Mononucleosis is sometimes called the kissing disease, but the disease has very little to do with kissing. It is a disease that can make you sick enough to keep you out of school or work for too long. Like all diseases, if you know what mono symptoms are, you can treat it early and avoid some of the worst effects of it.
It should be noted that this article is meant only for educational purposes. No article will diagnose you but you will have a better idea of what to talk with your doctor about. Mono is most commonly seen in children and teenagers but adults can still fall victim to it. The good news is that once you get mono once you will be immune for life. The bad news is that mono in adults can be life-threatening from high fevers.
Key Points of Mono Symptoms
- Mono is a long-lasting illness that affects children and teens for 4-6 weeks on average but can linger longer depending on the person.
- While being called the kissing disease, you can contract mono from multiple places where salvia is being shared.
- Mono is a virus and not a bacteria. No amount of antibiotics will help in a case of mono.
Fatigue and weakness are the most visible mono symptoms. Sufferers of mono are generally very lethargic and feel very weak. They become fatigued very easily. Another mono symptom is a sore throat. In fact, it might even develop into a strep throat except that mono-induced strep throat doesn't improve with antibiotics.
Mono sufferers may also exhibit the mono symptoms of fever, swollen tonsils, and swollen lymph nodes. These are the body's defenses in fighting any virus and mono isn't any different. Headaches, skin rashes, and a general loss of appetite accompany mono. The headaches can be very debilitating. Sufferers have a difficult time forcing themselves to eat. Finally, mono sufferers may have a soft, swollen spleen.
The incubation period for mononucleosis is between 4 to 6 weeks. This means that you be infected and exhibit absolutely no mono symptoms for 4 to 6 weeks until finally, the illness breaks out. It will make you feel as if a freight train has run over you. It should be noted that mono is an illness that affects adults differently than children. In children under 15, mono symptoms can resemble a simple upper respiratory infection while in adults, the symptoms can be much more severe and long-lasting.
If you think you are exhibiting mono symptoms then you should seek out medical treatment early so that you can reduce the severity of mononucleosis.