Infectious mononucleosis or glandular fever is an illness that is caused by a virus called Epstein-Barr. Most of the people who have this illness are usually infected as young children. Then the illness is surely going to produce more than a few symptoms.
In some cases, the disease can stay inside the body and never expose and attack swollen lymph nodes, as it usually does. Most of the cases are lasting up to four weeks. This illness is also called kissing disease because it can be received through kissing or drinking from another person’s glass.
What Are the Symptoms?
Most of the people that have the CMV virus have only a few or any symptoms at all. However, some percentage of patients are surely going to have them displayed. Mononucleosis who was caused by EBV is causing symptoms to display more often than in other cases. For most of the time, mononucleosis takes up to a month and a half to appear on the patient. They can last up to four months.
The commonest mononucleosis symptoms are:
Headache
Body aches
Fever
Enlarged spleen
Swollen lymph glands under armpits, groin, and in neck
Enlarged liver
The Diagnose
Mononucleosis can be diagnosed pretty easily. Firstly, the doctors will require you to provide your child’s health history and symptoms that could lead to mononucleosis. After then your child will receive a physical exam. Symptoms are more than enough for mono diagnose. Also, diagnosis can be confirmed with blood tests like:
Liver function
White blood cell count
Antibodies
How Can be Mononucleosis Treated in Young Adults and Teens?
Treatment depends on the child’s symptoms, general health, and age. Firstly, the most important element is how hard this condition is. Prescribing medications in the treatment of mononucleosis is very rare, almost none.
Mononucleosis is not a kind of illness that can be improved with consuming antibiotics. In the most severe cases which causes swelling of the tonsils and throat are making breathing much harder than in classic cases. In these cases, you should take your children to an otolaryngologist (nose, throat, and ear doctor).
In order to ease symptoms, you should help your child:
Drinking a lot of fluids
Taking medicine for discomfort and fever
Getting a lot of rest
Possible Complications
One of the most common symptoms that can get overcomplicated over time is spleen enlargement. This symptom can increase the risk of spleen rupture in case your child gets in an accident and injured, and if there is major pressure that is inflicted on the stomach area. In order to fully protect the spleen, your child shouldn’t get involved in any contact sports until the patient is fully recovered.
Both CMV and EBV can stay in a person’s body for the entire life, even after you got rid of all the symptoms of the virus. Naturally, the virus can be active again in the future, but next time, there are not going to be any symptoms.
