![]() Infants and young children usually only have a sore throat or tonsillitis, but they may have no symptoms at all.Ī small percentage of people may experience jaundice (a yellowing of the skin) caused by the breakdown of red blood cells or liver problems. Other people may have a fever, a sore throat, and swollen lymph glands. Many people just have swollen glands, and some just suffer fatigue. Not everyone has all of the classic mononucleosis symptoms - some people have no symptoms. The virus remains infectious in the saliva for several months, and never completely leaves the body. The infection itself lasts from 1 to 3 weeks, though about 2% of people have fatigue that lasts longer. They're usually preceded by general unwellness, which may last about a week. These symptoms arrive 4 to 8 weeks after infection. fever peaking each day in late afternoon or early evening, sometimes up to 40.5☌ (105☏).swollen glands on the sides and back of the neck, under the arms and above the groin.There are four symptoms traditionally associated with mononucleosis: The small minority of people who don't carry EBV have a lower-than-average chance of developing this cancer. There's also a weak link with nose and throat cancer. EBV is one of very few viruses known to be capable of causing cancer. EBV is also linked to other cancers such as Hodgkin's disease. There is, however, a longstanding link between EBV infection and Burkitt's lymphoma, a cancer that occurs mostly in central Africa. Such cases in older people tend to be severe but not deadly.Ī link was previously postulated between EBV and chronic fatigue syndrome, but the latest studies refute that. Older people will usually have been infected much earlier in their lives. There are rare cases of mononucleosis occurring in older people, but usually the ones affected have weakened immune systems. The exception is college students, who are symptomatic around 1 in every 2 cases of infection, which is several times higher than non-college students of the same age. In the 5 to 30 years of age group, most studies have found that about 10% of people with EBV get the symptoms of mononucleosis. Unless their immune system collapses, they will never have mononucleosis. Half of all people are infected with EBV before age 5, and this age group hardly ever has symptoms beyond occasional mild tonsillitis. Of course, nowhere near 90% of the population has suffered from mononucleosis. After that it's kept in check by the immune system, though never completely eradicated. However, it can only cause symptoms in healthy people when it's still new in the body. Once you've caught the virus, it never really goes away. By 40 years of age, 90% of individuals are infected. It's also called the "kissing disease" because kissing is a common method of transmission.īefore 5 years of age, 50% of individuals are infected by EBV. The disease is sometimes known as glandular fever, because it causes lymph glands to swell up. Even more grave complications will appear in people with diminished immune systems, such as those suffering from HIV.Infectious mononucleosis (called "mono" for short) is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a virus that affects nearly everybody at some point. And although rare, you may experience anemia, heart inflammation, nervous system malfunctions and a decrease in vital clotting blood cells called platelets. This will cause sharp pain in your abdomen and could require surgery. Your spleen may enlarge to the point where it erupts. Your liver may become inflamed by the development of hepatitis. If mono goes untreated, severe complications may arise. Mono usually incubates for four to eight weeks, but whereas fever and sore throat often subside after a couple weeks, the swollen spleen and lymph glands may persist for a few weeks longer. Other more extreme, yet less common, symptoms that may occur are rapid heart rate, sensitivity to light, stiff neck, hives and jaundice. Some common symptoms are fatigue, sore throat, general faintness, swollen tonsils, headache, skin rash, night sweats, swollen spleen and weak appetite. Mono may manifest itself in a variety of ways.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |