No wonder mononucleosis is nicknamed the "kissing disease." Usually teenagers and young adults catch it and it is spread by saliva. Sometimes it takes a while to figure out that you have mononucleosis because the symptoms are not too bad--they just last a really long time. It is important to get mononucleosis diagnosed, though, because the disease can lead to other problems like a ruptured spleen or anemia.
Identification
Mononucleosis is a virus in the same family as the herpes virus. It is also called the Kissing Disease, Glandular Fever or just by the shortened name, Mono. Unless you get a blood test, there is no way to determine whether you have the disease. Then, once it has been diagnosed through a blood test, you won't be prescribed any medications other than over the counter pain relievers. There is no vaccine to prevent mononucleosis either.
Features
Some of the symptoms of mononucleosis are a lot like the cold or the flu and include sore throat, feeling weak, fever, swollen lymph nodes and swollen tonsils. People with mononucleosis may have fever, headache, a rash and they may lose their appetite. They may also sweat during the night while sleeping. The most dangerous possible symptom of mononucleosis is a swollen spleen which can actually burst if it is not treated in time. Some people with mononucleosis have to have their spleen removed surgically.
Types
Two different herpes viruses can cause mononucleosis. Most people get mono from the Epstein-Barr Virus. Others get it from the cytomegalovirus. Most people recover from mononucleosis after a few weeks but people with the HIV-AIDS virus may have a harder time getting rid of this disease. The same extra challenges are true for people who get the disease following an organ transplant or who have another condition that makes their immune system weak or deficient.
Prevention/Solution
Doctors draw a small amount of blood from patients that they suspect may have mononucleosis. They check the blood for the presence of antibodies for the Epstein-Barr virus. They also count the patient's white blood cells. If there is a high ratio of white blood cells the patient may have mononucleosis.
Potential
Once someone has been exposed to mononucleosis, it takes between four to eight weeks for the disease to incubate and for the person actually to feel sick. Even after a firm diagnosis, though, there is no medical treatment for mononucleosis except for bed rest and to drink lots of liquids. It takes several weeks of bed rest and up to three months in all before a person feels totally well after getting mononucleosis.
Warning
Half of the people who get mononucleosis also suffer from a swollen spleen. This organ is located underneath the ribs on the upper left side of the abdomen and is used to keep the blood filtered. If you have mononucleosis and you are also experiencing pain in your abdomen, back or pain that radiates up to your left shoulder, tell your doctor. An x-ray or ultrasound test will be done to make sure that your spleen is intact. If it tears or ruptures, you need emergency surgery. One tenth of one percent of the people who get mononucleosis also experience a ruptured spleen.
Considerations
Another serious complication from mononucleosis is autoimmune hemolytic anemia. If you have mononucleosis and also have brown colored urine, jaundiced skin, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches or muscle pain, you should have your doctor check your blood for this condition. It is caused by an over-reaction of your immune system which begins destroying otherwise healthy red blood cells. Doctors treat it by steroids, gama globulin or other drugs that suppress the immune system.
Tags: have mononucleosis, mononucleosis also, blood cells, immune system, blood test, from mononucleosis, also