Symptoms of Mononucleosis

Mononucleosis is often just called mono for short. Mono can be a long illness that is debilitating. It you have ever had mono you can easily say you would never want it again. The Epstein-Barr virus causes mononucleosis. When mono strikes in a young person the mono infections produce mild signs and symptoms. These symptoms are unlike the symptoms that can occur when a person is in their early teen years. The first sign of mono is usually a soar throat and a fever.

When a person is in their early teenage year's mono brings a very sore throat and a elevated temperature. Swollen lymph nodes are also a common symptom of mononucleosis particularly in the neck area. When a person is struck with mono the illness takes away energy from the person. The person is very tired and wants to sleep a lot.

Mononucleosis can infect a persons liver but the only signs that mono gives of infecting the liver is an abnormal liver blood test.

You catch mono through saliva. Saliva spreads the virus from person to person. You can have mono and not be actively infected (you don't show any symptoms). A person who does not show any mono symptoms can give mono to someone else. The person who has the symptoms can transmit the disease to another person long after they haven't had any symptoms. So mono can be spread around easily from person to person since many times a person doesn't even know they are contagious.

Mononucleosis can last a long time. Some people can get over the illness in three or four weeks and other people can show symptoms of mono for months. The sore throat is usually over for everyone in five to ten days. And the fever of mono is usually gone in a week or two. But some people can remain tired feeling for a long time. The symptoms of mono are puzzling since one day a person can feel great and the next day the person will feel tired and dragging the next. The lymph nodes can take a long time to return to normal.

Since the symptoms of mononucleosis can be so challenging to identify it is best to visit your doctor if you think that you may have mono. Mono is usually the toughest on teenagers and the symptoms can be hard to identify. It is possible that you could have had mono in the past and never even knew it.