Mumps
Question: I have been diagnosed as having mumps. As a child I had the mumps on both sides. My doctors says its rare, but it can happen. Some information I have found says you can not get it a second time. Other documents I have seen say it is possible to have a second occurrence. What do you think? My doctor has prescribed Cipro. Is this for some other infection I may have, or is this a common treatment?

Answer: If you have had a second case of mumps there is something amiss with your immune system. This should be looked into or the diagnosis of mumps reconsidered. Cipro will have no effect on mumps-it is either for another infection or is in error.

Mumps/Wisdom Tooth
Question: I'm experiencing some pain at the side of my cheek, near the ear. There is mild swelling. I was told that the symptoms of mumps can begin with that. However, my wisdom tooth at the side is also growing. Can I know whether the pain could be due to the wisdom tooth or what?

Answer: Have you been immunized against mumps? If not, you should be(assuming that you haven't had mumps then you will not contact them again). The parotid gland is there and can be inflamed from several processes-the most common now that mumps is gone is a blockage of the outlet duct leading to inflammation. You'll need to see a physician on this one to determine if it is the tooth or the gland.
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