Mononucleosis- the Kissing Disease

Mononucleosis is called the "kissing disease" because it can be spread through saliva, but you can also spread it by coughing and sneezing. An estimated ninety to ninety-five percent of the population has been exposed to mononucleosis, also called mono, by the time they are adults. Mononucleosis is not a serious disease, but the virus that precipitates it does remain in your body for life, although your body will develop immunity to further infections from it. Mononucleosis can be a pesky condition, manifesting itself for weeks or months, with its primary symptoms being a sore throat and fatigue.

The Epstein-Barr virus has been identified as the cause of mononucleosis, with a virus called cytomegalovirus also capable of giving someone mono. It is diagnosed most often in teenagers and young adults, individuals of both sexes between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five. One to three percent of all college students will come down with mononucleosis each year. The symptoms of mononucleosis may include fatigue, weakness, sore throat and fever, swollen lymph nodes in the neck and the armpits, enlarged tonsils, headaches, a skin rash, no interest in eating, and a swollen spleen. In children under fifteen, mononucleosis may appear to mimic a respiratory infection, but if you have it when you are an older adult, its symptoms can be more serious and linger for a long time. The Epstein-Barr virus has an incubation period of four to six weeks, and the symptoms of sore throat and fever will be almost non-existent after two to three weeks of suffering from mono, with the fatigue and lymph swelling hanging in there for much longer.

It is time to head to the doctor if you have been feeling tired and weak, with a constant fever, rash, and loss of appetite, for an inordinate length of time. When mononucleosis is suspected, your physician will confirm this with what is called a Monospot test, a blood test that can detect mono antibodies in your system. The results will be back in a day in most cases, but if the condition is in just its first week, it may not successfully reveal the disease, making another antibody blood test that takes longer to get the results from necessary. This second test is capable of uncovering mononucleosis as the culprit even when it is in its initial stages.

There are some serious complications that can develop from mononucleosis, with by far the most severe being the rupturing of the spleen. The spleen can enlarge, and when it bursts, it will cause a sharp pain in the left side of the upper abdomen, requiring immediate surgery. Many doctors will advise mono sufferers not to engage in any strenuous activity for at least a month after the affliction appears, so that the spleen will not be at risk of rupturing. Mono can trigger liver inflammation in many people, but it is usually mild, and those afflicted with mononucleosis over the age of thirty-five can experience a yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes. More than fifty percent of those with mono will have a low platelet count in their blood, platelets being an important part of the clotting process. In rare case, mono can initiate bouts of anemia, inflammation of the heart, nervous system maladies like Bell's palsy and meningitis, and swollen tonsils that can make breathing a chore.

Antibiotics are useless against viral infections like mononucleosis, so the best treatment is always plenty of bed rest and maintaining fluids to avoid dehydration from fever. Antibiotics can be effective against the strep throat and sinus infections that sometimes accompany mono, and corticosteroids like prednisone can lessen the symptoms involving tonsil and throat swelling. If you have mono, you will easily spread the disease by kissing others, or by sharing food, plates, cups, eating utensils, and the like for days, even after the fever has broken. With the Epstein-Barr virus omnipresent, it makes little difference if someone with mononucleosis is isolated from others or not. Those with mononucleosis are urged not to become blood donors for at least six months after the virus has kicked in. Unfortunately, there is presently no vaccine that is able to prevent mono, although research is always working towards that end.

The key to recovering as quickly and fully from mono as possible is to get plenty of rest when it is first diagnosed. Over-the-counter pain relievers such as Tylenol and Advil can ease the pain associated with mono. Aspirin should not be used in children under the age of sixteen with mono, as it can cause a condition known as Reyes syndrome, which can be deadly. It often takes as long as two to three months before someone with mono feels fine again. Athletes need to keep in mind that their spleens are still vulnerable as they recover. Mononucleosis may not be life threatening, but the time it takes to bounce back from can certainly seem like an eternity for the youthful people that it usually infects.