Question
A 5-year-old child experienced abdominal pain around the umbilicus after developing parotitis, with intermittent and recurrent abdominal pain, sometimes accompanied by nausea and vomiting. The examination results were normal. Can you tell me how to treat pediatric parotitis?
Answer
The treatment for pediatric parotitis primarily focuses on symptomatic relief. Most children feel uncomfortable with fever, headache, and pain in the parotid area (especially when eating or drinking), which is caused by the secretion of the parotid glands. Therefore, it is necessary to actively combat inflammation and address the symptoms. If the child develops regional lymph node enlargement, parotitis encephalopathy, vomiting, and other conditions, hospital observation and treatment are required. Generally speaking, parotitis is one of the most common viral infections, often contagious, and children who are infected typically need to be isolated and actively treated.