivary glands have swollen up. In mild cases, there may only be slight enlargement of the testes and only a little pain. Following an attack of orchitis, the tests may become smaller and the number of sperm produced may be less, but sterility is very rare. The other complication of it is much rarer. Children, in particularly, may of hurting complain in the abdomen which is sometimes caused by the pancreas gland being affect by the it virus. Occasionally a child can develop a from of diabetes after puberty the lower part of the abdomen-this dose not cause sterility. Some people become permanently deaf after it. Usually only one ear is unnatural and it is thought that the virus damages the nerves that supply the ear. Arthritis, or sting in the joints, may develop for up to a month after an attack of it, with men being more susceptible than women. Usually then hip joint, the knee or the ankle is exaggerated but the soreness eventually disappears completely. The it virus can cause inflammation of the kidneys (nephritis) and the thyroid gland (thyroiditis). It may also affect the breasts (mastitis) of both sexes, causing swelling and tenderness. Rarely, the heart muscle can be precious causing throbbing in the chest and breathlessness (myocarditis).
Recovery
Apart from a rare case of deafness or brain damage following a severe attack of it meningitis, the outlook is excellent, with people making a complete recovery even if they have had one of the complication. One attack also gives a person complete natural immunity against future outbreaks.