Painful, swollen glands just below the ear are telltale sign of the mumps. Doctors call this “parotitis,” and it can happen on one or both sides of the face. But fewer than half of the folks who get mumps ever have this symptom.
Other people who have the virus show no symptoms or develop very minor ones. They usually start 2 to 3 weeks after you get infected and might include:
- Fever
- Headache
- Muscle aches
- Tiredness
- Loss of appetite
- Swollen salivary glands
- Pain while chewing or swallowing
Infected people can spread it to others by:
- Coughing, sneezing, or talking
- Sharing cups and utensils with others
- Not properly washing their hands and touching items that other people then touch
In most cases, people who have mumps recover fully after a few weeks.