What Are Mumps
Mumps is a viral disease that causes the salivary glands to swell to abnormal sizes. It is contagious and could have serious long-term effects on the patient’s body, especially in boys who could grow up to have fertility issues. Children are the ones who are most likely to be affected by this ailment though it has also been reported in adults.
Mumps may be very contagious but vaccines have already been developed to ensure the immunity of the vaccinated person from contracting this disease. Because it is a viral disease, antibiotics and most medications will not work on mumps. The good news is that the ailment will just run its course and then recede by itself without intervention.
How To Avoid Mumps
- It is always best to avoid mumps through vaccination.
- Another way to avoid mumps is to avoid going to places where mumps are prevalent or the likelihood of encountering an affected person is high. This is one of the reasons why children should not be brought along in hospital visits.
Herbal Remedies For Mumps
Although mumps do not respond to antibiotics, a lot of home remedies can be used to help alleviate the symptoms. When the individual has mumps or someone in the family has mumps and he or she wishes to treat it with homemade remedies, here are some recipes and simple herbal treatments that he or she might want to try:
- One of the herbal remedies the patient can use is a topical remedy that consists of fenugreek seeds and asparagus seeds ground together to form a paste. This should be applied on the area where one will find the swelling, like on the cheeks, under the ears, or under the jaw.
- Ginger is also a well-known remedy for mumps. Peel a whole root of fresh ginger and grind this into a fine pulp. Use this fine pulp as a salve over the swollen area. If it is too watery, try to apply this over the area with the use of a clean bandage or clean piece of cloth and hold this cloth over the area by tying it around the head with the use of a bandana or a longer piece of cloth or an elastic headband.
- Another herbal treatment one can use is the mixture of powdered margosa leaves and turmeric. Combine equal parts of these two and make these into a paste with the use of a little water. Apply this mixture over the swollen areas of the face.