Resolved question:
Four days ago I woke up in the night with a very high fever, facial discomfort, muscle weakness and spasms, loss of apetite and general nausea. My head also felt swollen, though I suspected this was from the fever.
The symptoms were quite severe and lasted 48 hours, then for a further 48 hours but to a much lesser extent.
Days after I recovered, my housemate was diagnosed with mumps. I'm trying to figure out if this is what I had. Obviously the incubation period for mumps is 2 weeks so it is unlikely, he caught it off me, but i'm wondering if we both could have been exposed to the disease around the same time, as we would obviously spend a lot of time together.
The strange thing is, my salivary glands did not swell up, and I do not remember having neck pain, also my symptoms died away in 4 days, less than i've read is normal.
In your opinion did I have mumps, or was it something unrelated? Need to know as i'm worried about catching it having just being ill!
Thanks,
Submitted:
4 Days
Category:
Family Physician-GP
Hello,
Thank you for asking your query at DoctorSpring.
Although a ‘common source’ of contact is a possibility as you suspect, the symptom pattern you have mentioned here is not suggestive of Mumps.
Mumps usually have a prodrome of low-grade fever, malaise, headache, myalgias, and anorexia. You slowly start feeling ill over a day (unlike a sudden high fever). Parotid (Salivary gland ) swelling occurs in around 95% of cases. Along with that the fact that your symptoms vanished in 4 days make mumps unlikely. If you had your routine immunizations in the childhood, most likely you are immune for mumps.
Even if in the very rare case scenario of you having mumps, there is no need for concern, as mumps without complication does not require any special treatment.
Hope this helps
Please feel free to ask followup questions.
Thank you
Thank you for the reply.
I didn't actually have my booster when younger so I probably am at risk. Is it worth trying to get it now? His symptoms only appeared today.
Fortunately I have not been into contact with him for the past few days whilst he was infectious, what are my chance of being able to avoid getting infected (given that I live with him).
and any tips?
Thanks!
Jack