The Kissing Disease

Growing up can be very difficult. For teenagers, there is acne, peer pressure and danger around every turn;  not to mention all the drama. But the last thing people think of as a problem for teens, is kissing. Although most teens do not spend all of their time making out, it only takes one kiss to spread diseases.

A common virus, known as the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), infects most of the human population at some point in their lives, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Most are infected as children and show only flu-like symptoms. When this virus affects teens and young adults, it can cause mononucleosis. EBV causes mononucleosis 35–50% of the time, according to CDC.

All across the world, most adults have had this virus, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC). They say that as many as 90% of adults have already been infected.

Mononucleosis is spread through saliva. If a person kisses with or drinks after an infected person, they are likely to get it as well. The person does not have to be sick or show any symptoms to spread the virus. This is because once a person is infected, the symptoms will go away, but the virus itself will stay with the person forever. Most of the time, it will be inactive, but sometimes it will activate and spread between people. Those who already had the virus will build up antibodies and will be immune to getting the symptoms, says CDC.

But since healthy people can spread it, EBV and Mono are almost impossible to get rid of, says CDC. So even if a person is healthy, they always could spread germs and infections.

 Symptoms of mononucleosis are fever, fatigue, weakness, headache, rash, swollen tonsils, swollen lymph glands, sore throat and sometimes a swollen spleen or liver according to many websites, such as CDC, MayoClinic.com and MedicineNet.com.

 “All I wanted to do was go to sleep and not wake up,” says Jason, an 18 year old who had mono about two years ago. “I didn’t want to eat at all either.”

Usually the symptoms will go away after about one or two months, but on rare occasions, they could stay around for much longer. Dr. Hal B. Jenson, a mononucleosis specialist, is quoted on medicinenet.com, saying "Second attacks of infectious mononucleosis caused by EBV have not been documented."

 Mononucleosis is almost never fatal, but there could be complications such as a swollen spleen, inflammation of the heart, anemia, and central nervous problems, says UMMC. Because of this, the infected person should be closely monitored by a doctor. This will ensure that the patient is getting the right treatment and that the virus is not something more serious.

The symptoms usually appear four weeks after the patient is infected. Besides not kissing anyone and sharing drinks, no other precautions need be taken. The infected person does not need to be isolated because most people have already had this infection and are immune, says CDC.

There is no cure for mononucleosis. The symptoms will go away on their own. The patient should get plenty of bed rest and drink a lot of water. Pain relievers can be taken to help ease the headaches, fever and swelling. Because mononucleosis is caused by a viral infection, antibiotics will not help it. However, t if a bacterial infection accompanies the disease, antibiotics can help, says MedicineNet.com.

If the infected person has a swollen spleen, they should avoid physical activity for about two months after the symptoms disappear because they might rupture their spleen. If the patient feels a sudden, sharp abdominal pain, they need to go to the emergency room immediately. This could mean their spleen has burst and could be fatal.