parotitis
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This site provides you with the information about parotitis, how to prevent, cure parotitis treatments, causes of parotitis, parotitis prevention tips, advice, parotitis remedies, parotitis symptoms, parotitis signs, parotitis medicine, parotitis drugs, recovering from parotitis, acute parotitis, chronic parotitis, and more.
Parotitis is an inflammation of one or both parotid glands, the major salivary glands located on either side of the face, in humans. The parotid gland is the salivary gland most commonly affected by inflammation.
Causes
Bacterial causes: Parotitis is most often caused by a bacterial infection of Staphylococcus aureus, but can result from viral infection, and other causes. The bacterium which causes tuberculosis can also cause parotid infection. Acute suppurative parotitis is a very painful bacterial infection of the gland. It is contracted by bacteria and is treatable with antibiotics.
Viral causes: The most common viral cause of parotitis is mumps. Routine vaccinations have dropped the incidence of mumps to a very low level. Mumps goes away on its own in about ten days.
Blockage: Blockage of the main parotid duct, or one of its branches, is often a primary cause of acute parotitis, with further inflammation secondary to bacterial superinfection. The blockage may be from a salivary stone, a mucous plug, or, more rarely, by a tumor, usually benign. Salivary stones, also called salivary calculi, are mainly made of calcium, but do not indicate any kind of calcium disorder. Stones may be diagnosed via X-ray (with a success rate of about 80%) or a computed tomography (CT) scan. Stones may be removed by manipulation in the doctor's office, or, in the worst cases, by surgery. Lithotripsy, also known as "shock wave" treatment, is best known for its use breaking up kidney stones. Lithotripsy can now be used on salivary stones as well. Ultrasound waves break up the stones, and the fragments flush out of the salivary duct.
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