Mononucleosis- A Viral Infection spread through Kissing.

about 2 years ago (Edited)

Amongst the existing sexual activities, kissing has almost become a norm and to some people, kissing a stranger is not even so much of a big deal, but while I am not trying to condemn the act of kissing random people, I will be writing today about Mononucleosis also known as the Kissing disease. It is a contagious infection caused by a herpes virus, known as Epstein-Barr, amongst others.

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It is a common infection amongst young adults and teenagers, we understand the main transmission to be done through kissing but it can also be transmitted through the sharing of food utensils and glass with someone who is already a carrier.

The virus usually has an incubation phase of about 4-6 weeks, the period of incubation may be shorter in young children. For better clarity, the incubation phase refers to the time taken for symptoms to begin to appear after being exposed to the virus.

Epstein-Barr is a type of herpes virus, it's actually different from the herpes simplex virus (HSV), this one causes genital and oral herpes, even if both are sexually transmittable viruses, EBV is more likely to spread through kissing and sharing of drinks. The virus can spread through other means; sneezing, coughing, blood transfusions, organ transplant, and sexual contact.

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Even if a lot of people develop Mononucleosis just once, the Epstein-Barr virus remains in the body in an inactive manner even after the symptoms go away. If it happens that, the Epstein-Barr virus gets re-activated, it rarely comes with symptoms but you can still spread it to others without even knowing, it is more common for people with a low immune system to develop the symptoms more than once.

A lot of Mononucleosis cases are caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, in fact, over 90% of the cases of Mononucleosis we have are caused by the virus, but other viruses and some types of infections can also bring about the illness, and the symptoms could develop and get more pronounced due to; Rubella, Adenovirus, Hepatitis A, B and C, Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Toxoplasmosis and Herpes simplex virus (HSV).

The symptoms of Mononucleosis could either be mild or severe, it usually starts gradually until it gets to the point where it gets very serious, and the symptoms may last for four weeks or even longer;

Fever.
Extreme fatigue.
Headache.
Skin rash.
Enlarged liver or spleen.
Weakness or muscle ache.
Absence of appetite.
Sore throat.
Swollen tonsils.
Swollen lymph nodes around the neck and the armpits.

There is currently no vaccine or cure for Mononucleosis. The usual antibiotics that would usually fight bacterial infection, as well as the antiviral medications that would destroy other viruses, would normally not work against Mononucleosis. That sounds scary, but there are treatment options that make you feel better by relieving the symptoms, the available treatment options include;

Find time to rest, Mononucleosis, makes you very tired, sleeping and resting well helps your body fight against infections.
Taking in plenty of fluid will help prevent dehydration.
Getting engaged in physical activities can actually place pressure on an enlarged spleen, this would increase the risk of rupture taking place. While you are sick and around a month later, you need to avoid contact sports and other forms of other exercise.
Eat warm, chicken soup.
Pain relief would help ease the fever symptoms felt, it would ease the fever, inflammation, headaches, and muscle aches.
In order to ease the sore throat, you can gargle with salt water and make use of throat lozenges.

The symptoms of mononucleosis would naturally get better after around four weeks, but feeling fatigued would last for months, some people would even miss out on work so they can recover appropriately.

Complications of mononucleosis may create spleen enlargement and in very serious cases, the spleen could rupture creating a very sharp pain on the left side of the upper abdomen, with this pain then medical help needs to be sort instantly because surgery could be a great recommendation.

Liver problems could also be a severe complication, hepatitis with mild liver inflammation and Jaundice where the skin gets yellow and the eyes get very white, Jaundice occurs occasionally.

Anemia, is also a possible complication, giving a decrease in red blood cells and hemoglobin.

Heart problem, which is an inflammation of the heart muscle.

There could also be a case of swollen tonsils which could block breathing.

If you already have mononucleosis, you can do well to stop the spread of the virus by not kissing another person or sharing glasses, utensils, and other food items with someone else, washing your hands constantly will prevent the spread of the virus. The Epstein-Barr virus may remain in an infected person's saliva for months even after the infection, so to protect yourself as a person who doesn't have the infection, it is best to practice good hygiene and stay clear of kissing random people, practice good hygiene and avoid sharing utensils with people who have got signs of viral illness like cough, fever, sore throat and feeling tired.

If you have mononucleosis, and you begin to have certain experiences like;

Serious body ache.
Constant headache.
Dizziness which may proceed to fainting.
Chronic pain in the upper left abdomen.
Inability to breath or swallow properly.
Muscle weakness affecting arms and legs.
Then make sure to contact your doctor immediately.

Conclusion.

Mononucleosis is a viral infection that can be spread through saliva and other shared utensils, the symptoms would go away on it's own with some home-remedy options, but there are complications that can get things overboard and you may need urgent medical attention and even surgery in some cases.

Most of the adult that have been exposed to Mononucleosis usually have a strong immune system to fight against the virus, so it affects children and teenagers even more.