A-Z of Illnesses
Mumps
What is it?
Mumps is a virus spread by coughing and sneezing. It can give you headaches, make you hot (see temperature) and your neck swells up under your chin. This is very painful.
Treatment
Tell a doctor who can make sure you get the right treatment to stop it hurting too much.
How do you catch it?
It is spread from person to person by coughing and sneezing. It takes 12 to 25 days to appear.You must stay away from school for nine days after the start of the swelling.
Most of us don't get mumps becomes we are given a vaccine when we are babies.
A boy's face with mumps...
..and without.
