Mending Mononucleosis

You have body aches and a fever. You feel extremely tired. You remember that you shared a soda with your best friend. Could you have mononucleosis?

Mononucleosis (mono) is a condition that commonly affects young teenagers and adults. It is spread through bodily fluids like saliva. It is sometimes known as the “kissing illness.”

For most people, mono is a harmless condition that lingers in your system for about a month. The incidence for this illness is 500 cases per 100,000 people.

Symptoms of mono include fatigue, sore throat, fever, swollen tonsils, swollen lymph nodes in your neck and armpits, headache, skin rash and a soft, swollen spleen. It usually takes four to six weeks after being exposed to the illness for symptoms to show up.

Mono is caused by the Epstein Barr virus in most cases. But other viruses and infections may cause mono as well. Illnesses such as adenovirus, cytomegalovirus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, herpes simplex virus, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may cause mono.

The biggest concern with mono is an enlarged spleen which can rupture. So it’s important that you take advantage of your time to heal and avoid strenuous physical activity.

Your doctor may diagnose mono based on your symptoms and a physical examination. Your doctor may perform antibody tests (to check your blood for antibodies to the Epstein Barr virus) and a white blood cell count test (to check for an elevated number of white blood cells).

Mono may result in certain complications including:

·       Anemia (a decrease in red blood cells and hemoglobin, an iron rich protein in red blood cells).

·       Thrombocytopenia (a low count of platelets, which are blood cells involved in clotting).

·       Heart problems (an inflammation of the heart muscle).

·       Complications involving the nervous system (meningitis, encephalitis, and Guillain-Barr syndrome).

·       Swollen tonsils (which can block breathing).

Treatment for mono may include taking care of the symptoms themselves like making sure that you have plenty of rest, eat a healthy diet, and drinking plenty of fluids. Over-the-counter pain remedies may be helpful in relieving a fever or sore throat. Medicines like acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) may be helpful in relieving some symptoms associated with mono. Other suggestions are gargling with salt water and avoid giving young children aspirin (could bring on Reye’s syndrome, a life-threatening condition).

One important note is that antibiotics like amoxicillin and those made from penicillin aren’t recommended because this might result in a rash. There are other antibiotics that can be used for infections associated with mono. But please note that antibiotics don’t work with mono because it is a viral infection. Corticosteroids might be recommended for possible narrowing of your airway.

Most signs and symptoms of mono ease in a few weeks, but it might take two or three months to feel normal again. Keep in mind that the sooner you get rest, the sooner you can recover. Returning to your routine too soon may cause a relapse. Your doctor may suggest you wait one month before returning to vigorous activity due to the risk of rupturing your spleen. This may result in severe bleeding and is a medical emergency.

There is no vaccine for mono. The best way to preventing it is to practice good hygiene and not share utensils, foods or drinks with someone who suspect is sick.

Be patient as your body heals. You don’t need to quarantine because most people have been exposed to Epstein Barr virus. But you do need to take it easy so that means staying out of work and school for the time being.